Cooling system overhaul.
Hoses, coolant, radiator checks, fan paranoia, and the noble mission of helping the turbo wagon stay cool in Los Angeles traffic.
Mission: keep the wagon cool.
This repair log tracks the broader cooling-system work beyond the thermostat. The goal is to inspect the hoses, radiator, coolant condition, fan operation, clamps, leaks, and anything else that might make the temperature gauge start acting dramatic.
Symptoms / reason for repair
Parts & supplies
Equipment for temperature peace.
The cooling system plan.
Let everything cool completely.
Start cold. No shortcuts. The wagon and I both deserve non-boiling decisions.
Inspect coolant level and condition.
Check the radiator and overflow bottle. Note color, level, grime, rust, oiliness, or anything that looks like forbidden soup.
Inspect all hoses.
Look for cracks, swelling, softness, crusty ends, old clamps, and sneaky leaks around hose connections.
Check the radiator cap.
A weak cap can cause cooling drama. It is cheap enough to treat with suspicion.
Verify fan operation.
Make sure the fan kicks on when it should. If it does not, the investigation moves to wiring, sensor, relay, or motor territory.
Pressure test if needed.
A pressure tester can help reveal leaks that only show up when the system is working.
Replace questionable parts.
Hoses, clamps, cap, and tired components get handled before blaming the scary stuff.
Refill, burp, and test.
Refill carefully, work out air pockets, monitor temperature, and watch for leaks while the wagon warms up.
Cooling-system evidence.
Current theory
The thermostat was an easy first step, but the overheating issue needs a full cooling-system check before jumping to terrifying conclusions.
Final result
TBD. The next step is testing, documenting, and trying very hard not to assume the most expensive answer first.
The wagon stays cool.
One hose, clamp, cap, test, and tiny driveway victory at a time.