overheating problem!
overheating problem! ok well i am not overheating yet, but here is what happens in a nut shell (since i have searched and this seems to be a common problem) i have a stock 98ss on cold startup it takes the usual time to warm up, but then it will climb at a steady pace to 210. then it keeps going up i can tell the fans kick in at it helps to slow the process but doesnt back it down(also at 210 the low coolant light turns on even though the rad is full). once it gets near 230 i get scared and turn the heater on full blast to bleed some of the heat off and it returns to 200-210. i just had the cooling system flushed two days ago so i wait for it to cool to burp it but when i pop the cap there is nothing to burp. i then start thinking that it is the tstat but am i safe to assume so? top flight told me to bring it in and they can fix it saying that a 160 tstat will take care of the problem but i can do it myself if it really is the tstat, i just want to see if you guys can help me narrow it down to that. 
thanks guys!
thanks guys!
ok well i am not overheating yet, but here is what happens in a nut shell (since i have searched and this seems to be a common problem) i have a stock 98ss on cold startup it takes the usual time to warm up, but then it will climb at a steady pace to 210. then it keeps going up i can tell the fans kick in at it helps to slow the process but doesnt back it down(also at 210 the low coolant light turns on even though the rad is full). once it gets near 230 i get scared and turn the heater on full blast to bleed some of the heat off and it returns to 200-210. i just had the cooling system flushed two days ago so i wait for it to cool to burp it but when i pop the cap there is nothing to burp. i then start thinking that it is the tstat but am i safe to assume so? top flight told me to bring it in and they can fix it saying that a 160 tstat will take care of the problem but i can do it myself if it really is the tstat, i just want to see if you guys can help me narrow it down to that.
thanks guys!
thanks guys!
Are you getting hot ONLY when you have the A/C "on"?
How do you know the fans are coming on? Are they both coming on together and do they both work in low and high speed? you can check this simply be driving it around until it gets to 210, pull over and feel (carefully) to see if both fans are blowing. As it cools while you are still pulled over the fans will drop to a lower setting.
Does it get hot like you describe when on the highway just cruising at a steady speed?
Answer these:
Are you getting hot ONLY when you have the A/C "on"?
How do you know the fans are coming on? Are they both coming on together and do they both work in low and high speed? you can check this simply be driving it around until it gets to 210, pull over and feel (carefully) to see if both fans are blowing. As it cools while you are still pulled over the fans will drop to a lower setting.
Does it get hot like you describe when on the highway just cruising at a steady speed?
Are you getting hot ONLY when you have the A/C "on"?
How do you know the fans are coming on? Are they both coming on together and do they both work in low and high speed? you can check this simply be driving it around until it gets to 210, pull over and feel (carefully) to see if both fans are blowing. As it cools while you are still pulled over the fans will drop to a lower setting.
Does it get hot like you describe when on the highway just cruising at a steady speed?
thanks!
no the ac being on does not matter. i know they turn on because i hear the click and see the battery voltage drop slightly and come back up to where it was. havent checked to see if they both where on or what speed they were at i just new they were on. i will have to check that tomorrow. well on the highway its slower than at cruising speed or definitely in traffic, but yet it still continues to climb.
thanks!
thanks!
Fans are for city driving, the fans do nothing when cruising on the highway, they should never come on. The front air dam does 100% of the radiator cooling.
Do what I said, pull over and see if both fans are working and that they both work on low and high, together always. Fans do not work separately. If only one is working, you have fan trouble.
Your t-stat is fine, if it wasn't you would overheat right into the red no matter what you did, even sitting and idling.
Also, make sure there's nothing jammed up in front of your condensor/radiator like a piece of newspaper or something.
One more ALSO....make sure you're actually getting hot, it could be a temp sensor failing. Simply touch the intake when it gets to about 230*, if its not really that hot to the touch, you're probably not really getting hot.
Well, if you are getting hotter, faster while driving in the city....then you do on the highway: The fans would be the probable culprit.
Fans are for city driving, the fans do nothing when cruising on the highway, they should never come on. The front air dam does 100% of the radiator cooling.
