Overheating | Radiator fan issues | 1985 Feiro GT (Page 4/6)
1985 Fiero GT FEB 04, 04:41 PM
You can probably fill it without opening the trunk, just use a flexible funnel and don't get coolant on the paint. As for the misunderstandings, your technical knowledge is growing, and with it your ability to better describe your symptoms and problems has led to us getting confused from the differences between your first and last posts, this is a learning process. I live in a highly French area, so I have to plow through incorrect terminology and missing words all the time, I'd like to think I've gotten pretty good at it haha!
fierosound FEB 04, 05:11 PM

quote
Originally posted by Vintage-Nut:

Immediately STOP driving the car! You MUST open the engine bay to fill the coolant system!

The Fiero coolant filling procedure is From the Thermostat Housing - NOT at the radiator.



AGREED!

Hamfiero. Your radiator is "full" but the top half of your engine is not.
The thermostat housing is the "high point" of the cooling system.
How the car ever ran without overheating before is beyond me.

Perhaps what little coolant you have in the system is weak and has slushed up/frozen in the cold adding to your problem.

Read page 2-36 here in this manual:
https://fieroinfo.com/manua...o_Do_It_Yourself.pdf


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[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 02-05-2024).]

Patrick FEB 04, 05:25 PM

The less I now say in this truly bizarre thread, probably the better... but if the OP had bothered to actually read my post Here (instead of quickly dismissing it), he would've realized that there's no way his cooling system has enough coolant in it. No wonder it's overheating!
Mike in Sydney FEB 04, 05:58 PM
SIMPLE things to check / fix for with overheating issues:

1. Replace the pressure cap on the radiator at the front of the car.

2. Check / replace the belt on the water pump at the rear of the car.

3. Check for crushed coolant pipes under the car. Like someone mentioned, mechanics (or curbs) sometimes dent or deform these which may affect water flow.

4. Open the thermostat cap on the engine block and remove the thermostat. While out, start the engine and see if coolant is circulating through the block. Flow should be fairly vigorous. If not, consider replacing your water pump. Some pumps had plastic impellers that when they get hot, deform and slip on the shaft.

5. Replace your thermostat with a 180°F unit. Stock is 195°F.

6. Drain and flush your cooling system. Refill with a 50/50 mix of antifreeze & distilled water (buy it at the grocery store). You can top off if needed with clean water from the tap, but I recommend a refill using a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water. If the caps are sealing properly, you shouldn't have to top up (unless you’ve blown a head gasket but that's another, more serious problem.)

7. Follow the directions in the Ogre's Cave (https://fierocave.shorturl.com/) for refilling the cooling system and venting the heater. Some will disagree with me, but I get best results by modifying Ogre's step 2 instructions for filling with these changes:
a. I make sure the front of the car is lower than the rear. I have a steep driveway so i park with the nose pointing down and chock the front wheels securely. You can accomplish the same thing by raising the rear (both sides) and supporting it on jack stands. I'd go for at least 12 inches.
b. With the front cap off, I slowly fill with the premix from the rear until coolant begins to come from the open radiator cap. At that time, securely tighten the cap. Make sure the plastic catch can and the hose from the radiator are connected. You shouldn't have to, but I add a quart of coolant in there just to ease my mind.
c. Follow Ogre's steps from step 3.

8. Your radiator fan should run when you turn on the A/C. Also, it will run when the fan control switch on the block calls for the fan to run. Check the switch and connector. After 40 years, these things fail. Test the switch by unplugging the single wire to the switch and grounding it to the engine with the ignition on. It should start the fan. If not consider replacing with a new switch. BTW, the stock switch activates at ~235°F. When you install the switch, don’t use Teflon tape or sealant. These can insulate the switch from the engine block causing the fan never to run.

Good luck.

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Mike in Sydney

Edited for spelling and clarity...

[This message has been edited by Mike in Sydney (edited 02-05-2024).]

