[RobertJohn]

2002 Kia Rio .. if it doesn't show up in my signature. small 4 cyl.
This just happened today. I drove down to the Mexican border parked and walked across.
Going down there wasn't any problems at all.
Got back in and started home when within a few blocks the temp gage went past where is usually runs and all the way to the H.
I pulled into a station opened the hood and anti freeze was ozzing out the place you put it in. I let it sit and cooled down the started back home..
If I stopped at a red lite the temp gage would start going back up, but as soon as I started driving it would go back to normal. At the Border Patrol Check Station the same thing, temp gage started rising but as soon as I started driving it went back to normal. Normal is just below the large middle mark a little less than 1/2 way between C and H.
Where is the water pump and could it cause this problem ? Or what would cause it to do this ? I need the veh and want to get it fixed, is it something I can do ? Or a dealership thing ? Sorry for being long but I sure need to find out what's causing this. Thanks and any help is appreciated..

 

[Dr Bob]

Lots of things could cause this. Was it a particularly hot day "South of the border"?

Overheating within a few blocks indicates a thermostat not opening.

Overheating is hard to diagnose on a forum. I would suggest dealer/mechanic.

 

[RobertJohn]

Yes it was very HOT down there.
I'll check the thermostat tomorrow and thanks.
Is the water pump hard to replace ?
Thanks Dr Bob

 

[ronjohn]

Blocked radiator, stuck Tstat or bad cooling fan. I saw a post that the radiator was blocked. the water pump is not for the novice to replace unless you have time on your hands and don't need the car now i would take it to a good mechanic or dealer. Be prepared to pay 4-5 hundred bucks for a water pump and timming belt replacement at a dealer. http://www.kiatechinfo.com/ to help. Good luck with it

 

[ron1004]

2002 Kia Rio .. if it doesn't show up in my signature. small 4 cyl.
This just happened today. I drove down to the Mexican border parked and walked across.
Going down there wasn't any problems at all.
Got back in and started home when within a few blocks the temp gage went past where is usually runs and all the way to the H.

Was it stop-go traffic?

I pulled into a station opened the hood and anti freeze was ozzing out the place you put it in. I let it sit and cooled down the started back home..
If I stopped at a red lite the temp gage would start going back up, but as soon as I started driving it would go back to normal. At the Border Patrol Check Station the same thing, temp gage started rising but as soon as I started driving it went back to normal. Normal is just below the large middle mark a little less than 1/2 way between C and H.
Where is the water pump and could it cause this problem ? Or what would cause it to do this ? I need the veh and want to get it fixed, is it something I can do ? Or a dealership thing ? Sorry for being long but I sure need to find out what's causing this. Thanks and any help is appreciated..

This points to a problem with the cooling fan.
The cooling fan is not required when the car has sufficient forward movement providing the air flow through the radiator.

If it was a thermostat problem (sticking closed) then it would overheat in traffic and open road.

Did you hear the cooling fan come on when the temp was high and the car stationary?

Could be a bad fan, fuse, connector or temp switch.

 

[RobertJohn]

thanks ronjohn , dang pretty close to the same name laffin
how do you test the cooling fan ? i'll check the rad and tstat tomorrow .

 

[ron1004]

Lots of things could cause this. Was it a particularly hot day "South of the border"?

Overheating within a few blocks indicates a thermostat not opening. Same with overheating when stopped (thermostat bypasses once you are up to speed).

Overheating is hard to diagnose on a forum. I would suggest dealer/mechanic.

At speed, when there is an abundance of cooling air passing over the radiator, it is the thermostat that will regulate and maintain the design operating temperature.

 

[RobertJohn]

ron1004, thanks, i'll check the fuse etc
how do i test the fan itself or the temp switch ?
and i didn't hear the fan come on at all.

 

[ron1004]

ron1004, thanks, i'll check the fuse etc
how do i test the fan itself or the temp switch ?
and i didn't hear the fan come on at all.

