Yet another overheat issue HELP

JohnnyG · Aug 7, 2024

2000 gts 27k miles.
It all began when I bottomed out coming out of a steep driveway a few weeks back. Car overheated about ten minutes later and now even in 70 degree weather over heats in about 2 minutes. I’m talking the temp light turns on. At highway speed car pegged on temp gauge.
Found Pressure tank EMPTY.
Main lower tank normal level
Fans turn on with ac engaged.
No leaks anywhere. Not a drip.
I put about half gallon in pressure tank which immediately got pulled into lower tank which is now over-full.
Tonight I pulled the water pump to find a metal impeller and it seems to spin with the pulley. There was coolant in water pump. What is next?
Clogged rad or heater core? Thermostat?
Pic of impeller below. Looks new ish to me

BoondocSaint · Aug 7, 2024

Air in a cooling system can cause circulation problems due to vapor lock. Bottoming out may have shook something loose or cracked something introducing air to the system. Thermostat may have given up the ghost. If it seized in a closed position, the upper radiator hose won't be hot due to lack of coolent flow. They sell pressure testers to diagnose a leak in the system. That pressure tank behavior sounds odd, probably a good place to focus.

GTS Dean · Aug 7, 2024

Your impeller is not the best style, but it will work. Go to your auto parts store and buy a coolant fill/purge kit. Start the engine and let it warm up to t-stat open and fan cycle point with heater valve open. With the funnel 1/3 full above the header tank you should begin to see trapped air bubble out and be replaced by coolant above.

white out · Aug 8, 2024

If your upper tank was empty and immediately pulled water in when you filled it, the water went to the motor, not the expansion tank in the bumper.

lane_viper · Aug 8, 2024

Bottoming out sounds interesting. Did a fastener puncture the bumper reservoir? Could it draw air into the system once the tank is empty?

I've heard of the bumper tank getting punctured by the front bumper by scrapes on the front bumper.

Just a thought.

99RT10GTS · Aug 8, 2024

Did You let your engine get too hot? Might want to think about pulling the heads. Good chance you will be dropping a valve soon. I have new G2 CnC heads ready to go. I also have a New Mopar water pump and a rebuilt pump with a billet impeller

99RT10GTS · Aug 8, 2024

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JohnnyG · Aug 8, 2024

white out said:
If your upper tank was empty and immediately pulled water in when you filled it, the water went to the motor, not the expansion tank in the bumper.

I added a half bottle to the high tank turned the car on and it all went into the lower tank. High tank is instantly empty again and lower tank is full to the top top.
Checked lower bottle for any punctures but there is none.

BoondocSaint · Aug 8, 2024

Are you getting any pressure release when you open that upper tank? Not sure if a faulty cap would cause that result.

viper1313 · Aug 8, 2024

Burping the coolant system on these cars is a pain. It sounds to me like you have a huge leak somewhere. The upper tank should be 100% full. The lower tank should be 1/2 full. It’s easiest to fill the system from both the upper tank and the heater core - fill the upper tank to the very top, pull off the heater core hose on the passenger side rear of the engine and then pour another gallon or so in there and put the hose back on, then run the car at idle with the radiator cap off until the thermostat opens and the level in the top pressure tank goes down. Top off again and put the cap on, then see where the coolant is leaking from.

viper1313 · Aug 8, 2024

If the car is pushing coolant into the lower tank and not pulling it back into the upper tank, you again likely have a leak in the main cooling loop. The car will push coolant into the lower tank as it heats up, and should **** it back into the upper tank as it cools down. If there is any leak in the cooling system, it will **** air in from the leak instead of coolant from the lower tank. You bottomed out the front - check the radiator for leaks. It’s Horses, not Zebras

Goggles Pizano · Aug 8, 2024

How did it get pulled into the lower overflow tank? In Dean's first pictures it is the small diameter hose at the top right by the cap that goes to that tank. The only way you are getting coolant to the overflow/reservoir tank is if pressure builds to open the cap (16psig I think).

You jumped the gun by pulling the pump. But you just said "there was coolant in the pump" but never said it poured out from there.

Goggles Pizano · Aug 8, 2024

So **** s u c k is on the banned list of words?

white out · Aug 10, 2024

JohnnyG said:
I added a half bottle to the high tank turned the car on and it all went into the lower tank. High tank is instantly empty again and lower tank is full to the top top.
Checked lower bottle for any punctures but there is none.

GEN 2 do consume coolant (at least my 4 have) which I assume is from the non-sealed design of the upper tank. You might just be low on coolant and this is your first notice of it.

Take cap off and fill upper tank with water until it overflows. Start car. Stand there keeping the upper tank full & watching temp gauge. When upper tank is full and car is at operating temp for a bit or you are bored, shut car off & put cap back on. It's ok to have upper tank 'too full' as it will puke into the front bumper (which has an overflow). If you still have issues, then look at replacing parts.

Goggles Pizano · Aug 10, 2024

^^^ I would fill it and squeeze the rad hose.

Hd76shovel · Aug 13, 2024

Since we are on the topic of cooling is it normal for the car to go to the tally after three middle but not to the red (250deg)

white out · Aug 13, 2024

Its normal if you are at low speeds and higher external temps.

texasviper · Aug 13, 2024

My 2000 RT/10 kept overheating. I thought it was the thermostat. When I pulled the upper radiator hose, I scoped my radiator. It was full of deposits.

lane_viper · Aug 14, 2024

Hd76shovel said:
Since we are on the topic of cooling is it normal for the car to go to the tally after three middle but not to the red (250deg)

Mine always does this during stop and go, not in motion running. The Fans come on and it never goes above, but it goes to that spot and then comes down when I get moving.

It has done it like this since I've owned it and I've replaced the entire cooling system as maint. I would consider it normal, day to day, operation if its seeing slow speed, and stop and go.

InTheZoneAC · Aug 19, 2024

as stated above, check your radiator for deposits. And for anyone unfamiliar check out evans coolant, which is a pressureless coolant. I'd also run all aluminum radiators just to eliminate any heat or durability issues

Yet another overheat issue HELP

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