General Maintenance & Repairs - Occasional over-heat?

Hey guys-

Every now and then, if I get caught in traffic or start doing too many stop and go errands in town my car will start creeping up on the temps.. Only happens in the summer time.

She normally runs around 205*F but will start creeping up to around 250*F if I'm not careful..

I was thinking about doing the fan mod to turn the fans on, but the more I think about it, I'm wondering if the answer isn't something else.. Maybe I need to bleed the coolant system? Bubbles maybe?

Anyone?

If you've got a malfunction with the stock cooling system, trying to band-aid it by turning the fans on sooner isn't the solution.

While it sounds like your water pump is going out, the 1st step I would take would be letting the car cool completely off, and checking your coolant level from the radiator cap. If it's low, add coolant (or water, doesn't matter). Retest in traffic.

If your coolant level is full, find somebody who has a stock thermostat laying around and swap it out. Retest. If that doesn't solve the problem, you've eliminated the 2 most simple options. Check and make sure your fans are coming on when they're suppose to. If they are, you've only got 2 other options. Clogged radiator or water pump.

FYI, I ninja edited a few additions to my post. :)

Wow.. I feel like an idiot.. The radiator looks to be bone dry as is the over-flow tank.

Looks like I need some coolant...........

Now the question is, should I just drain the radiator and start from scratch or just top it off.. I don't remember if I used pre-mixed or 100%.. I guess that shouldn't matter, really.

Running fans at lower temp will save a lot of evaporation.

Cleaning the fins is free and a really good idea.

checking coolant level is the first thing id do. then check fans operation then check for leaks. it shouldnt over heat. i live in middle east with temps at 12 pm reaching 115F and my car holds up in stop and go traffic at 212 firm with ac it never go up. and X2 on the fan mod, am going to do it this week hopefully.

Yeh, my coolant is low.. Going to get some tomorrow.. :)

Wow.. I feel like an idiot.. The radiator looks to be bone dry as is the over-flow tank.

Looks like I need some coolant...........

Now the question is, should I just drain the radiator and start from scratch or just top it off.. I don't remember if I used pre-mixed or 100%.. I guess that shouldn't matter, really.

Just top it off. You are going to need to make a fix and can flush at that time. Once you top it off, you should do a pressure check to start.

Don't forget to burp your car after you add fluid or you will still end up with the same problem.:nod: