Engine overheats and heater blows cold air

[sprinter10]

Yea I believe so too I will borrow a set tomorrow on my way home stop at my friends shop.

[rockfangd]

to add to that I believe it is a 16 mm nut and a 18mm fitting

[Cadillac Jim]

We have a nearby Ace Hardware outlet that has an excellent tool selection that has box-end wrenches that have a gap for tubing. They call these "flare nut wrenches." I found this set of three SAE sizes for $13.39:

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1285777

Of course, I expect that this nut is metric. I found this combination 1mm and 12mm flare nut wrench for $11 on the Sears web site:

Click Here

(massively long link)

They have other sizes for about the same price. You will need two, of course. They are on this page (scroll down and skip the far pricier Sears brand wrenches at about $35; these are GearWrench brand):

Click Here

(page with many gear wrench listings)

Get the size correct by checking the nuts with an open-end wrench before you buy. Good luck.

[KHE]

The inlet tank is the one that typically cracks over time. Take your existing radiator to a radiator shop and they will remove the cracked end tank, power flush the core, and install a new end tank and gasket for much less than the cost of a new radiator...

[sprinter10]

We ordered the tank with the oil cooler built in to the outlet side today from Rockauto.com as you sugested Bodybyfisher. I stopped by a cadillac dealer with my vin and ordered the lower/shorter trans cooler line. They both should be comming in around wed.

I stopped by a autoparts stoor and picked up a double sided 16mm and 18mm flare inline Flairnut wrench.

I was able to wiggle the wrench onto the rusted slightly rounded nut and break it loose.

After everything was off the radiator it was still harder then it looked ot get the radiator actually out of the car. I finally wiggled the fans out of there so I could finally rotate the radiator out around the solid lines from the front cooler.

Picked up the new ac delco oil filter and drained the oil just waiting for the parts to come in now.

[BodybyFisher]

Sounds like you are doing good, glad that fitting broke loose, those wrenches are a must for those types of fittings they round off easily with an open ended wrench and obviously you cant use a box wrench

Your post said you bought the TANK, did you buy a tank or the radiator?

By the way, I am sorry I did not put you on notice, there is a 5% discount certificate on here for rockauto... next time keep that in mind, they will send you one also

[sprinter10]

I baught the whole radiator with the oil cooler. O well I know for next time about the 5% discount. We got the 2 to 3 day shipping so it came out to be around $160.

[winterset]

no heat in the cabin means there is at least one air pocket in the coolant system. the air must be removed, and the heat will once again get hot. seems this air pocket can move around, and if the air pocket gets to the cap, it'll puke coolant & air out the cap. many confuse this exit of air with a HG failure. That's why BBF's first response is to check the purge line.

[sprinter10]

Ok radiator and line both came in today heading over to my fathers to install I got the radiator with the trans oil cooler built in. I want to pick up some transmission oil incase I need it I know from the little bit of drops that came out it was very thin and red I know the computer reads 99% trans fluid life so it must have just been changed pretty recently. What oil is recomended for the transmission? I am going to get the most I can done tonight then hopefully finish it tomorrow night before I go to get my license friday morning.

[BodybyFisher]

You said that about the 99% trans fluid life before. It will NEVER decrease from 99%-100%, unless the tranny or engine seriously overheats, it does not drop similarly to the oil life monitor, unless its overheated you can change it based on the manual's change interval or more frequently if you like

[sprinter10]

O ok good to know. Well we got the car back together and took it to the hill that it last boiled over and I didn't make it to the top without it going close to the red but this time it just ticked up twice to the 5/8 mark and when I took off I heard a little gurgling at times and when I turned around at the bottom of the other side of the hill to go back over it it did not go up at all past half way. I Think It still has some air bubles left in the system that are slowly working there way out. I will fill the water back up tomorrow when the water is cool and I can open the cap. There are some small leaks I am fixing little by little now fixed all the ones from the trans fluid down to one small water line that I has one of those spring clamps on them I took a pair of plyers and put some preasure to spread it out a little bit and got it to stop for now If it has any signs of problems again I will find a way to put a regular hose clamp in there even though it is almost impossible without taking fans off and unmounting the radiator. Im going ot take it out on the higway and really run it on the weekend to see how it goes.

[BodybyFisher]

Make sure your air purge line is clear, air gets out of the NS very quickly if its clear,

Good luck and good luck with getting your drivers license tomorrow!!

