1997 Kia Overheating

[scottpolk]

I could really use some help. I have been reading through many of the posts about 1997 models overheating. I am having the same problem on a 4wd with 160K miles in it. Here's my story any comments would be appreciated.

Months ago the temperature gauge started falling sometimes all the way back to the cold mark. It seemed to be related to how fast I was going at the time. It always came back up to it's normal spot. So I just dismissed it. About two months ago it started boiling by the time I got to work. Not suprisingly the temperature gauge was showing it was overheating. Turning the heater on full blast would stabilize the temperature. I did some troubleshooting and found the hose going from the thermostat housing to the engine was leaking. I replace that hose. I still had a problem with it overheating although the boiling issue was resolved. So I replaced the thermostat with a 185 degree thermostat. Problem still did not go away. Continued to trouble shoot with a friend who is a mechanic. I became convince it was the fan clutch so I replaced the clutch. I can tell a big difference between the old fan clutch and the new but it is still overheating. Now technology is a wonderful thing. I have a freind with a code scanner that also provides real time data so here is the driving profile over a 25 mile trip with traffic and about a 15 mile stretch of highway speed

Temp starts out relatively cold for South Carolina then gets up to about 186 (btw temp gauge is on the line before half at this point). Stays there for about 15 minutes just long enough to really get into the stop and go of traffic. Then it rises at a moderate pace to about 216(btw gauge is still at the line before the halfway point). By this time I've hit the highway speed part of my drive. It jumps up to 225 to 227 for about 20 minutes ( gauge needle is now between the half mark and halfway). Then the temp jumps to 230-232. That's when I get nervous and turn the heat on. Turning the heat on causes the temp gauge to jump by a quarter mark although the readout of the temp does not change. Turning the heat on will cause the temperature to fall about 15 degrees in just a few minutes. The gauge also falls but it does not correlate with how fast or far the digital temp has fallen. Once the temperature gets down I can turn the heat off but withign about 10 minutes it has risen back to 230. I have not let it rise past 235 so I don't know if it will continue to heat up. Aside from the temp issue there are no perfomance issues

Thats's a long story so just a recap of what I have done.

New themostat
New fan clutch
System powerflush by Jiffy Lube
Replace hose from Themostat housing to engine block
No evidence of coolant leak specifically from water pump
No change in coolant level since hose was replace
No yellow residue around oil cap
No evidence of water in oil (just changed it)

Now in reading some of the posts I know I need to check the ground. The needle does quiver and activating the door locks can cause the needle to jump also the door power door locks don't always work so there may be a ground problem.

Does anyone have any ideas. What is the normal operating range in degrees of the sportage. I've tried to find that out. As we all seem to be finding out you have to have top secret clearance from Kia to find any published information of value.

[fokion]

What you describe are two seperate things

The needle - ground you are right on that

Overheating - the other. As the dealer told me the fancluch engages at 98 Celcious and dissengages at 92 celsius. But as I said "he told me" when I converted to electrik fan and whent there for measuring the actual temperature since the gauge is crap anyway...

A friend of mine had the same problem and the final solution was to change the radiator since there were much debrie that couldnot be cleaned up..

FYI with the electric the engine opperatew between 85-92 degrees

[95dman]

Thank you for the exceptionally articulated series of events.

Two Things:

Leak in the hose at the thermostat is actually going TO the thermostat housing not from it. I say that not to be symantic but it is relevant to my second observaton which is, you indicated the digital temp rose when you entered highway driving. In my experience, when I have had, low coolant, failing thermostat or fan clutch, I could always drive down the temp by increase airfow through the radiator. In fact, one could safely drive around indefinetly at 70 mph without a fan at all.
You don't have a clogged heater coil because you are cycling heated collant through it, you replaced the thermostat so it is cycling, coolant level is unchanged and isn't being lost. You didn't mention the waterpump, but usually temp will not fluctuate if it's bad, it will only go up and keep going up.

I think Fokion is right. Even though Jiffy Lube flushed the radiator, at 160k you most likely have deposits of calcium and "crud" that are inhibiting coolant flow. Still enough to get heat but not enough to keep temp down. It's only because highway speed doesn't reduce temp that think this. If there isn't a sufficient volume of coolant being exposed to the coils and the level is normal, then it isn't circulating....provided that the water pump is working.

[kzoogene]

Originally posted by 95dman@Apr 20 2006, 10:37 AM
Thank you for the exceptionally articulated series of events.

Two Things:

Leak in the hose at the thermostat is actually going TO the thermostat housing not from it. I say that not to be symantic but it is relevant to my second observaton which is, you indicated the digital temp rose when you entered highway driving. In my experience, when I have had, low coolant, failing thermostat or fan clutch, I could always drive down the temp by increase airfow through the radiator. In fact, one could safely drive around indefinetly at 70 mph without a fan at all.
You don't have a clogged heater coil because you are cycling heated collant through it, you replaced the thermostat so it is cycling, coolant level is unchanged and isn't being lost. You didn't mention the waterpump, but usually temp will not fluctuate if it's bad, it will only go up and keep going up.

I think Fokion is right. Even though Jiffy Lube flushed the radiator, at 160k you most likely have deposits of calcium and "crud" that are inhibiting coolant flow. Still enough to get heat but not enough to keep temp down. It's only because highway speed doesn't reduce temp that think this. If there isn't a sufficient volume of coolant being exposed to the coils and the level is normal, then it isn't circulating....provided that the water pump is working.

Quoted post

Impeccable logic Watson! I agree, just went through similar thing with a Honda with 223,000 miles on it.........

[95dman]

Thanks Bro