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)
In his case, with some care and a flexible funnel, he'll be able to fill it without getting into the trunk, as his pictures show, the battery side vent is off, giving access to the cap, as for the confusion, that's what young people are for haha, albeit there aren't as many of us Fiero as a first car young folk now as there was at basically any time in the past, but the few of us that there are have this forum to learn and share information on, and to occasionally remind people what their names are!
I'm not sure we have the same idea of short trips. It took about two five to ten-minute trips to get it off the interstate and into a parking lot. Once we got it there, we took the battery home to charge it. It then took one ten to fifteen-minute trip to get it from there to home. By then, it was smoking extremely bad out of the vents and the battery was nearly dead.
Oh okay. So during those trips you were unaware the belts were missing?
First thing you need to do is properly fill the cooling system and we'll take it from there. Filling it from the radiator does nothing more than fill the radiator and perhaps the pipes running under your car.
Would also help if you can get the engine bay trunk open somehow. I think you can try to open it by applying 12V to the grey and black wires at the trunk release relay (under the dash, RH side. What yo call "relay" in your picture is not the relay). But not sure so before you try, perhaps someone here can confirm that.
And if it makes any difference, I think the engine is still fine. These engines are incredibly tough.
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.
I've always wondered about this. If I run the engine without the cap and thermostat, instead of seeing a steady flow, it's more like old faithful. It will be spraying coolant everywhere.
Unfortunately, Mike in Sydney has incorrect information: #4 - incorrect, starting the engine with the thermostat housing open will spray coolant "everywhere". #5 - incorrect, the ECM is designed with a 195-degree thermostat; many members use a lower radiator fan switch which turns on at 210° than the stock 235° switch. #6 - incorrect, not a premixed 50/50 as a fully flushed 2.8L coolant system has ~7 quarts of 'water' in the system, pour straight full strength concentrate antifreeze.
[This message has been edited by Vintage-Nut (edited 02-05-2024).]
Oh okay. So during those trips you were unaware the belts were missing?
First thing you need to do is properly fill the cooling system and we'll take it from there. Filling it from the radiator does nothing more than fill the radiator and perhaps the pipes running under your car.
Would also help if you can get the engine bay trunk open somehow. I think you can try to open it by applying 12V to the grey and black wires at the trunk release relay (under the dash, RH side. What yo call "relay" in your picture is not the relay). But not sure so before you try, perhaps someone here can confirm that.
And if it makes any difference, I think the engine is still fine. These engines are incredibly tough.
Yes, exactly. All I knew was that my car was overheating and the battery was dying fast. I just wanted to get it home so I could try and figure out what was wrong.
⚠️ Warning: Sound like the Coolant was "weak" & froze causing problems now. I'm not sure where to look for your problem. If has a V6 engine could be have a W-pump w/ Plastic impeller that's F'd now. Even if coolant didn't freeze solid, might slush & if tried to start that way then "Plastic" WP might fail because of Very High resistance w/ slush coolant.
IS NOT an electrical problem causing overheating. Electrical problems can make sender/sensor lying etc but is another story like "Fuel, Engine Temp or Oil Pressure gauges have problems?" https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/146784.html
Others... T-stat Out & Cover Off "will be spraying coolant everywhere" when engine started because system needs Time just to get coolant flowing even when vehicle is 100% working. T-stat Out & wait a bit to remove the Cover, May Not spay @ all because now the coolant is flowing so fills the "tube" as fast as Empty on the other side. But Fiero uses ~ 3X the Volume of other vehicles & anything disturbs the flow will cause spraying.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
⚠️ Warning: Sound like the Coolant was "weak" & froze causing problems now. I'm not sure where to look for your problem. If has a V6 engine could be have a W-pump w/ Plastic impeller that's F'd now. Even if coolant didn't freeze solid, might slush & if tried to start that way then "Plastic" WP might fail because of Very High resistance w/ slush coolant.
IS NOT an electrical problem causing overheating. Electrical problems can make sender/sensor lying etc but is another story like "Fuel, Engine Temp or Oil Pressure gauges have problems?" https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/146784.html
Others... T-stat Out & Cover Off "will be spraying coolant everywhere" when engine started because system needs Time just to get coolant flowing even when vehicle is 100% working. T-stat Out & wait a bit to remove the Cover, May Not spay @ all because now the coolant is flowing so fills the "tube" as fast as Empty on the other side. But Fiero uses ~ 3X the Volume of other vehicles & anything disturbs the flow will cause spraying.
The coolant did not freeze, this had been discussed and the problem has been said over and over, whether it is unrelated or the cold made them brittle, the belts broke, op didn't realize that, drove the car multiple short trips to get home with a battery recharge part way through, during that drive, the coolant sitting stagnant in the engine rapidly boiled, and found a way out, maybe around the seals on rubber hoses, maybe causing a permanent leak, maybe sealing back up once the pressure dropped back to normal (rapidly boiling water can generate severe pressure, even if the radiator cap is trying to release it).
Now all the op needs to do is refill his coolant properly, and figure out whether this has caused any additional problems (leaks). The op was confused and not very knowledgeable in his first posts, he had learned a lot very quickly, so people reading this thread need to understand that and take the earlier posts with a giant grain of salt, to discern which posts have the actual symptoms, and which ones have incorrect terminology, etc.