Glad you got it running

[sprinter10]

Thanks and I checked the air purge line and it did flow water steady through at idle not with any great speed but it was flowing.

[Cadillac Jim]

The only transmission fluid that GM recommends for transmissions manufactured in recent history is Dextron VI. It replaces Dextron III and earlier except in power steering and manual transmissions that originally specified Dextron III. Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexron

I read a link on a GM site recently that showed older transmissions lasting longer and shifting better with Dextron VI. If your transmission predates 2005 when Dextron VI was released, when you have your transmission serviced you should have your transmission flushed to replace your old transmission fluid completely with Dextron VI. People here will strongly assert that flushing *alone* is not servicing the transmission, so flushing should be part of the re-fill process after the pan is dropped and cleaned out, etc.

Even if you are just topping off your transmission after changing a radiator, use Dextron VI. You can't get Dextron III anymore.

[JimD]

....Even if you are just topping off your transmission after changing a radiator, use Dextron VI. You can't get Dextron III anymore.

I endorse the Dexron VI part and I plan to replace my Dexron III transmission fluid with Dexron VI at some point in the next six months.

In Wal*Mart today I saw (SuperTech) Dexron III in one quart and one gallon containers.

They also had Dexron VI in one quart containers. I'm hoping to see someone offer Dexron VI in one gallon containers by the time I am ready to replace my fluid.

Production/supply of Dexron III will cease when "major" retailers stop stocking the product. And that is beginning to take place.

[coolnesss]

What a cool success story! I've watched this thread since the beginning and the evolution of Sprinter to a successful northstar repairer - with much patience from the veterans. I love this board!

[BodybyFisher]

Yes it was a good success,

And well, I could have been a bit more patient.... but its a process, to get new members focused, and in the long run, this turned out terrific

[sprinter10]

Just got back from DMV with New license in hand. I can not thank this board enough on everyones help and support including patience with me as a newbie. we are down to one small leak on the rf with the small hose that goes to the air conditioner I will jack it up tonight and replace the sping clip with a real hose clamp.

[BodybyFisher]

No coolant lines go to the airconditioner, what do you mean by airconditioner?, are you talking about at the firewall?, one of the heater hoses or are you talking about down by the AC compressor?, maybe you have an alternator cooler?

[sprinter10]

I didn't see exacly what it is going to. It is a smaller size hose and goes to around the ac compressor.

[Cadillac Jim]

There are a few people still making "DT" and such but GM did not renew contracts to produce Dextron III after 2006. Unless it was produced before the GM licenses expired in 2006, it isn't Dextron III, and if it is, it's four years old.

You should be able to get Dextron IV in gallon bottles. Check your auto parts stores.

[BodybyFisher]

I didn't see exacly what it is going to. It is a smaller size hose and goes to around the ac compressor.

I believe you are seeing the alternator cooler, some NSs have a cooling loop for the alternator, look it over closely, there should NOT be any other heater/cooling lines down there other than that.

My service manual is not operational right now, I think a 2000 may have that feature, I have heard that leaks can occur,

Someone will chime in,

[sprinter10]

Driving the car fully loaded with 5 full sized guys in my car pulling a hill at 35 as i reached the top it ticked up 2 ticks to 5/8 then went back down later in the day I went back and when I dropped my grandfather off after dinner and it never budged off of half way up the same hill. Air pocket still stuck the first time? Both times the car was fully heated before we got in the area. Maby the cycling heat had something to do with it? I still think there is stuff clogging up my heater core and everything else that the peak flush fuid was not able to remove now that it has a new radiator is in and clear.

Im taking it out on Rt 80 tomorrow to his some hills and see if I can make it to pa without it overheating. Last time I pulled over 3 times to let it cool before this thread was even started.

[Ranger]

I hate to say this, but I think you have a bad head gasket and are in denial. There is no air pocket because the purge line would purge it. It has "air" in the system because "air" (exhaust gases) are constantly being introduced. Overheating on a hill climb is a dead give away.

[coolnesss]

Congrats on the license Mark!

There was nothing in the world I wanted more when I was a kid than a license and a car.

I got mine the day I turned 16, first thing in the morning, drove my mother home, and spent the whole day tooling around.

I had only a 40 hp Renault Caravelle to drive (no power but a beautiful Pininfarina body) and you have 300 horses to thrash around - how I envy that!!!!

Go dude!!!!!!