What does a sound like water boiling mean?

Answer 1

it could also be your thermostat could be stuck open or closed:Get it checked out asap.

As an ASE Master tech I can give you this advise: There can be a number of causes. Thermostat, plugged up radiator, low coolant (due to a leak), head gaskets, water pump, radiator cooling fan/switch/sensor, etc...

The only way you will know for sure is to have it checked by someone reputable.

Unfortunately, we can't do a pressure test or duplicate the problem here.

I would advise you to NOT drive the car until you do get it diagnosed.

Yeah it could mean a water pump is bad, but not likely, you best get that overheating taken care but quick. It should never overheat or serious, expensive damage can occur. DON'T DRIVE IT WHEN IT IS OVERHEATING OR GAUGE GOES INTO THE RED ZONE!!!!

It may be as simple as bleeding your coolant system; i.e. find some place on top of block where you can allow coolant to escape while pooring coolant in. I had this problem on my Jeep and bled the coolant system by removing temp sensor on top of block then filled the coolant until it overflowed without hesitation. Then re-inserted the temp sensor. P.S.: this also caused my jeep to overheat and miss. The missing was caused by the computer sensing the wrong temperature when it was trying to adjust the fuel injector air gas ratio. In some vehicles, you must bleed or you will get air pockets when you allow it to run low on coolant then re-fill.

I have an old 88 Ford Taurus wagon that had a sound like this. I had it checked out and it turned out to be bad bearings in the water pump. Also my fan motor burned out and the switch to turn it on and off also failed.

So I had to get a new fan motor, switch, and water pump. So it's not always best to just assume it's the thermostat, although this is a cheap solution if it turns out to be the problem. I did try adding more coolant but that just did nothing. I just had my radiator flushed (30000 miles) and the coolant was practically new. .

I had this similar problem my time was slightly off , but off enough to cause it to over heat..

The only time I've ever heard the noise you describe was from an overheating vehicle as the hot coolant was exploding into the reservoir bottle next to the radiator. Check your gauges, if it's overheating you need to get that rig fixed before you do very expensive damage to your engine.

Boiling sounds within the engine mean there's a pressure loss causing the coolant to boil. The radiator cap keeps the system under pressure to eliminate boiling. (Water boils at 212 degrees, )normal atmospheric pressure, the radiator cap keeps the system under higher pressure allowing the higher temperatures (250 degrees) Boiling signifies pressure loss or bad head gaskets or even a cracked engine head. Vehicle should be inspected by a qualified technician to diagnose this problem. At any rate, vehicle should not be driven until repairs are made.