What to do about car overheating?

Question

My wife was driving our 1998 Chevy Monte Carlo and the light came on indicating it may be about to over heat. The temperature guage also indicated the same thing. How do I know what the problem is; water, hose, antifreeze, etc? I would hate to shell out big bucks if it is something simple. On the other hand I do not want to risk blowing the engine. Hopefully damage was not already done. You mechanics out there, please advise.

Answer 1

I would get it to a reputable repair facility and have it checked out. For a measily 30 dollars a shop will do a block test as well as a pressure test. By doing these two items, the cause(s) can be pinpointed and an estimate furnished. These cars are notorious for the intake gaskets going bad from lack of proper maintenance on the cooling system.

Answer 2

This can be tricky if you don't know what your looking for. I imagine you already checked the fluid levels. The thermostat could have gone, the clutch on the fan could have gone bad too. It is really tough to tell without more info. I would look at all your hoses, the fan clutch, and fluids first. But it is more than likely that it is your thermostat.

Answer 3

It could be low on coolant or the coolant is not circulating in the engine, or the radiator is not flowing to capacity. It could also be that the radiator airflow is blocked. If the engine is hot and the radiator is not then the coolant is not conducting heat out of the engine. That would be a plugged radiator. The system can be flushed and new coolant added. On the other end of the scale, the engine could have a cracked head or block and that is going to cost some serious dollars.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

When was the last time you or your wife checked the fluid in the car?  Do you keep a regularly scheduled maintenance check on your car? Do you have a regular mechanic you can take your car to?  (Since vehicles are so technical anymore, they may have to put it on a scope to be sure that the radiator is the problem and not something else because it is just like going to the dr...you go in saying your stomach hurts and it could be anything from a stomach ache to cancer.)

I, personally, am not a mechanic, but my now ex-husband was by trade and he learned a VALUABLE lesson that you should ALWAYS take an ounce of prevention measure to keep it from hurting you in the pocketbook.

What I mean by that is, years before the cost of gas went up, I had a job in which I had to drive 90-miles to get to, each way (I enjoyed this job, so I didn't want to leave it) and while I would do the normal safety check of checking the fluids, tires, etc., before I left, the only thing I asked of my ex was to do an occasional oil change and general overall maintanence.  

Well, <keep in mind that this is a 1976 Chevy Silverado pickup> one day, I had been on my way home and had gottena about halfway and the engine light came on and the engine temp control was way to the right side of the dial, so I pulled off the highway and called him.  He told me that if I turned the heat on FULL BLAST that I would be ok to make it home, so I did as he said.  

The very next morning, he opened up the hood to check the water in the radiator and there was NONE, so after a bunch of hollering and name-calling and the whole 9-yards, he poured water in and when it got to the top of the neck to where he could see it, he saw a filmy liquid <aka OIL> that shouldn't have been there and after he did some more looking at the engine, the hose was coming apart at the bottom of the radiator where I wouldn't have been able to see it unless I was looking specifically for it and he discovered that the engine had cracked and he ended up, several weeks later, having to go to a junk yard and bought a rebuilt engine and had to replace the whole thing.

Moral to this story:  Even if it costs you $50-$100, take it to a mechanic and have them put it on a scope or otherwise check it to be sure that the radiator is the only problem and not something else because you could pay MORE down the road if you don't get to a mechanic with a trained eye and find and fix the problem NOW!

Answer 5

check and fill coolant reservoir,check belts and hoses for looseness and deterioration , start car check for leaks , look inside also check passenger floor board for moisture (heater core) make sure fan is running at speed and has no wobble.watch gages if it climbs above normal shut of engine, check fan for looseness check oil if oil is milky looking it would indicate a head gasket. if you find no leaks and everything else seems good then you should check the thermostat.