ever since I got the car it's had this problem:

after I drive the car anywhere long enough for it to warm up the engine, (when I stop and park) the coolant boils back into the tank from the radiator, you can hear it bubbling/boiling....I've driven the car for 150miles without stopping and it didn't get anywhere close to overheating, so its not a very big problem, just annoying to have the car "bubble" for awhile while it's parked.....anyone have any clue what this could be, and how can I fix it?

 

I guess you mean the expansion tank? Could be you've some trapped air in the system, or you could have too much cold water in the header tank. Is it filled to the "cold fill line". It could be the reaction between the boiling water drawing back and boling up the cold water. Just a thought.

 

I wasn't sure of the word for it; yeah, the expansion tank....it is filled to the cold fill line...if it is what you are suggesting, what do I do about it? anyone else have any idea what this could be?

for obvious reasons, this doesn't bring up the "service engine soon" light, so I am at a complete loss as to where to start with this problem....haynes manual says nothing about this....I'd like to do my own work if possible, b/c I have been through alot of **** with mechanics and avoid them as much as possible...

 

I have run into this problem in the past few weeks. It started as just boiling coolant in the tank. It turns out i had a bad intake gasket which i let slide for a while (i was going to get it fixed at the end of the month). THen this past weekend the other gasket started going bad and now is spilling coolant around the intake manifold. I have two leaks now.I am losing coolant whenever i drive. I am getting it done at a shop for $125. The problem can get worse if the car overheats. Check the area around the intake manifold, if you see anything green or light colored, then you have a gasket that is going bad or is bad. Good luck and i hope this helps.

 

what's the temp at when you park?

 

thanks, i'll check the intake manifold tommorow when it's light out and we'll see where that takes me.

when I park the car it's usually right in the middle of the gauge...which looks to be about 220*, sound about right?

 

Parking at a temp of 220 is probably during the fan cycle, where the fan is running and trying to reduce the coolant temp. Try leaving it at idle 'till the temp lowers and the fan stops. See if that stops the bubbling.

 

I did an oil change today, I drove the car around to heat it up and make sure the oil wasn't leaking...I came back home and opened the hood...I didn't see any coolant that was "leaked out"....but I am thinking it is leaking slowly, b/c I just filled it at the end of May and when it cooled down it was below the "cold fill line"....not good
any more suggestions?

I will try letting it run "until the end of the fan cycle" before I turn it off to see what happens..

also if it makes any difference this is a non-AC car.

 

The only difference A/C should make, is that the fan comes on automatically with the A/C.

It sounds like you've definately got an air pocket. You'll need to bleed the air out.

 

how do I "bleed the air out"?

Thanks

 

Try this.

Run the engine with the rad. cap off, and the heater switched to hot, and top the water up as required. Leave it running (don't worry about coolant spilling out of the top of the rad.) 'till the top hose opens. Put the cap back on, cool down, and then check to see if needs topping up again.

If it doesn't work you may have to do the same, but with one of the rad. drain screws partly open.