Car overheated after radiator drain and fill, help!

[redcoats1976]

i think that you are good,but get an overflow bottle.without it air can be sucked into the system when the car cools,and that can lead to air pockets which you have just experienced.

[CamaroCracka]

Originally Posted by nicole

Thanks to all of you that have answered! I’ve been paranoid since it happened and am new to a Chevy engine lol I’m typically a Ford girl �� the times I’ve driven it have been short drives and the coolant stays at 180F-185F while driving and 185F-189F while at red lights or parked. Oil temp went up to about 205F. Is this about normal? Still no signs of leaks or smoke anywhere, does this mean I’m good and basically left air in the system and was low on coolant?

That's not even operating temperature yet. Normal driving the coolant temps on the vert are over 200. The thermostat does not even open until 192. I think your car is fine, but put an overflow on it.

[silversleeper]

The rubber hose can be purchased cheaply at an auto parts store.
An overflow bottle can be anything if you don't have the time and money to install the exact old one. For example use something you have around the house. It doesn't need to seal tight and won't work properly if it was totally sealed anyways. Just sealed enough to keep out dirt so if the hole is too big at the top stuff some plastic bags around it. You could use a couple zip ties to hold it right side up and in place. I don't recommend glass because it is harder to hold onto and would fall and break on the road. None of your old Corona bottles Just make sure the hose goes to near the bottom of the bottle to suckup the liquid when the engine cools, like a straw in a cup. No fastfood cups either they deteriorate too quickly. No zipties? Duct tape works too. Electrical tape tends to melt underhood and not stay holding so good. Growing up poor helps you think creatively

[Badbubba]

Next time be certain the radiator was full and measure how much came out. The same amount should go back in. If not, then there is an air pocket(s) that is in the cooling passages of the engine. The cooling system is sealed. As the engine heats up, the thermostat opens to allow additional coolant flow. The coolant continues to heat up and expands. Thus creating pressure. The radiator cap has a pressure rating, say 16 psi. When the pressure in the system exceeds that value, the radiator cap, which has a spring set to 16 psi, will open and release coolant into the reservoir/overflow tank to relieve pressure. When the engine is turned off, the coolant contracts and the rad cap allows coolant from the overflow back into the cooling system. In your case, without an overflow, the rad cap would open and the coolant would have just dumped on the ground. And air sucked back into the system when cooling. This cycle would have been done enough times so that your radiator would now be low on coolant. So a portion of your radiator is filled with air. Air is compressible, liquid is not. So as the engine would heat and coolant would expand, the air would compress in the radiator and therefore no coolant would pushed out the rad cap. I'd bet if rad cap was removed before draining, the coolant level would not have been to the top.

[nicole]

Originally Posted by Badbubba

Next time be certain the radiator was full and measure how much came out. The same amount should go back in. If not, then there is an air pocket(s) that is in the cooling passages of the engine. The cooling system is sealed. As the engine heats up, the thermostat opens to allow additional coolant flow. The coolant continues to heat up and expands. Thus creating pressure. The radiator cap has a pressure rating, say 16 psi. When the pressure in the system exceeds that value, the radiator cap, which has a spring set to 16 psi, will open and release coolant into the reservoir/overflow tank to relieve pressure. When the engine is turned off, the coolant contracts and the rad cap allows coolant from the overflow back into the cooling system. In your case, without an overflow, the rad cap would open and the coolant would have just dumped on the ground. And air sucked back into the system when cooling. This cycle would have been done enough times so that your radiator would now be low on coolant. So a portion of your radiator is filled with air. Air is compressible, liquid is not. So as the engine would heat and coolant would expand, the air would compress in the radiator and therefore no coolant would pushed out the rad cap. I'd bet if rad cap was removed before draining, the coolant level would not have been to the top.

This was definitely my mistake, I didn’t fill it with the same amount that was drained. Once the thermostat opened there wasn’t enough coolant along with with an air pocket(s). This would explain the overheating? When I removed the cap the coolant was at the bottom of the radiator neck. The reservoir isn’t pressurized right? So the pressurized part is the coolant in the engine and in the radiator? My cap is a 20psi, so how is pressure reached to then flow coolant to the reservoir? How do I know if my radiator is full now, since I didn’t put enough the first time?