Do what I said, pull over and see if both fans are working and that they both work on low and high, together always. Fans do not work separately. If only one is working, you have fan trouble.
Your t-stat is fine, if it wasn't you would overheat right into the red no matter what you did, even sitting and idling.
Also, make sure there's nothing jammed up in front of your condensor/radiator like a piece of newspaper or something.
One more ALSO....make sure you're actually getting hot, it could be a temp sensor failing. Simply touch the intake when it gets to about 230*, if its not really that hot to the touch, you're probably not really getting hot.
Fans are for city driving, the fans do nothing when cruising on the highway, they should never come on. The front air dam does 100% of the radiator cooling.
Do what I said, pull over and see if both fans are working and that they both work on low and high, together always. Fans do not work separately. If only one is working, you have fan trouble.
Your t-stat is fine, if it wasn't you would overheat right into the red no matter what you did, even sitting and idling.
Also, make sure there's nothing jammed up in front of your condensor/radiator like a piece of newspaper or something.
One more ALSO....make sure you're actually getting hot, it could be a temp sensor failing. Simply touch the intake when it gets to about 230*, if its not really that hot to the touch, you're probably not really getting hot.
ok so i drove to work and on the highway it was around 210 and a little under. when i got to work i parked it and waited to see how high it would actually go which it stopped climbing and held steady at just under the 3/4 mark which im guessing it would be around 277-228* possibly. but it never went any higher or lower. i went to go and look at the fans and they both are on and on high as well. but the car is running fine otherwise. am i just being paranoid? the guys at top flight said that it will get that temp but its bad for the block and a 160* tsat will help keep it cooler. 
ok so i drove to work and on the highway it was around 210 and a little under. when i got to work i parked it and waited to see how high it would actually go which it stopped climbing and held steady at just under the 3/4 mark which im guessing it would be around 277-228* possibly. but it never went any higher or lower. i went to go and look at the fans and they both are on and on high as well. but the car is running fine otherwise. am i just being paranoid? the guys at top flight said that it will get that temp but its bad for the block and a 160* tsat will help keep it cooler.
3/4 mark on the temp gauge is too hot, something is wrong.
Did you pop the hood and feel the intake to see if it was actually hot?
You could have a temp sensor going bad, giving you bad readings.
A scan with an OBDII or just the cheap scanner from Advance Auto or Pep Boys that they do for free will tell you the true temp. When you get hot next time or just any time, stop by and see what the true temp is, then you can see how inaccurate your temp gauge is.
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no i meant 227* i havent felt the intake yet but i will when i get home after the drive from work this evening. and if thats the case i will stop by kragen or autozone tonight and have them check the true temp to see whats going on.
thanks!
thanks!
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Take the upper shroud off the top of the radiator and look in between the radiator/ac condensor. These cars are known to collect alot of crap there that will cause the same problems.
ok so i got home from work and the temp was at about 228* again. so i shut her down and popped the hood. i was able to touch the intake and the rad, i mean not for very long but for long enough for me to think that it could possibly be the temp sensor. am i right to think that? well anyway i ordered a 160* tstat and an slp lid, so i will go to my buddys shop and hook her up to a computer and check the true engine temp before and after, if the temp is off i will go ahead and change the sensor also. i mean i might as well since im in there with the tstat and change the lid too since i have to take it off to get to it, and i already ordered the parts a few days ago. still kind of confused as to what exactly it could be though. but im sure that this may take care of it.
thanks!
thanks!
ok so i got home from work and the temp was at about 228* again. so i shut her down and popped the hood. i was able to touch the intake and the rad, i mean not for very long but for long enough for me to think that it could possibly be the temp sensor. am i right to think that? well anyway i ordered a 160* tstat and an slp lid, so i will go to my buddys shop and hook her up to a computer and check the true engine temp before and after, if the temp is off i will go ahead and change the sensor also. i mean i might as well since im in there with the tstat and change the lid too since i have to take it off to get to it, and i already ordered the parts a few days ago. still kind of confused as to what exactly it could be though. but im sure that this may take care of it.
thanks!
thanks!
thanks!
