Okay, now the fun is starting: Yesterday the gas and coolant gauges both failed to operate. The fuel gauge wasn't an issue, but I wondered about the temp gauge. Sure enough, it started overheating after a while, but it happened close enough to home that I was able to get home, park, watch coolant spill onto the ground, then go to the auto parts store for replacement coolant (1.25 Gal).

So, how do I track this down? It seems obvious that there is an electrical component to the problem, so does anyone know of a good online tutorial for doing automotive electrical diagnostics? And does anybody have a favorite inexpensive meter they can recommend? (Harbor Freight, Sears, etc.) I'm supposed to take this to the mechanic on Monday, but I like to learn how to do things myself when feasible.

 

What would this "electrical component" be? Your car does NOT even have an electric fan... The gauges failure must be coincidental... where was the coolant spilling from? What caused the overheat? It either stopped circulating due to a thermostat failure, radiator blockage, etc., and developed pressure which caused overflow or a leak, OR it sprung a leak due to a bad hose, radiator, etc. Fill it with water, see if it holds water, if so,then run it and see what happens: does the water circulate? does it just get hot, leak out, what?
Look up:
http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/Cooling.htm

 

Obviously I don't know that much, which is why I'm here. Last night I refilled, ran engine, no leakage, did not see where coolant came from in the first place since the hood release wasn't (and still isn't) working properly. Ran hot earlier today (near the red mark but not too close), but the guage was working. May be coincidental, but I'm not so sure.

 

You both need to chill. Obviously David is a bit of a newbie still so throwing a bunch of technical terms at him ain't gonna do him much good.

Take the car to European Motors in Omaha. They've never did me wrong when I had my S40.

http://www.emsomaha.com/

 

Sorry tedv, as a Moderator I had to delete one of your replies with which some people felt rude.

David, I have deleted a terminology from one of your posts, and we appreciate if you could show respect to those who try to help you.

David, the best thing you can do is to take your car to a reputable shop, preferably an independent shop sepcialising in Volvo/Euro makes, or a dealer (when at a dealer, you need to know your car or you're in for the wrong hands). Avoid average town shops/franchise.

Have their ASE-Certified Master Tech and have him/her do a "pressure-test" on your cooling system; this should reveal the source of the leak.

Some temp gages register in "C" when the sensor is not immersed in liquid. Considering the age of your Volvo, I would assume there are several parts that need replacement, including the radiator. But I would first talk to a technician and see what he/she thinks.

I hope this is of some use.


JPN

 

^Exactly.
European Motors is run by ACTUAL European immigrants. They keep their certification up on the wall as well. They did good work on my S40 and at about half the price of Gorges Volvo...

 

Well, after damaging the hood release cable trying to open the hood and replacing the thermostat (the old was shot), I was still running hot. I finally had the opportunity to add coolant after the car had been sitting for 12 hours with no leaks: and it started leaking. Couldn't pinpoint the leak due to the time (I work at 4am, so removing the skid plate was out of the question), but it appears that the leak is coming from the water-pump housing (thank you, JPN). I should note that the oil is clean, so I don't think I've blown a head gasket. Will talk to European Motors on Monday (once had neighbors who owned Saabs and swore by EM). Still a lot of electrical bugs in the car, so I'm still wondering how much to pour into this, but will wait for the mechanic to give me his/her take.