Car is over heating.... Please help!
08-29-2008, 02:59 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Cliffside Park, NJ
Posts: 30
Car is over heating.... Please help!
Ok guys, I don't know what else to do.
Every time I drive my car on the highway and get to about 70mph or higher, the temperature gauge starts to rise. If I keep driving, it will actually make that red light that says check gauges turn on. Anyhow, as soon as I let off the gas and drive at about 60-65mph it's fine.
Now, I checked the coolant, and it's fine. I checked to make sure nothing was stuck in the radiator and that's fine too. I replaced the thermostat with a 160 last year. I'm scared the water pump is going. I know other people have had this problem, but no one seems to write what the problem turned out to be. Also, the fans work. I checked the fuses and they are fine.
Every time I drive my car on the highway and get to about 70mph or higher, the temperature gauge starts to rise. If I keep driving, it will actually make that red light that says check gauges turn on. Anyhow, as soon as I let off the gas and drive at about 60-65mph it's fine.
Now, I checked the coolant, and it's fine. I checked to make sure nothing was stuck in the radiator and that's fine too. I replaced the thermostat with a 160 last year. I'm scared the water pump is going. I know other people have had this problem, but no one seems to write what the problem turned out to be. Also, the fans work. I checked the fuses and they are fine.
08-29-2008, 06:50 AM
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 117
Just because the fuse is good does not mean the fans are working. I had a problem similar to this with my 00 SS. In my case the Fan #3 relay had intermittent problems. Took forever to find it. Verify your fans are working before you change the water pump. Jack the front up, start the car & watch for a fan start when the car warms up. Both fans should come on slow speed, if the car continues to heat up, they will both go to full speed. Is the outside of your radiator clean? Did you bleed all the air out of the system when you changed the thermostat?
09-02-2008, 10:01 PM
#9
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Encinal, Tx
Posts: 343
I've heard the 160 stats dont do 2 well in the LS's. Sounds like ur radiator fins are clogged with debree. Also i recomend making sure the fans do work. and last but not least how many miles or how old is ur water pump?
09-03-2008, 10:33 AM
#10
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Join Date: Sep 1998
Location: US 1 Mile Marker 52 in the Florida Keys
Posts: 8,323
160 stat in my car has been great for 5yrs.
keeps the cruising temps at 175-180* in south florida heat.
but your advise to check the obvious is also good.
but i had the cap go in my 96LT1 and it would run fine all day long, untill i stopped for more than a few minutes. then it would bubble out the overflow tank.
i know the LTx engines run something like 18psi in the coolant. if the cap won't hold that it allows water into the overflow....fillin it up and bubbling it out.
remember coolant in the radiator isn't boiling due to the pressure. so once that 230-240* coolant is in the overflow tank...without pressure...it boils...spilling out.
keeps the cruising temps at 175-180* in south florida heat.
but your advise to check the obvious is also good.
but i had the cap go in my 96LT1 and it would run fine all day long, untill i stopped for more than a few minutes. then it would bubble out the overflow tank.
i know the LTx engines run something like 18psi in the coolant. if the cap won't hold that it allows water into the overflow....fillin it up and bubbling it out.
remember coolant in the radiator isn't boiling due to the pressure. so once that 230-240* coolant is in the overflow tank...without pressure...it boils...spilling out.
09-03-2008, 10:02 PM
#11
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Encinal, Tx
Posts: 343
160 stat in my car has been great for 5yrs.
keeps the cruising temps at 175-180* in south florida heat.
but your advise to check the obvious is also good.
but i had the cap go in my 96LT1 and it would run fine all day long, untill i stopped for more than a few minutes. then it would bubble out the overflow tank.
i know the LTx engines run something like 18psi in the coolant. if the cap won't hold that it allows water into the overflow....fillin it up and bubbling it out.
remember coolant in the radiator isn't boiling due to the pressure. so once that 230-240* coolant is in the overflow tank...without pressure...it boils...spilling out.
keeps the cruising temps at 175-180* in south florida heat.
but your advise to check the obvious is also good.
but i had the cap go in my 96LT1 and it would run fine all day long, untill i stopped for more than a few minutes. then it would bubble out the overflow tank.
i know the LTx engines run something like 18psi in the coolant. if the cap won't hold that it allows water into the overflow....fillin it up and bubbling it out.
remember coolant in the radiator isn't boiling due to the pressure. so once that 230-240* coolant is in the overflow tank...without pressure...it boils...spilling out.
09-04-2008, 03:35 AM
#13
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Cliffside Park, NJ
Posts: 30
Dumb question. Now if you don't bleed the system... why would it start to heat up at about 70-80 mph? Wouldn't it be the opposite? Like, shouldn't the car stay hot at idle if that was the case?
My car right now has a little over 81,000 miles. It sounds like a lot, and it is... but it's mostly highway. How would you clean the debris if it's blocking the radiator, because i have checked and it doesn't look dirty. How should I bleed the system, and is there a way to check to see if it is the water pump? My car runs great, but like I said, if I stay at 70 or 80mph it heats up, but as soon as I let go of the gas and hit about 60, it just starts to cool off. It's really pissing me off! Thanks for all the help so far guys!
My car right now has a little over 81,000 miles. It sounds like a lot, and it is... but it's mostly highway. How would you clean the debris if it's blocking the radiator, because i have checked and it doesn't look dirty. How should I bleed the system, and is there a way to check to see if it is the water pump? My car runs great, but like I said, if I stay at 70 or 80mph it heats up, but as soon as I let go of the gas and hit about 60, it just starts to cool off. It's really pissing me off! Thanks for all the help so far guys!
09-04-2008, 03:37 AM
#14
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Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Bergen Co, NJ
Posts: 155
Generally, overheating at speed is an indication of a flow problem in the cooling system or airflow to the radiator problem. At speed you are generating a good deal of heat and both the air and the coolant need to flow faster.
Let it cool down, remove the cap, then start it up. You should see the coolant running fast out of the small pipe at the neck. Once it warms up a bit, raise the throttle and you should see the coolant flowing through the radiator.
Make sure the air dam, is intact and there is nothing in front of the radiator (check from underneath).
Let us know what you find.
Let it cool down, remove the cap, then start it up. You should see the coolant running fast out of the small pipe at the neck. Once it warms up a bit, raise the throttle and you should see the coolant flowing through the radiator.
Make sure the air dam, is intact and there is nothing in front of the radiator (check from underneath).
Let us know what you find.
09-04-2008, 08:36 PM
#15
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Lake St. Louis Mo.
Posts: 151
i had the same problem and it was the water pump. If you have checked the fans then the water pump is the problem. I really don't think it's the fans if it's doing it at highway speeds. I just had mine replaced by the dealer for about $600. It comes with a lifetime warranty too. Thats why I went with them.