Will Head Gasket Cause Continuous Bubbles in Ford 302 Coolant
The coolant (view on Amazon) in your car is supposed to be keeping things cool, so why is it bubbling? The thought of antifreeze boiling is a bit antithetical. The truth is, in most cases, the coolant may be boiling from extreme heat, or those bubbles may just be an irregular increase in air pressure within the cooling system. A coolant leak may be accumulating in pools of fluid under your car. If there is coolant on the ground under your vehicle, it could be because it got so hot, the coolant boiled over and spilled out from the overflow tank. Just why is that coolant bubbling up? Read on to find out.
Coolant System
The cooling system in the vehicle is designed to manage heat that comes off the engine. Therefore, the cooling system is very important and it is made up of several components which have to work together to regulate the temperatures inside and around the internal combustion engine.
Important: If you want to save $100s in servicing, diagnosis, and repair costs, improve your car's performance significantly and increase its value by 1.2x with little effort, download our Beginners Auto Maintenence & Repair Manual now.
The automotive cooling system is comprised of two parts: the liquid cooling part and the air cooling part. Both parts of the cooling system must depend upon air to some degree, but only one part uses liquid. Older automobiles usually have air cooling systems, while a few newer models use air. However, most newer models use a liquid cooling method.
The liquid cooling system is more complex than the air. The liquid cooling is typical a type of antifreeze made of mostly ethylene glycol. There are passages in the engine block and also in the engine heads. A water pump circulates the coolant , which is moved around by hoses and cooled in the radiator. The coolant travels through the parts of the engine, absorbing the heat. The heated coolant travels through rubber hoses to the radiator. Natural air coming in from the grill cools the coolant as it passes through the radiator. The coolant then returns back to the engine and the process starts all over again. The cap on the radiator controls the pressure within the cooling system. A thermostat that regulates the coolant temperature.
Causes of Coolant Bubbling
When you see coolant bubble, real fear sets in as you think the engine must be really super hot for the coolant to reach a boiling point. In some cases, extreme heat in some area is the culprit. In others, the culprit is air pressure, or some component of the cooling system that is no longer doing its job. Here are the most common reasons why coolant would be bubbling up in your car:
Blown head gasket –This is one of the most common reasons for coolant bubbles in the automobile. The internal combustion engine uses many types of gaskets and seals to keep the liquids such as coolant or oil contained and moving about. Many of those gaskets and seals are used inside the intake manifold and the throttle body. Over time, the seals can wear out, become dry, and start leaking. Combustion gasses coming from the cylinders enter the coolant system and cause bubbles.
The engine requires consistent flows of coolant. The head gasket is a special seal that is located between the engine block and cylinders. The head gasket is designed to help facilitate the internal combustion processes. When this gasket becomes damaged or blows, leaks occur under the exhaust manifold.
The head gasket is a mechanical seal located between the engine block and the cylinders which help the combustion processes. A blown head gasket is also a quick way toward engine overheat. The head gasket creates the seal between the head and the engine block. In other words, it also channels the coolant. When the head gasket is blown, the coolant may flow to places where it can leak out. Symptoms of the blown gasket are coolant leaks that occur under the exhaust manifold. If the engine is overheating, the head gasket may be blown. This is often characterized by engine overheat, bubbles in the coolant reservoir, white smoke coming from the exhaust, and billowing steam emitting from under the bonnet.
Coolant leaks – When the engine heats up, the coolant volume expands inside the hoses and the engine. The overflow of coolant collects inside the surge tank. The surge tank hose may become worn out or damaged, These issues promote blown head gaskets, engine overheat, and leaks that cause serious damage to the engine and fueling systems. The leaks may occur in the heater core, radiator, thermostat housing, freeze plugs, or the head gasket. Several other things cause and contribute to coolant leaks. The ac compressor is designed to prevent the coolant from leaking while being pressurized. When the ac compressor becomes worn, the bearings are damaged. The coolant is allowed to leak through the bearings.
Cooling system radiator cap – The radiator also keeps the coolant at a low temperature when the engine parts are getting hot. When the radiator cap is not on tight, air can enter the cooling system and coolant can escape. Many times, when the cap goes bad or it is not on tight, the radiator hose will collapse or burst because the vacuum has not been released. If the cap has gone bad, replace it and then check the condition of the coolant. These problems are often followed by engine overheat, bubbles around the radiator cap seal, and bubbles in the coolant reservoir.
Radiator core tubes – When the cooling system in the vehicle has not been serviced or flushed in a while, the old fluid sits and accumulates debris or sediment and even rust that blocks the core or grill over time. The cooling fins in the radiator corrode and coolant leaks occur. If the leaks are not addressed in a timely manner, the radiator becomes permanently damaged and must be replaced. It can also cause damage to the head gasket or cylinder head. This is often characterized by radiator damage, engine overheat, and bubbling in the coolant reservoir.
