[RESOLVED] over heating at idle!!~

[boosted86]

ok im having lil problem, my car will overheat only at idle, when i drive around or on the freeway i get 180f(perfect) also i only have one fan(passenger side) thanks .

 

[laynbdyon20s]

Thermostat?

 

[Got Rice Galant]

Are you sure your fan is kicking on?
Coolant level isn't low? Air pockets will sometimes cause an overheating problem at idle.
How old is your water pump?
Do you notice any coolant leaks from the timing belt area?
Do you have a front mount on the car?

 

[dsmtalontsi95]

I would sat t-stat or your water level is low and when you drive the cool air keeps the temp. down. It also could be you antifreeze mix is off.

 

[DSMopar]

make sure your fan is working...

 

[boosted86]

yea, my fan is working> i do have a front mount. im going to drain my coolant and remix. also , my overfill will overfill() when i get to hot> is this normal?

 

[boosted86]

also my water pump is new. and i am not leaking at the front of motor.

 

[GofaST4life]

i had a similar problem...go get some cleaner for the cooling system...follow the directions on the bottle...should go somethin like this depending on what coolant sytem cleaner you buy...

1. drain all coolant
2. fill with water and system cleaner and run for ten min
3. once engine cools, drain and refill with water
4. run engine again for ten min
5. once engine is cool, drain water and fill with 50/50 mix...

keep in mind, when your draining the coolant if its abnormally colored then you have a problem...like brown would be not good...if there are chunks then its a good thing your doing the drian and clean...the clean will help get rid of any build up in your system...any of these build ups can block flow, causing your car to overheat when sitting still...thus when you are driving the air cools the engine like dsmtalontsi95 stated...

do a thermostat check too...heres how...

place the thermostat in pan/bowl (completely submerged), start to heat the water (stove top) and have a thermometer placed in the bowl/pan...watch it carefully, the valve should open completely around 200 degrees...thats what a good thermostat will do...anything diff and you may want to replace it...

just some helpful very cheap ways to figure out whats going on...

keep us posted

-Aaron

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

If the overheat problem is at idle and not going down the road, you have airflow problems which are usually the fans. Either it's not coming on or you have hurt yourself by removing one of the fans. Either way, put it back like it was and all will be well.

 

[Icarus]

my overfill will overfill() when i get to hot> is this normal?

It can be normal if your overflow is overfilled. If you are constantly adding coolant because of loss from the overflow, you may want to replace the radiator fill cap. When they get old they are no longer able to hold pressure and will let too much coolant out to the overlow. If you are always low on coolant that will for sure add to your overheating problems.

 

[turboglenn]

I'm voting fan fuese, relay or temp sensor used for fans

 

[Got Rice Galant]

I've seen front mounts restrict air to the radiator before. Why don't you try to get a set of pusher fans and install them on the front side of the radiator. You can find 10" fans for $25 and 12" fans for $30.

Flushing your system would be the first step. Thermostats are cheap so that should be your second step. Then i'd try some fans. Keep us posted and post what helped your problem. Good luck.
Pete

 

[1LE]

If you've got a FMIC and an A/C condensor, you really need both fans if you don't want to overheat in traffic. Even without the FMIC (but with A/C), both fans are a good idea... The only time I'd consider running just 1 fan is if ALL I had up there was the radiator.

 

[boosted86]

alright guys, turned out being that when i installed my slim fan(push/pull) i had the terminals on backwards, so i was blowing hot air into the radiator!! switched the terminals and fixed the problem, ive been driving around now for almost a week( temps are at 175) thanks for all your help

 

[Got Rice Galant]

Glad to hear it.

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

Damn, I thought about that one. I have had that before. I had the fans come on while I was squatted down in front of the radiator. I knew that they shouldn't blow forward. Usually, it's an overheat while going down the road.. As the air from the fans dam up the air coming in naturally from the grille area. Anyway, I'm glad you figured it out.

Good Job