82-T/A [At Work] FEB 04, 07:18 PM
If you still have busted taillights in the next few months, I may have a spare set for you. They have a couple of cracks, but they're complete. You can have them for free, just pay for shipping. It'll be a couple of months though.
1985 Fiero GT FEB 04, 11:31 PM

quote
Originally posted by Vintage-Nut:


Edit - To me, I believe it is too late and this V6 engine is very nearly dead from critical errors...



Could be, but these engines are surprisingly durable sometimes, if it was driven only 20-30 minutes, it could be perfectly fine after being refilled and any leaks fixed, like I said earlier, my dad's '89 Cutlass Ciera had the block heater fall out last winter, drove 10 minutes home with NO coolant in the engine, then temporarily repaired it which lasted a day or so, then broke again then 30 minutes to the garage with NO coolant to get the proper part (somehow had it in stock, expensive but fast). So 40 minutes total with NO coolant, all that was broken up max 5-10 minutes at a time, in the dead of winter up north here, -35 to -25 Celsius depending on the day, lots of airflow, temp warning light never even came on (because we were careful, not because the sensor wasn't sensing temp properly). That car is still going strong, the only thing that will kill it is rust, everything else seems to be fixable or avoidable with proper maintenance. On the other hand, there is a fine line between a healthy car with no coolant and an unhealthy car with no coolant, that line is very hard to discern, and has severe problems once crossed, so until the coolant is refilled and all the immediate problems are dealt with, it is impossible to tell whether it has survived well, gotten some damage, or has some major warping/problems.
Mike in Sydney FEB 05, 12:26 AM

quote
Originally posted by Hamfiero:


Alright, can do. I haven't done any fixes for this particular problem as I'm still trying to figure out why my trunk won't open. For the trunk, I've tried doing a "hotwire" method which worked initially but not anymore.






Check your fuses. You may have blown one with all the "hotwiring" .

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Mike in Sydney

Hamfiero FEB 05, 12:36 AM

quote
Originally posted by Mike in Sydney:
Check your fuses. You may have blown one with all the "hotwiring" .



Thanks for the reply! This was my first thought as well and all of the fuses ended up being fine. I even tried switching the trunk fuse with a known good replacement, and it still wouldn't open.

I said this a paragraph or so before where you quoted me:


quote

The "hotwire" method no longer arced, it just sparked. And when I say these words, arc and spark, the difference I'm trying to convey is that one had a little arc of electricity that you could see that made a little quiet noise while the other sparked out towards me with sparks of electricity. I checked the fuse box and the fuses were fine. I read that it could be the trunk release solenoid but I'm not sure how to get to it without having the trunk open. Might there be another way to open the trunk? I have a good battery in the car with a now-working alternator, and the vent that covers the battery is in the trunk.



Thanks,
- Hamfiero
Hamfiero FEB 05, 12:41 AM

quote
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:

If you still have busted taillights in the next few months, I may have a spare set for you. They have a couple of cracks, but they're complete. You can have them for free, just pay for shipping. It'll be a couple of months though.



Thanks a bunch for the consideration! I'll make sure to contact you if we can't find a local replacement by then. I believe we saw someone parting out their fiero on facebook close by, but I'm not sure what they still have and how much they'll charge.

Thanks,
- Hamfiero
cvxjet FEB 05, 01:31 AM
Filling the cooling system on the Fiero is a very exotic/unique experience....Normally on regular cars, you fill it at the radiator cap, and then add a bit to the overflow tank.

The Fiero radiator is very short/low to fit under the low hood, so a large part of the engine/cooling system in the back of the car is above that cap....Here is a diagram- look at the difference in height.....you definitely need to get the trunk lid open so you can properly fill the system.

And don't mind the confusion...most of us are getting older and crotchety-er so we tend to complain if someone doesn't say it exactly the way we would say it....Heck, I'm so old I can't reNember my name most of the time (Sometimes that actually makes me happy)

[This message has been edited by cvxjet (edited 02-05-2024).]