[nicole]

Originally Posted by CamaroCracka

That's not even operating temperature yet. Normal driving the coolant temps on the vert are over 200. The thermostat does not even open until 192. I think your car is fine, but put an overflow on it.

How can I figure out at what temperature my thermostat opens? Putting the overflow basically helps with not losing coolant or sucking in air right?

[nicole]

Originally Posted by redcoats1976

i think that you are good,but get an overflow bottle.without it air can be sucked into the system when the car cools,and that can lead to air pockets which you have just experienced.

Thanks! I was mostly paranoid about engine damage but at the same time there wasn’t any smoke or steam coming from under the hood

[Avenging Orange]

I think it is a moot point from this point forward. Bottom line, things won't change till you get a reservoir. That should be priority.

[nicole]

Originally Posted by Badbubba

Next time be certain the radiator was full and measure how much came out. The same amount should go back in. If not, then there is an air pocket(s) that is in the cooling passages of the engine. The cooling system is sealed. As the engine heats up, the thermostat opens to allow additional coolant flow. The coolant continues to heat up and expands. Thus creating pressure. The radiator cap has a pressure rating, say 16 psi. When the pressure in the system exceeds that value, the radiator cap, which has a spring set to 16 psi, will open and release coolant into the reservoir/overflow tank to relieve pressure. When the engine is turned off, the coolant contracts and the rad cap allows coolant from the overflow back into the cooling system. In your case, without an overflow, the rad cap would open and the coolant would have just dumped on the ground. And air sucked back into the system when cooling. This cycle would have been done enough times so that your radiator would now be low on coolant. So a portion of your radiator is filled with air. Air is compressible, liquid is not. So as the engine would heat and coolant would expand, the air would compress in the radiator and therefore no coolant would pushed out the rad cap. I'd bet if rad cap was removed before draining, the coolant level would not have been to the top.

Also, what you’re saying about the air compressing is that basically when pressure would build up the coolant would just fill the air space, therefore none was being pushed to the reservoir? Am I understanding that right?

[nicole]

Originally Posted by Avenging Orange

I think it is a moot point from this point forward. Bottom line, things won't change till you get a reservoir. That should be priority.

Getting that taken car of this week

[Badbubba]

Originally Posted by nicole

Also, what you’re saying about the air compressing is that basically when pressure would build up the coolant would just fill the air space, therefore none was being pushed to the reservoir? Am I understanding that right?

Yes to all the questions you asked in my quoted statement. I'm confident you under stand how the system operates now. Your thermostat is fine, imo. Get the oem overflow bottle. On the 3.6 LFX I have, different vehicle, there is no cap on the radiator. The pressurized cap is on the coolant overflow. Same principle.. Looking at replacement rads for your car, it shows a rad cap. Fortunately I had no issue when I did a coolant flush a few months ago. Get an overflow bottle and fill it up about 2/3. Top off rad. Run the car with the heat on to purge the heater core. Put gloves on and squeeze the upper rad hose. Do this till the upper hose gets warm or the coolant wants to spill out of the radiator, add if necessary. Then replace the rad cap. Also light revs occasionally from 1500 to 2000 rpm during the entire process. Keep squeezing hose for about 10-15 minutes after replacing cap. If temp hits about 235F. Shut it off and let cool. Take cap off after cooling and check level and overflow level, replace cap. Ride around locally in case of overheating. Run the car slightly hard after warming up to get any air out of the engine. Let cool. Check levels. Keep an eye on the levels for a few days. Should self bleed/purge as well, if not severe. My Camaro was a real bear to bleed, different engine though. Careful of the belts and your clothing and hair. Did you use orange coolant? Dexcool. BTW, the coolant overflow bottle will have an overflow hose that will flow to the ground if there is too much coolant in the overflow bottle.

[CamaroCracka]

Originally Posted by nicole

How can I figure out at what temperature my thermostat opens? Putting the overflow basically helps with not losing coolant or sucking in air right?

If it's stock, it's 192* They do sell an number of variations between 192 and 160, but the only way I know to tell is take it out and put it in hot water with a thermometer. I would not worry about when it opens. These cars are designed to run in the low 200s. Even racers argue over the value of earlier opening thermostats.