Faulty heater control valve – The heater control valve allows the coolant to flow from the engine to the heater core. When the heater control valve is open, the warmed engine coolant can pass through to the heater core to produce hot air through the vents. When the valve fails, coolant is leaked. The valve becomes worn over time and begins to crack. The coolant flows through the crack. The heater control valve also experiences problems when the coolant is old and contaminated.
Your Treat Your Car Badly – Your vehicle's systems are able to cool down because of the coolant. If you want to make sure that the cooling system is working properly, you need to make sure that the coolant in there is functioning properly. If you're having to top up your coolant, it's a sign that there's a leak somewhere as you should never really have to replace your coolant. If your coolant is leaking, you have failed to maintain your vehicle and now you're experiencing problems. The main cause linked to low coolant issues is a failure to maintain your vehicle.
If you want to avoid coolant problems or other issues and save $100s of dollars that you'll spend at the auto repair shop, you'll need to service your vehicle often – you can use our mechanic-rated Auto Maintenance and Repair Manual to do this. It's basically what mechanics use to go through your vehicle to check if there are any problems that need fixing. As soon as they notice the most minor problem, they'll ask you to fork out some money even though it's a problem you can fix yourself in minutes – the manual will teach you how to maintain your vehicle every few thousand miles and it'll teach you how to fix minor problems that mechanics will ask you to pay for; saving you money in the long run.
A lot of our readers have the Auto Maintenance and Repair Manual printed on their garage wall and 92% of them haven't visited the auto repair shop in the last year because they know what to do to avoid problems. All it takes is giving your vehicle a little attention every few thousand miles and you'll never spend money at the workshop again.
What to Do About Coolant Bubbles
Blown head gaskets and coolant leaks are not small problems. Vehicles with these problems can quickly become very expensive to fix. If your coolant is bubbling, try the following remedies:
Check for leaks – Look for any coolant pooling on the ground under your car. Then check for leaks under the hood. If you cannot find and leaks, try bleeding the system. If you do leaks, take your car to the repair shop.
Bleed the Cooling System/Bleed Screw – This method is the bleed screw method of bleeding the cooling system. To use this method, follow these steps:
1. Park your car in a safe place.
2. Make sure your car is OFF and the engine is cool.
3. Carefully remove the radiator cap
4. Check to see if the coolant is at the recommended mark. The radiator should be filled to the bottom mark of its neck. If there is not enough coolant, add more to bring it up to the mark. The radiator should be filled to the bottom of the neck of the radiator.
5. Now, add some coolant to the reservoir. The coolant level in the reservoir should be on "cold".
6. Replace the radiator cap.
7. Locate the bleed screw on the engine. Once you find it, before you remove the screw, slide a pan under the vehicle to catch fluid that will run out when you remove the screw.
8. Turn your car ON.
9. Let the car run on idle for at least 20 minutes to allow the engine to rise to the operating temperature. Touch the radiator hose at the end of the 20 minutes to see if it feels warm.
10. If the hose is warm, remove the bleed screw by slowing turning it counterclockwise using a wrench. Only turn the bleed screw, do not completely remove it or you may be seriously burned by the boiling coolant.
11. When all of the coolant has run into the pan, retighten the bleed screw.
12. Turn the car OFF and wait at least 15 to 20 minutes for it to cool.
13. Refill the radiator with the right amount of new coolant. Fill the radiator to the same mark at the base of the radiator neck. If needed, also add some coolant to the reservoir.
14. It's time to take your car for a test drive to see if the main temperature remains in the right area and the coolant is no longer bubbling after you drive a few miles.
Bleed the Cooling System/Non-Screw – This method is the non-bleed screw method of bleeding the cooling system. To use this method, follow these steps:
1. Park your car in a safe place.
2. Make sure your car is OFF and the engine is cool.
3. Carefully remove the radiator cap
4. Check to see if the coolant is at the recommended mark. The radiator should be filled to the bottom mark of its neck. If there is not enough coolant, add more to bring it up to the mark. The radiator should be filled to the bottom of the neck of the radiator.
5. Leave the radiator cap OFF and start your car.
6. Let the engine idle for at least 20 minutes. Touch the radiator hose at the end of the 20 minutes to see if it feels warm.
7. Now just wait for the coolant to flow with the air bubbles with no pressure. The air bubbles should be removed.
8. Refill the radiator with the right amount of new coolant. Fill the radiator to the same mark at the base of the radiator neck. If needed, also add some coolant to the reservoir.
9. Replace the radiator cap.
10. Turn the engine ON and wait for the engine to reach operating temperature.
11. Take your car for a test drive to see if the main temperature remains in the right area and the coolant is no longer bubbling after you drive a few miles.
Get Help from Certified Professionals – In order to keep your car on the road running smoothly for the long run, take your car to a repair shop and get certified professional help. They will know how to flush the system, replace the coolant, or service your cooling system. Get that coolant bubbling problem fixed and drive save.
Source: https://motorsrun.com/coolant-bubbling/
0 Response to "Will Head Gasket Cause Continuous Bubbles in Ford 302 Coolant"
Post a Comment