if this has been asked before, my bad, just point me to it. if not, any help would be appreciated. okay. my 89 ibird is overheating. it has a 305 tbi. when i start it and let it idle, it wont overheat, even while idleing for 30 minutes. after i let it idle up to temp, i can go drive for any amount of time and it wont overheat. then i can stop and idle again and it wont overheat, but then when i get back up to say 30 mph, it shoots up, and i mean in a matter of 3-5 secs, from about 185* to 230* or so then slowly climbs from there. it isnt using hardly, if any, coolant. and most of that is what boils out of the overflow tank.(i live in texas, so i runa about 75/25 water/antifreeze mix in the summer and about 50/50 in winter.) ive checked the t-stat and replaced a couple of hoses and checked the rest. my air dam is messed up, but it has been for almost a year. it didnt start giving me problems untill about a month and a half or maybe two months ago. i parked it and bought another car, so it hasnt been a big deal since i have another car, but im thinking about selling it and i need to get that fixed. anyway, thanks for the help.


cameron

 

oh yeah, i forgot. the thought had crossed my mind that it could be a head gasket, but it isnt losing any power. could that still be a possibility? i still havent figured out the problem, but nobody I've talked to seems to have any suggestions. I leave for college in about a month and the car will have to stay here. if i dont fix it my parents will sell it for whatever they can get for it since it is in their name. i really want to fix it so it might be worth a little more and possibly even have a chance to keep it. anybody who has ANY idea as to even somthing to try to fix it please post it. thanks again for any info leading to the repair of an awesome piece of american history.

cameron

 

with the fan on see if your fan is spining the wrong way put your hand by the water pump and see if it hits your hand (wind) if it does its spining the rite way if it doesnt theres your problem

 

it is spinning the right way. the fan comes on when the key is on and i have checked to make sure it was coming on. thank you for the ideas though. do you have any others?

 

how new is your radiator and water pump the radiator can be clogged

 

well out of couriosity are you spittin out any codes?? also it seems that you stat is only working half ***,.,.the spring could be worn out or cracked., if it was not replaced then i would recogmend replacing it,.,.you cant tell if it is bad just by looking at it in most cases! i cant think of any other causes other then a problem witht he sensor

 

no, the radiator is less than a year old, about 10 months, and the water pump is about six months old, so the chances of them being clogged are slim. i checked the t stat in hot water and it is opening and closing at fully and at the right time. about the codes, there is a check engine light but it comes on about 10 minutes into a drive and has been on since i bout the car a year and a half ago. i dont have a reader, but i dont think it is the cooling system since it was on before the overheating, but good idea. thanks for the thoughts.

cameron

 

yea have those codes read you can do it your self with a paper clip or short wire,,im thinking if you egr or sumthing is not working it could have anaffect on temp because the exsaust gas is not recirculating,..,another deal is perhaps there is a lil short in yer fan/fans.,,.

 

Never mind. It desn't matter anymore. Thanks to all who put in ideas. I started car Friday night to move it, and to my horror , I was greated by a symphony of knocking rods. I had pretty much narrowed it down to a leaking head gasket, but I needed to move the car because I'm about to leave for school and my parents wanted out of the way. I guess the last time I started it, water leaked into a cylinder and when I started it this time it finally was done for. Oh, well. she served a good life. 280,000 aint bad for a 305, It was her time. Thanks again for the ideas.

cameron

 

no its not over yet .......where you at ill come pick her up and give her new life.,.,

 

Oh, I didnt mean I was gonna scrap her, I meant the motor. I just wont have time to work on her until I get out of auto school. But I would be willing to make a great deal for a third gen fanatic. The asking price would be low. Im near Austin, Tx.