Try searching the KiaTech site for the method of testing the fan, and it's relay - see my sig for the link.

You can disconnect the fan at the connection closest to it and apply 12v.

Also if you pull the temp switch connector and put a jumper on it the fan should run, and if it does then it points to a problem with the switch - if it doesn't then it could be a fuse, relay or the fan motor.

 

[Dr Bob]

At speed, when there is an abundance of cooling air passing over the radiator, it is the thermostat that will regulate and maintain the design operating temperature.

Are you saying that a stuck thermostat is not a possibility given the symptoms? I already said it could be caused by a number of things. You would normally know if it was the fan.

 

[ron1004]

Are you saying that a stuck thermostat is not a possibility given the symptoms?

If it is as the OP reports that when he has good forward speed (air flow over the radiator) he does not have overheating issues, then it suggests that the problem is not with the thermostat.

I already said it could be caused by a number of things. You would normally know if it was the fan.

How would you "normally know if it was the fan" ?

The OP has now confirmed that the fan did not run even when the temperature was high, which points to a problem with the fan, temp switch, fuse or relay.

(thermostat bypasses once you are up to speed).

I'm not sure what you mean by this.

The thermostat is the primary temperature control device, with the fan being the secondary control device.

 

[RobertJohn]

The fan runs, I haven't tested the fan temp sensor yet.. The radiator seems clean I've disconnect top and bottom hoses and run water through it.
Dang, is the Tstat way back under all that stuff ? I guess it's not easy to get at .

 

[RobertJohn]

OK.. I hooked up the fan motor to the temp sensor and the fan didn't run ...
Is that good or bad ? the fuse is fine but I can't test the relay, I guess I'll just
get another one.
Is the Tstat on the bottom rad. hose ?

 

[ron1004]

The fan runs, I haven't tested the fan temp sensor yet.. The radiator seems clean I've disconnect top and bottom hoses and run water through it.
Dang, is the Tstat way back under all that stuff ? I guess it's not easy to get at .

Did you connect 12V directly to the fan ?

Have you confirmed that the air passages are clean?

 

[RobertJohn]

yes i've blown everything out and off ...
how do you get to the Tstat ?

 

[ron1004]

OK.. I hooked up the fan motor to the temp sensor and the fan didn't run ...
Is that good or bad ?

If the engine temperature was high, and it didn't run, then thats bad - if you connected the temp switch while the temp was not that high then the fan would not run.

the fuse is fine but I can't test the relay, I guess I'll just
get another one.

You can test the relay, but not easy for a non-elec type person.

Is the Tstat on the bottom rad. hose ?

It is inside the housing where the hose attaches to the head - take a look at the KiaTech web site.

 

[ron1004]

yes i've blown everything out and off ...
how do you get to the Tstat ?

I would take a logical systematical approach and fix one thing at a time, starting with the easiest and most likely part - the fan.

As a test, you could connect a 12V supply to the fan allowing it to remain on all the time, and if it no longer overheats like that, then you have homed in on the problem - you can leave the fan on all the time with the only negative being the energy wastage, until you fix the problem (temp switch or relay).

 

[RobertJohn]

OK... I've filled the rad. etc. and ran down the road and came back..
I had the hood up and heard a "click" which to me meant the fan should come on,
but it didn't so I hooked the fan up direct and it cooled down.
My question is, is it the relay or the sensor ? And if the sensor, where is it located ?
I'm going to town now to get a relay if they have one...

 

[ron1004]

The click that you heard is likely the relay coil energizing, which would suggest that the temp switch is working, and the problem is likely to be with the relays high current output contacts.

The relay type is quite common, so should have no problem finding one at the local parts shop.

The temp switch is near the thermostat housing.



PS. Make sure that you use a good coolant additive.

 

[RobertJohn]

So far so good, the relay must have been bad because the fan wouldn't come on when the a/c was on, new relay and it does..
I've only got water in it now testing it but will use a very good anti-freeze lube ...
Thanks