Overheating problems..PLEASE HELP!!!
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
Overheating problems..PLEASE HELP!!! Hey guys, Just recently i've been having a problem with my 02 ws6 overheating on the highway. Around town the temperature is fine and never goes above the half way mark on the gauge. But when I get up around 75 and higher on the highway if the A.C. is on i'll notice that first it starts to get warm and next thing the temp. will start shooting up. The same happens if I turn the A.C. off or it is turned off the whole time. The first time it happened I didn't even notice until the "check gauges" light came on and the thing was in the red zone! Then as soon as I get off the interstate the temp comes right back down to halfway point again. This has only started in the last week or so and does it every time now I get up to higher speeds.
Is it possible that the radiator fan isn't coming on because the car thinks it doesn't need it because of the high speeds? Any help whatsoever would be much appreciated...
Is it possible that the radiator fan isn't coming on because the car thinks it doesn't need it because of the high speeds? Any help whatsoever would be much appreciated...
TECH Resident
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 937
Likes: 0
From: South Alabama
Something you may want to check, a few months ago I changed my coolant for the first time since new. While I was doing this I inspected the cooling system and what I found was the lower air dam that directs air into the radiator also picks up alot of road debris and particulate matter.
This particulate matter had built up enough over the last 4 years that it was starting to restrict air flow over the cooling fins.
I had to remove my radiator and take it to one of those car washes with the wand and blow out the debris from the back side.
Car seems to cool better now that I've done that.
Just an idea for you to check, though it also sounds like your thermostat could be stuck open just enough to let it cool the engine but isn't providing enough coolant flow under spirited driving conditions.
This particulate matter had built up enough over the last 4 years that it was starting to restrict air flow over the cooling fins.
I had to remove my radiator and take it to one of those car washes with the wand and blow out the debris from the back side.
Car seems to cool better now that I've done that.
Just an idea for you to check, though it also sounds like your thermostat could be stuck open just enough to let it cool the engine but isn't providing enough coolant flow under spirited driving conditions.
if its overheating while driving at 75mph and cooler at intown speeds i dont think air flow is your problem. your thermostat could be stuck, water pump might not flow good at higher rpm,s
