Ok, I just bought this car last week and have noticed that on hot days about 95 degrees the engine keeps getting hotter and hotter and just about gets to the white line right under the red mark. Is this bad? I havent gotten it on the open road yet but driving at about 30-45 mph seems like it just keeps getting hotter.

Thanks

 

Since I have had just about every overheating problem with my car lemme see if i can help you out. If its getting to the last line, it shouldn't. It should get no higher then 235 or so (am i right guys?) cus thats when your fans kick on to cool the car down. Which brings me onto my next question, are your fans coming on? Turn your AC on, and go under your car and see if one of your fans are spinning. With the AC on you should get one fan spinning (low speed) Let the car warm up (drive it, let it idle, whatever), let it pass the 210 mark, let it keep going to the 230 or so mark, still having the AC on, get under the car and see if the high speed fans come on. If they do they atleast you know those are working. Now onto a few other issues it can be. For one it can just be as simpile as a cloged up radiator, perhaps have it flushed and refilled. If the radiator was flushed recently, perhaps there is air in the system, you can bleed the system, by letting the car get to about 180 deg (stock thermo temp) and let it open up, then open the copper screw on the thermo housing (under intake elbow), when coolant starts to come out and not just bubbles of air, close it and go onto the 2nd copper screw which should be on a T infront of the radiator, agian open it till coolant comes out. If there was no air in the system, perhaps its a sticking temo. Could always be the waterpump, are you leaking any coolant at all? Anyone else wanna chime in and say something I didn't, or correct me?

 

I will have to check out the fans tomorow. I know for a fact when they do come on they sound like a freakin jet. Also I am not sure about when the coolant was flushed out but the coolant looks a little filmy, so i will flush it out this weekend as well. My oil looks really dark so i will change that this weekend as well.

Hopefully doing at least these things will keep it running a bit cooler.

Thanks for the information.

Also is there any other way to have to fans kick on sooner. I have heard of a 160 degree thermostat but is it worth it?

Thanks again

 

160 deg thermo will definitly help you car and its only like $18. BUT to utilize it to its MAX power, you need to get your PCM reprogrammed so that the fans come on sooner as well. Regardless, I would get one anyway, its good insurance who knows how much gunk is on your stock one and weather or not its slow to open.

 

I also had similar overheating problems and all I did to fix it was
replaced the heater core
160 thermostat
full flush and refill
bled the system
Now it runs cool but I did not alter the fan settings.