Radiator pressure. dies, won't start. HELP

[rdw435]

So, i have this 1990 integra gs that i bought for a family members first car. Drove it home, drove fine other than the temp gauge was reading cold all the time, figured it just needed a new thermostat. Got it home shut it off, after it sits for a minute or two, you start it and it dies immediately. Will not start again unless you open the radiator cap. You can hear it blow into the overflow tank, car starts immediately after doing this. I went to change the thermostat, there wasnt even one in it, so i put a new one in, topped off the coolant, bled the air, temp guage is still not working the way it should, and it still does the dying thing, remove the cap release the pressure. it starts right up. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[red98teg]

wow... thats interesting.. i would have just pinned it on the thermostat. was it new when you bought it?

 

[rdw435]

Thermostat was new, new gasket, new coolant. Did it before i put one in it which is strange. Whats really strange is there wasnt a thermostat in it. Im pretty much lost at this point, ready to roll it off a cliff.

 

[red98teg]

did you contact the seller about it? cause thats BS

 

[rdw435]

Think this could be a symptom of a bad head gasket? Exhaust getting into the coolant system?

 

[kfed]

how about checking for a bad radiator cap? and having a compression test to check cylinder gasket?

 

[SpooledupRacing]

coolant temp sensor
bad head gasket
coolant temp sender (gauge switch)
bad radiator cap

could be alot..

does the car get heat when u turn it on?