Overheating badly with steam until dry

ITS615

MEMBER
1997 BUICK SKYLARK
140,000 MILES

What could be causing my car to overheat and steam/smoke? Seems like it runs better(cooler) when I leave it completely dry with no coolant. Steams/smokes right where the hose connects from the radiator to the engine.(Although temperature is only reading about 3 quarters to the red line)(also leaking right below in this area). Doesnt when it is dry with no coolant. Sounds like boiling/thumping when it gets really hot. Belt is not wrapped around one of the pulleys but I think that is to my air and has nothing to do with it cause it's been like that for a while now before the major overheating issues.

Sunday, November 20th, 2011 AT 2:43 AM

1 Reply

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,814 POSTS

You have a coolant leakin the system and when the coolant level drops too low, overheating would occur. There are some sensors that requires the them to be working correctly when submerged in coolant when these sensors gets dry, it is giving the computer the wrong signal which could mean enriching the fuel delivery and thus it runs better. The idling speed wuld also increase.

If you have not damaged the engine yet, you would sooner or later if you ignore the leak.

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Sunday, November 20th, 2011 AT 4:46 AM