ok scratch that, my car is STILL overheating. After driving a for around 10 miles it starts to overheat at stop's. When i check the radiator it's hot on the top but cold on the bottom. I replaced the thermostat as well and still the same problem. I don't know what to do at this point? I already spent $400 on a radiator that might not even work. I really don't want to take it into the dealer and get a stock radiator cuz they'll want to know everything like "what happened" and "why didn't you bring it to us in the first place" and I really don't have an answer for them that won't void my warranty. I tried to order a radiator over the phone and they want my VIN #. What should i do?

 

any ideas?

 

Check the motor oil and report back what the color is.

Are you losing any coolant? Do you smell it in the engine bay or see it on the ground?

The other possibility is that you have an air bubble somewhere in your coolant path. It's common with aftermarket radiators since they lack the fill point on top of the radiator and you have to fill through the coolant reservoir by the turbo. You can try and burp the coolant by taking off the cap at the reservoir (with the engine running) and squeeze the top radiator hose repeatedly. You should see some air bubbles come up. Then go drive the car and see how it is doing. You may have to repeat the process a couple of times.

To prevent this, when filling the coolant up, fill it through the top radiator hose (disconnected from the engine of course) until it is full. Then reconnect the hose and fill the last bit through the reservoir. That usually keeps all of the air out.

Another thought is that your coolant is low. With the enigne running, check to see if the reservoir (the one by the turbo) is full. If not, keep filling until it overflows. You'll have to do the burping thing here too.