Hey guys i gota a really big problem with my Mazda 323 Astina 92' model...
Im really inexperianced when it comes to cars, anyway, my car recently seemed to get overheated, often at times I would notice that the temperature gauge is almost right at the top but once Id start driving it would go back to half way then once i stop at traffic it would go back to high, anyway i figured my guage was just playing up since it was an old car and i just ignored anyway. Few days later I did a big 1.5hr trip to a destination then, an hour later, another 1.5hr trip back home, not to mention it was a really hot day and i had the air con blasting. Anyway i then had to use the car again at night, and i noticed the car started to make a wierd ratteling noise after about 15min of driving, each time i accelerated, and it gradually got louder and louder and i notcied my temperature gauge was right at the top, yet stupid me, i continued to drive, until the ratteling noise got pretty loude then the car finally concked out on me and turned off, it would start up but then turn off again after 2seconds. Anyway at this point i thought the problem was the fuel distributor or something minor like that, anyway i left the car there the night and got a lift home. The next day i go back to pick up my car, it started up again so i decided to drive it home, it was running fine, but then about 10min later, the temp gauge started to go to the top again and the noise came back, first quiet then gradually became quite loud, i managed to get the car home, but as soon as i arrived in my drive way, the car died again (good timing atleast), i lifted up the bonnet, and the engine was smoking big time, and thats when i finally relised my car died because it was overheating and more then likely iv now blown the engine *sigh*. However the car does seem to continue running fine until it overheats.

Anyway i guess my question is,

1. Is there a chance that my engine might still be ok and that I dont have to recondition it?
2. Is there a way or can there be something easily fixed in my car that could keep the engine at a cool temprature that would allow me to continue driving my car,
3. Do I really have to get my engine fixed and reconditioned or is it possible that my engine might still be ok, rather that theres another problem i should fix that would somehow keep my car from overheating.
4. What would have caused the car to constantly over heat like that, my car had enough water and sufficient oil, so i dont see what the course is, would it just be wear and tear of the 13 yeard old engine and that this was just inevitable?
5. I am also curious to know how much it costs on average to have my current engine fully reconditioned, or if it would be better maybe to get a 2nd hand engine installed from the wreckers? What do you guys think is the best and most affordable solution?

 

pikios, Sounds like you had a bad case of engine overheating!![]If it got so hot that it stalled out on you is not a good sign but the good part is that it started ok and I assume ran normal after overheating. I have a 91 323 and it is a great car!!!The rattle noise you heard was probably a bad case of preignition or pinging that is severly agravated by an overheating engine. The noise is not there when engine is still at normal temp I am assuming as you would have mentioned in your long but very in detail post. ( details are a very good thing. ). So let me get all this straight and you correct me if am missing something. Engine runs fine and temperature is good and does not smoke or anything abnormal as long as you are driving. Once you get in traffic with stop and go driving you start to get high temps and noise. Check your cooling fan to make sure it is operating when getting hot. That is the first thing that came to me when reading your post and wonderful description of what was occuring. The ram air of driving will cool your radiator when driving but when in stop and go the cooling fan needs to be running to get that radiator temp down. If you are not blowing smoke out of your tailpipe or steam in the morning or leaking fluids onto the ground then you engine is probably still just fine. Don't do that again though or you might not be so lucky next overheat[:@] Start the 323 up and let it run at an idle until you see the temp gauge starting to climb higher than half. If the cooling fans do not come on then that is our problem and we can check it out from that point. Give a post back after you have tried this and we will go from there ok.

 

hey there,,, thanks alo for the compliments on my post lol,,,

nyway I think Iv given up home Im pretty sure my engine is wrecked.

Ok heres the thing, initially what you described about my car overheating was right, from the early stages from since when i can frist remember the problems that led to this big problem, my car's temp gauge was at the half way point whilst driving but when i was at a holt, it did seem to climb up near to the top then once i begint o drive again it did fall back down, i diddnt relise the engine actually cooled down whilst the car was in motion i thought it was the opposite so anyway this is wat led me to believe that this guage was just giving me false readings. anyway, i just took my car out for a drive around the block, for about a 5min drive, and i notcied it diddnt take long before the engine became red hot again and this was from driving not ideling, and the noise was faint but i could tell that it would gradually get louder.

However, during the short period that my engine is cool my car runs fine as if theres nothing at all wrong with it, and no smoke comes out of the exhaust, however smoke did come out when the car was geting really hot.

From what iv heard from my brother he thinks, and sounds highly likely, that i have fried my pistons and that noise im hearing is the pistons rubbing against metal which in turn is what is causing my engine to get hot and overheat quickly and that the only way to get it fixed is to get my engine reconditioned, which i dont think is even worth doing coz its so dam expensive.

Btw thanks alot for you interest and help i really appreciate it

 

If you are not hearing the noise cold then your pistons are not 'fried' otherwise they would make noise all of the time.

 

oh and as for leaking oil and fluids or nything like that im pretty certain that nothing is wrong in that department, but as for the fan im not to sure, how do i check to see if my fan is functioning coorectly?

Anyway i doubt the fan is the problem i mean the engine gets overheated even while im drivn, so yea i dunno,,,

 

really? so then whats the problem, why does it get so hot? and if the engine is fine how do i fix the problem?

Im taking it to a mechanic on Monday so ill see what he thinks, but jeez i dont trust mechanics it might, well i doubt it, but it might be a small problem and he'll say that i need to spend thousands to get it fixed

 

So then let us look at the problem without taking to a mechanic. I am a mechanic but am not charging a fee so lets get to work on a solution.