Not another overheating issue

[oldirtyblake]

Need some help before I drive my Wrangler off a bridge.


2013 JK Sahara. 86,300 miles. Had the jeep since 82k miles. Have had overheating issues for months now that Im ready to trade this in.

Parts Ive replaced (not at the same time):
Thermostat (twice): OE
Radiator
Water Pump
Radiator Cap
Radiator Overfill
Multiple flushes

I have burped this sucker so many times with every step.


It will act like everything works as it should. I can drive it 30 mins and then all of a sudden it will start to overheat up to 240 degrees. Then i can wait for it to cool down and drive another 45 mins and same thing it will then start to overheat. It seems so random and i cant put a finger on the issue.

There's no coolant leaks. Using HOAT coolant. The coolant looks great in the jeep, not milky or anything. No antifreeze smells.

Other issues that I have no idea if they are related:
-I know I have a bad heater core as my heat has always struggled and i have flushed the heater core already.
- I do have a small oil leak on the rear main seal but I dont see how that could relate.


Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts?

 

[BLACKJKU]

Are you raising the front of the Jeep up at least 6" when you burp it?

Is your cooling fan kicking into high speed when it starts getting hot?

If you have a auto trans there is know to have a Torque Converter problem that causes the engine to get hot.

 

[oldirtyblake]

Yes- front is raised

Cooling fan kicks on and sounds like a jet engine from the cab

I do have an auto but have not heard of the torque converter issue. Will have to do some research. I dont have any shifting issues *knock on wood*

 

[BLACKJKU]

Yes- front is raised

Cooling fan kicks on and sounds like a jet engine from the cab

I do have an auto but have not heard of the torque converter issue. Will have to do some research. I dont have any shifting issues *knock on wood*

It's something about the Torque Converter staying in Lockup to long after it's supposed to release, so it then gets hot and the heat from it makes the engine get hot.

 

[WranglerKurt]

Hi. Did you find out what the issue was or did you trade it in?
I ask because I feel your pain. I have a 2014 JK with 124,000 miles and been going through similar scenarios with multiple mechanics having no luck with a long term solution. I have over the last 2 years replaced the radiator multiple times, the fan assembly multiple times, the thermostat multiple times, the oil cooler filter housing multiple times, the radiator cap, flushed the heater core, and maybe even other things. It's hard to remember everything now as this is used by my daughter as an everyday driver.
I just towed it into the local dealership as this time the jeep actually overheated. The radiator replaced again. The temperature gauge spiked over 230 after about 20 minutes of driving home from the dealership. I have a hum reader which showed the temperature actually going as high as 242.6. The gauge shows the temperature bouncing around and usually while sitting it rises a little higher than when driving.
I, too, am at my wit's end with this.

 

[Anybodyhome]

Hi. Did you find out what the issue was or did you trade it in?
I ask because I feel your pain. I have a 2014 JK with 124,000 miles and been going through similar scenarios with multiple mechanics having no luck with a long term solution. I have over the last 2 years replaced the radiator multiple times, the fan assembly multiple times, the thermostat multiple times, the oil cooler filter housing multiple times, the radiator cap, flushed the heater core, and maybe even other things. It's hard to remember everything now as this is used by my daughter as an everyday driver.
I just towed it into the local dealership as this time the jeep actually overheated. The radiator replaced again. The temperature gauge spiked over 230 after about 20 minutes of driving home from the dealership. I have a hum reader which showed the temperature actually going as high as 242.6. The gauge shows the temperature bouncing around and usually while sitting it rises a little higher than when driving.
I, too, am at my wit's end with this.

The temp gauge "bouncing around" is typically a pretty good sign there is air in the system. Needs to be burped.

I know and read about a lot of Jeep owners replacing water pumps, radiators, fan units, etc., but in my experience those things rarely go bad and I hate to see people spending their hard-earned dollars replacing stuff that probably isn't necessary.

Why and what was the reasoning behind replacing the radiator? Other than being a holding container for coolant and cycling it through the loop, it has very little to do with actually keeping the engine cool... unless the radiator is actually leaking.

And I guarantee the temp "bouncing around" was because the dealership simply put a new radiator on it and filled it with coolant without burping it. As was stated before, get the front tires up off the ground a good 6" on a parking curb, jack stands, ramps, whatever. With the engine cold, remove the rad cap and let the air bubbles burp out. If the coolant is not in sight when you take the rad cap off, add coolant slowly a cup or so at a time and let it force the air up and out.

 

[tJKrider]

Why and what was the reasoning behind replacing the radiator? Other than being a holding container for coolant and cycling it through the loop, it has very little to do with actually keeping the engine cool... unless the radiator is actually leaking.

If working properly the radiator has a lot to do with keeping the engine cool, not sure why you are stating the opposite - or maybe I am misinterpreting?

If not leaking, significant internal restrictions due to deposits or heavily damaged fins will degrade the performance to the point a replacement is required.

 

[Anybodyhome]

If working properly the radiator has a lot to do with keeping the engine cool, not sure why you are stating the opposite - or maybe I am misinterpreting?

If not leaking, significant internal restrictions due to deposits or heavily damaged fins will degrade the performance to the point a replacement is required.

What I'm saying is why is this the first thing shops want to replace? There are tests and processes to determine if a radiator is shot, as you describe, without blindly replacing them the minute there is a cooling issue.
Start with the simplest solution/trouble shoot and work toward the most difficult and expensive.