2004 Kia Optima Overheated

I was driving my car last night & it apparently overheated. After about 20 minutes on the Interstate, I began to hear some metal scraping sound when I pressed the gas. I didn't even think to at the temperature gauge because I was distracted by the sound. Obviously, I got off the next exit, but never made it because when I pressed the gas it had no go.

When I stopped on the shoulder of the road, I had smoke coming from under the hood. Popped the hood & saw coolant that has spread from what I guess is the coolant overflow.

My question is how do I diagnose the problem to the water pump, leaking hose, thermostat, or something else?

 

I would start by determining whether the engine survived in the first place - the head gasket is likely toast and the head(s) needs to be evaluated as well.

 

I'd start by filling the cooling system with water and see if/how it runs. If it runs ok you can then observe where the issue is. How long did you drive with it overheated?

 

If it got hot enough to quit, I'm afraid you're going to have bigger issues than basic over heating to worry about.

First, check the oil level. I'd relate scraping metal sounds more so with no oil, than no water.
Fill with water and look for leaks. If you don't see leaks, start the car (if it will start) and watch for leaks as it heats up to operating temp.

My question is, how did you get the car home? If you stopped on the shoulder because the car quit, how'd you get it home? Did you add water back to the cooling system? Did you start it back up and drive it home or did you call a tow truck?

Possible cooling issues:
Clogged radiator
Leaking radiator
Water pump
Bad hose - either collapsing hose or leaking hose
Thermostat stuck closed
Blown head gasket

To check thermostat, you can leave the radiator cap off & see if the water in the radiator churns once it reaches operating temp. If it churns, the thermostat is likely good. If it doesn't, its likely stuck closed.

Hose, watch both hoses to see if they leak or suck closed or collapse. Watch to see if it leaks around the hose clamp. A clamp may be loose or broken.

Bad water pump - it will usually leak - dribble or a steady leak of water - possibly from the weep hole or from a crack etc.

If the car over heats without any sign of leaks, it could be a clogged radiator or the water pump isn't turning/working at all.

If its a blown head gasket, you could here some compression leaks, like air escaping, popping or... and most likely, water leak around the head.

 

Yes it did quit, right when I was stopping.

Tow truck. No way I was even cranking it after that.

I hadn't started the car since this happened, but the tow truck guy did to get it into my driveway.

Bingo. I just filled it with water without cranking it. There's a leak at the top of the radiator. This was great advice! Thank you so much!



I assume that I just need to replace radiator.

Now for the dumb question.

Is there a way to seal that or is it better to just replace the radiator?

 

The radiator needs to be replaced.

Be sure you verify the engine is ok before spending money on the radiator.
That leak is probably what caused your cooling system to empty.

If you have a mechanic or mechanic friend.... have them look at the engine first.

 

some radiator repair shops still exist, but most have gone by the wayside as service/labor costs have increased beyond what most radiators cost new. Last radiator I bought about 2019 or so for a Ram 1500 was about $175. However some can go into the $300's.
I'd price around & see what a new one costs, then see if there was a radiator repair shop left in your area to give you an estimate.
The other down side to a radiator shop is normally, he'll do a full service on it, as in removing the top and disassembling it, performing a full service, cleaning & rodding it out etc. Then put it all back together. It'll be just like a brand new one. Again, all that used to cost less than a new one but not anymore. This method is also time consuming (or at least it used to be) because it would have to sit in a vat of muriatic acid for a day, for cleaning. I don't know what the procedure is today. Last radiator shop in my old home town went out prior to 2000.

A shop MIGHT just solder that back for you but most wouldn't in my day. It was cleaned through & through.... full service. But then again, most people back then took pride in their work. Not just patch and go.

 

PJmax is correct. If it got hot enough to die, you could have a warped head, or a cracked block or other costly issues. If so, it may leak enough for you to catch it. I'd still fill it with water (depending on how fast you're loosing water) & crank it to see if its spewing/leaking water anywhere else especially around the head where the gaskets go.

If it aint knocking, that's a good sign. If you hear any abnormal noises, I'd shut it off immediately and take it to a mechanic. If its running smooth, not missing or knocking etc.... as long as it sounds good, I'd try to run it as long as I could up to operating temp, and look real good for leaks.

ABOVE ALL...... do not let it run out of water & overheat while looking for leaks.

 

Ok thanks for the advice.

Unfortunately I don't have one.

Ok, I'm going to give this a shot.

I'll also make sure to watch my temperature gauge to make sure it doesn't get into a hot range.

The only thing is that when I pour water into the radiator, it leaks down onto the radiator fan. So, if the fan turns on, then spatter water all over the place. If I can figure out a way to disable the fan, is it a good idea to do that? Or will it make the car over heat faster while idling?

Also, should I be filling the water into the radiator cap location or into the fill bottle?

How long should I let it idle with the radiator cap off?

 

If the water is hitting the fan & getting everything wet, you aint gonna be able to tell what's leaking & where. Water is going to spray all over the engine. Additionally, its going to be all over the ground/driveway & that will hinder finding the leak.
I don't think you can do anything but go get a new radiator & change it out.

Another something I was thinking about is why the car quit running.
First, I'm an old school mechanic. I sometimes don't factor in the computer when diagnosing issues on these modern automobiles.
Before computers, you had to rely on manual gauges & monitor them to prevent engine damage. On the newer cars today, (I know some) cars will shut the engine down before they are damaged. If this is the case with your car, you're probably safe from any significant damage.
Having said that, I'd feel comfortable in buying a new radiator & installing it. Then look for other leaks afterwards. Personally, I think its your best option in your situation. It's what I'd do, especially since you didnt see any other leaks besides the radiator & apparently, there was no leaks when the mechanic started it & drove it into the driveway.
I think you'll be safe from any other damage. Now....., I'm betting you have a busted radiator & a new one will solve your issue (of course there's always the unknown).

Good luck my friend...

 

Before buying a radiator I'd fill it up with water and run it for a little bit to insure the engine is ok. 4-5 minutes should be long enough to tell if it still runs ok. If the coolant is running out too fast you can use a water hose to keep the radiator full. The main thing is to determine if the engine is worth spending the money on it.

 

Ok, good news so far.

I got some E6000 & gobbed it all on where the hole was in the radiator. Let it dry for a couple of days. I cranked it up & it ran for 9 minutes without mishap. Got to operating temperature without issue. The only leak was from where I had the radiator cap off & water was running out of there. In hindsight I should have used less water. I didn't want to put the cap on, because I was thinking that pressure would easily blow a hole into my glue job.

Next step is to replace the radiator & take it for a spin to see what happens.

Will update after I replace the radiator.

 

After you replace the radiator, fill the radiator and with the radiator cap off see if the car will start. If it does then have someone sit inside it and if it starts to overheat they should turn it off... you on the other hand should go watch the water/antifreeze in the radiator. If you have cracked a head, blown a head gasket or some other bad thing you will generally see bubble or oil start to show up in the radiator. If you do, then you really will need to just get a new or used engine. The cost to fix an engine like this that has been damaged by being run too hot will be more than the car is worth.
In the future it is a good idea to learn to glance at the temp gauge once in a while. I have saved my own engine in the past by noticing it was getting overheated. In that instance a radiator hose had developed a leak but it wasn't enough to notice while driving as it was on the lower hose and everything was going down onto the road. In general if you only notice overheating when it is impacting how the car run it is too late. You could have gotten away with those type of things in an old cast iron engine from back in the 70's... but today you have lots of aluminum heads and they don't like heat at all.