Please could someone advise me on a problem I have with a mazda 323 52 plate. The first thing I should say is its actually on loan from my dad who was reluctant to lend me his car since the last one I borrowed had to be written off, so as you can imagine I'm not in his good books.

Here's the issue as I can see it:

The temp gauge reads tipping over the halfway mark from the off, checked water levels are all fine, doesn't look as though water is reaching the radiator though as these levels don't seem to shift?

I had someone show me where to check the oil (It wasn't that simply due to the handle having been snapped of at some point), Oil levels were perfect.

Despite me insisting that I'd checked the oil a week later my dad insisted the car was out of oil so he filled her back up.

Since then car produced a different noise and drove rough. Dipping revs at 3rd gear continued with High revs, especially past 3rd gear and then revs yo-yoing with loss of engine power.

Automatically dad is thinking expensive in need of a new cambelt but he isn't fully aware and won't bloody listen when I say about the car overheating.

On the last voyage a distinct burnt aroma could be smelt from the bonnet, infact honestly if I hadn't of pulled in and opened the hood there and then I'd say it would of lit up!!

HELP, PLEASE

 

Make sure the cooling fan is kicking on. Let the car idle,get a cup of water,remove the small hose from the radiator to the coolant jug and stick the hose into the cup of water. As it warms up watch to see if the cooling fan kicks on and watch for bubbles in the cup of water. If you see bubbles it most likely has a blown head gasket. It is a closed system and any bubbles will be from compression leaking through the head gasket. A new thermostat might be all it needs, not likely though. If the coolant is rusty then the impellor on the water pump might have fallen apart. If it does not overheat at idle then a restriction in the radiator is probable.