Guys and Gals,

Thanks for checking my post. Basically, as the subject implies, my car is running hot. And being the poor college student, with a decent working knowledge of cars, I want to be able to converse with the mechanic-- without looking stupid/gullible.

Situation:
Car runs hot when idle and going down the road but is, more or less, remedied by turningthe heater on full blast.

What I've noticed:
The coolant is full in the radiator and radiator reservoir tank.
The cooling fans seem to work-- both come on.
The heater helps the problem significantly.
Also, in the fuse box under the hood, I notice that the "heater"(40amp) fuse is blown. The 30amp "cooling fan" fuse is ok.

Potention problems?
I'm not sure-- there seems to be atleast some fluid circulating because the heater "o"n seems to help the problem...

Plan?
First replace the "heater" fuse, then take it to a mechanic and let him diagnose the problem. Could it be the thermostat? The pump is basically new because it was replaced less then 20k miles ago...

If anyone has had a similar problem, please help w/info!

Thanks,
RustyB

 

Check the thermostat...

 

i had the same problems i spent about 2 thousand dollars at the dealer check the bolts that hold the rad. they get rusty and leak out your fluid.i paid about 2.00 for a new bolt and no problems in a year

 

If it's overheating then yes, turning the "heater" on will help. It basically increases the size of your radiator.

1) Replace that blown fuse. It's relatively cheap, and it should be replaced.

2) Is your thermostat opening fully? I suspect it isn't. If it's been replaced then was it replaced with the right temperature one or a higher temperature one?

3) Are you using the right antifreeze/water mix in your radiator? It should be around 50/50. If it's high on antifreeze it won't cool as effectively (if it's high on water you could damage your engine in winter). You could also try a product like watter wetter which helps improve the cooling ability of the antifreeze/coolant mixture.

I would guess that it's your thermostat as the most likely culprit. It's relatively cheap to replace (and shouldn't be too difficult for you to do it yourself.

Z.