Originally posted by 1985 Fiero GT: The coolant did not freeze, this had been discussed and the problem has been said over and over, whether it is unrelated or the cold made them brittle, the belts broke, op didn't realize that, drove the car multiple short trips to get home with a battery recharge part way through, during that drive, the coolant sitting stagnant in the engine rapidly boiled, and found a way out, maybe around the seals on rubber hoses, maybe causing a permanent leak, maybe sealing back up once the pressure dropped back to normal (rapidly boiling water can generate severe pressure, even if the radiator cap is trying to release it).
Now all the op needs to do is refill his coolant properly, and figure out whether this has caused any additional problems (leaks). The op was confused and not very knowledgeable in his first posts, he had learned a lot very quickly, so people reading this thread need to understand that and take the earlier posts with a giant grain of salt, to discern which posts have the actual symptoms, and which ones have incorrect terminology, etc.
I & likely others skip a lot of the above as soon as troll crap started & still not digging thru many post to see something that might matter.
Old belts can fail on their own But.... Frozen/Slush coolant, iffy bearings & more can break belts too & Not just old/weak belts. Because Many people install the belts too tight to start & any problems w/ bearings etc then belts wear way fast or even break. Installing the belts too tight often causes bearing problems before belt breaks.
Example: If "JUST" the belt broke cause this first, plastic W-pump can "die" from that first overheat. Other "weak" parts can die, leak, so on too. So O-heat is still a Symptom/side-effect of another problem.
IOW you may need new W-pump &/or Alternator along w/ another new belt. Even that may not fix the overheat problem.
Unfortunately, Mike in Sydney has incorrect information: #4 - incorrect, starting the engine with the thermostat housing open will spray coolant "everywhere". #5 - incorrect, the ECM is designed with a 195-degree thermostat; many members use a lower radiator fan switch which turns on at 210° than the stock 235° switch. #6 - incorrect, not a premixed 50/50 as a fully flushed 2.8L coolant system has ~7 quarts of 'water' in the system, pour straight full strength concentrate antifreeze.
Disagree.
#4 - on my V6, when I open the thermostat cap, I see vigorous flow, not a geyser. Perhaps I’m low on water. Not running hot even this summer with the A/C on. I’ll have to top it up and see if I get a geyser. #5 - I said the stock thermostat is a 195-degree unit. My suggestion is to install a 180-degree ‘stat. That’s what I did. #6 - 7 quarts? That’s half the volume of the cooling system. when I drain my system after flushing, I open up the drain plugs in the coolant tubes and take the drain plugs out. Doing this, I get most of the water out and start with a relatively empty system.
#4 - on my V6, when I open the thermostat cap, I see vigorous flow, not a geyser. Perhaps I’m low on water. Not running hot even this summer with the A/C on. I’ll have to top it up and see if I get a geyser.
I think what is trying to be conveyed about number 4 is that if you start the car with the cap off, it will spray, if you start the car with the cap on, then remove it with engine running, it will not spray.
Originally posted by Mike in Sydney: Disagree. #6 - 7 quarts? That’s half the volume of the cooling system. when I drain my system after flushing, I open up the drain plugs in the coolant tubes and take the drain plugs out. Doing this, I get most of the water out and start with a relatively empty system.
Even if you think that... The block, heater loop & even the Rad holds enough water after Flushing so Never Use 50/50 mix to refill the system.
Even when find & use block drain hole(s) often those won't totally empty the block. Most can't find them or too hard to use them for various reasons so block drains out whatever hose is lowest have more water.
Heater loop have the heater core & more parts that doesn't drain easy if drains @ all. In Fiero the loop can easily "trap" 1/2 gallon or more depending year & engine setup.
Fiero Rad holds More Water then most others when drained because of the angle it's mounted tilted forward.
So will have Weak coolant causing "Rust" ("" because contains Iron rust, AlOx etc.) & more problems using 50/50.
Example: W/ duke Fiero you never get to drain the block because the plug is blocked by other things like exhaust "shield" w/ "Fire" recall done. Even if you can pull it, any coolant is electrically conductive & right over the starter & solenoid. Had to relocate the air cleaner "pipe" just to take this pic... Purple w/ heat guard tape goes to the solenoid. I'm not sure you can drain enough more w/ that because right hose is so low. So several reasons why I & most others never bother to try removing that. So draining what you can, I fit 7-8 quarts of 100% coolant then top of w/ water. If I can't get last couple Q of 100% in main system, then dump last in O-flow tank.
Two Gallons tips above 50% coolant but 70% is allowed by most Brands & better to have a little more coolant that Anything < 50/50 mix. Isn't just freeze/boil protection but additives to lube W-pump seal, anti-rust, etc will also be weak.
Worse, if you have Dexcool & some other "advance" coolant products will cause more problems if gets weak or polluted for any reason like many newer GM vehicles. Web search "dexcool gel problem."
I think what is trying to be conveyed about number 4 is that if you start the car with the cap off, it will spray, if you start the car with the cap on, then remove it with engine running, it will not spray.
Not my experience... If I remove the cap with the engine running, it will still spray...
Purple w/ heat guard tape goes to the solenoid.
