Hardcore Rock Superstar

iTrader: (2)

so....just before leaving for holidays, i stopped in to get my rear brakes done, only to find out something had seized (causing the grinding noise) and something else had disintegrated and rolled around in the drum screwing the drum...anywho replaced everything back there and $600 later my *** was kinda sore, but i was good and the jeep was in solid condition.

Began the drive things were fairly good except that the jeep was having trouble holding a speed on a very very slight uphill in 5th gear whereas normally i could be speeding up. Overall, seemed to lack a bit of power.....none the less nothing to stop me from completeing the 9 hour drive.

While in BC (drove from edmonton to kelowna BC) i noticed my antifreeze leaking....(temps were totally fine on the drive there always been impressed with how cool it was)...so anyways, strangely the resevoir seemed to always be full so i didn't pay much attention to it.

Week went on, i meant to get it into a shop in vernon where buddy works, but i somehow spent most my days in kelowna. The day before coming back, i changed my spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor as well as the air filter. The plugs/wires had never been done before, gap was supposed to be .35 but was over .45 on half of what we pulled out. None the less, got those in fine, bought some stop leak stuff for the radiator and yeah, test drive all was good. Never did pour the stop leak cause i'd previously filled the resevoir and radiator up and there was no room. It didn't seemt o be leaking now anyways.

Next morning, we pack up and begin our drive back, dad is all over me, he checks hte oil, finds it's a tad low, and tosses a quart in. Coolant is fine. Everything seems to be a go, get about 1/2 hour outta town and pull over to check the mattress we tied to the roof rack, it was good, drove another 3 minutes and i notice the temp guage is like pinned, so we pull over quickly and someone only half *** put the radiator cap on...there's fluid everywhere. Radiator is bone dry but the resevoir is full. So....we pour some coolant in there (it takes a lot) drive to a gas station and check things out, ran for 10min and the temp stayed idle.


Over the trip from here, the engine ran way hotter than normal. We had to turn the heater on (in +30C weather) to keep from overheating. The resevoir for coolant needed to be filled up once during the drive and i topped it up a tad bit a second time, but other wise was good. Hoses running to the radiator from the resevoir felt like they had pressure and were hella hot...as well, somewhere thru out here i poured that stop leak in. All in all, i couldn't spot any leaks, nor could we smell coolant, but the jeep ran HELLA hot. Head unit wouldn't stay on for more than an hour before saying it was too hot. The center console was just cookin, and temps were fairly high, always above 100, usually between 110ish and 120ish (if i can remember my guage right). On flat ground later at night we could do 110km with the heater blowing on low defrost warm and the temp would actually stay like around 106, if we shut the heater off though the temp rose and i didn't generally wanna wait to see what would happen.


Along with the temps, the jeep definitely lacked power, i was sometimes couldn't hold speeds in 4th gear at like 80 or even 110km/h on hills that weren't that that steep. Could possibly blame it on maybe the engine only receiving super hot air, but it sorta did this on the way there too....so it seems maybe there's two problems.


Vehicle runs crazy hot on the highway, yet we were able to make a 9 hour drive that now took us 12 hours. In town it seems ok (for the short time we drove in the city, temp stayed almost right in the middle with the heater on low still. Power still seems to lack.

I thoght plugs/wires/air filter would take care of the possible power issue, but no go. Fan on the radiator was running, wires seemed to have pressure and were definitely hot which means fluid had to be running thru them. What could be preventing the jeep from properly cooling?

Prolifik

iTrader: (7)

its 12 years old, its time for it to go, its a chrysler product

Buzz

iTrader: (1)

More info required, what engine 4.0l 6Cyl? V8? does it have AC? Did the Service Engine light come on at all?

Is there by chance a bug screen on the front, or perhaps some sort of
screen in front of the rad/condensor behind the grille? Check that for starters.

Also the catalitic converter could be partially plugged along with perhaps a plugged fuel filter.

zzzzzzz

iTrader: (5)

Also the catalitic converter could be partially plugged along with perhaps a plugged fuel filter

HEATER CORE /RADIATOR , WATER PUMP,COOLING FAN,(THE HOSE TO THE )RADIATOR OVERFLOW TANK,Thermostat

go to a shop have them run a high psi test on it and see where the h2o come out

Buzz

iTrader: (1)

Not likely to be any of those. If you re-read his post, he did make it home, and as he stated, he didn't see or smell coolant leaks, and he did state that the cooling fan was working. Thermostat....maybe, if it was stuck partially open, radiator......maybe, if it was partially plugged.

normally air rushing through the radiator at highway speeds takes the heat away from the rad/condensor, thus keeping the engine cool, and normally the fan would rarely come on if at all on the highway, thus the reasoning for a screen in front perhaps full of bugs not allowing any airflow(alberta bugs), but more likely a partially plugged cat/exhaust and maybe a plugged fuel filter, both will cause loss of power, and a plugged cat can cause overheat under hot driving conditions and load. Remember, he is complaining of a loss of power, and now it's running way too hot on the highway.


IMO rad stop leak can do more harm than good and should only be used as a last resort as it can make things worse in the case of a plugged rad/core. If you can visually see a leak, and you are too far from a service station then yes.

Q-Also, when the coolant blew out from the cap being left loose, did you replace the coolant with antifreeze/water mix or just water?

Hardcore Rock Superstar

iTrader: (2)

sorry folks, was late when i wrote that.

It's the inline 6. I recently upgraded the exhaust, last summer, so i'd hope thats not the issue. I know there's some mud on the front of the radiator behind the bumper that has been there for a while (since i fell into the mud), which i don't think is the issue as it was fine with that for a couple of months that i was unaware of that mud.

Jeep does have AC, although it don't blow very cold. It woulda been on up until the first issue on the way back, and it was on on the way there. When the coolant blew out, i replaced it with about a 50/50 mix of coolant/water.

Fuel filter is a possibility....dunno when that was last replaced. Looks like i might have a chance to get it into the shop on Friday and we'll see what they come up with. I'll be sure to let you all know, see if any of you are right.

zzzzzzz

iTrader: (5)

partially plugged cat/exhaust and maybe a plugged fuel filter, both will cause loss of power, and a plugged cat can cause overheat under hot driving conditions and load. Remember, he is complaining of a loss of power, and now it's running way too hot on the highway.

i think you have something there

and the

None the less, got those in fine, bought some stop leak stuff for the radiator and yeah, test drive all was good. Never did pour the stop leak cause i'd previously filled the resevoir and radiator up and there was no room. It didn't seemt o be leaking now anyways.

then

drove another 3 minutes and i notice the temp guage is like pinned, so we pull over quickly and someone only half *** put the radiator cap on...there's fluid everywhere. Radiator is bone dry but the resevoir is full. So....we pour some coolant in there (it takes a lot) drive to a gas station and check things out, ran for 10min and the temp stayed idle.

so you think air in the rad ?

that is why i said ,(THE HOSE TO THE )RADIATOR OVERFLOW TANK

i think the Thermostat has something to do with it too

but you do have something that has F ed me over befor (the cat) also gas filter or the gas pump also h2o pump

Buzz

iTrader: (1)

diagnosing a problem or problems at best can be difficult not to mention not having the vehicle in front of you, but those are the best suggestions I/we(ZZZZZZZ) can come up with. Good luck on friday.

zzzzzzz

iTrader: (5)

will you tell us what it was or is ?

Hardcore Rock Superstar

iTrader: (2)

No worries, i know you folks can only give ideas based on the information i provide (as i interpret it). I'm not looking for a guaranteed answer, just hopefully a heads up of what may lie ahead for me.

None the less, i'll definitely let you guys know what the answer is.