Engine Cooling problem
2000 Mitsubishi Galant 4 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 61,000 miles
----------------------------------------------------------------
About 1 month ago, I had the timing belt replaced on my 2000 Mitsubishi Galant, as recommended by the manufacturer. The car seemed to be revving high, and after 2 trips back to the mechanic, things seemed normal. Two weeks have passed, and now the car is running very hot (temp. gage is very close to being in the red zone). The car was brought back in and the thermostat was changed and the radiator was flushed. The car was taken on the turnpike today and once again, the temperature was climbing near the red. HELP!!!!! I feel like a pest bringing the car back again.

Hi mvs,

If the car has a problem bringing it back is not being a pest.

When does the overheating starts? High speed? City driving?

Are the fans working?

Is there any coolant leakage?

Is coolant level in radiator full?

Was the water pump replaced when timing belt was replaced?

KHLow2008 wrote:

Hi mvs, If the car has a problem bringing it back is not being a pest. When does the overheating starts? High speed? City driving? Overheating starts after being driven at high speeds - 30 -50 minutes after being on highway Are the fans working? Yes, according to mechanic. Is there any coolant leakage? No. Is coolant level in radiator full? Yes - radiator was flushed after the new thermostat was installed Was the water pump replaced when timing belt was replaced?

No, water pump wasn't replaced with the timing belt.

The car was checked again by the mechanic over the weekend, and they say everything is fine. They had it out on the highway, and nothing happened, but they didn't ride it long enough. Today, the car was driven on the highway and it was nearing red after 1 hour of driving.

Hi mvs,

When the gauge is showing hot, are the fans working full time or they start and stop?

What did you do and how long did it take for the temp reading to go down?

Does the high temp occurs only at high speed driving?

KHLow2008 wrote:

Hi mvs, When the gauge is showing hot, are the fans working full time or they start and stop? What did you do and how long did it take for the temp reading to go down? Does the high temp occurs only at high speed driving?

Thanks KHLow. Not sure about the fans working full time or start/stop when it runs hot. I'll have to pay attention.

As soon as it started nearing the red, I shut off the AC and put the heat on full blast. It took approximately 10 mins for the temp needle to start going back down to where it should be. But even with the heat on the needle wasn't at the "normal" position. While it was better and away from the red, it was still running where I would consider it hotter than normal/usual.

Yes - the gauge seems to only creep toward the red when high speed driving. I can drive it around the city for awhile and it will remain pretty much normal. But 10-15 mins of driving on the highway at 75 mph and the needle quickly starts to rise. This never used to happen prior to having the timing belt changed.

Thanks again in advance for your help/suggestions.

Hi mvs,

If the overheating occurs only at high speed driving, the cooling system is inefficient, you need to check for,

1. Clogged radiator, hoses and passageway.

2. Thermostat unable to open fully.

3. Weak water pump or loose belting. Was water pump replaced same time as timing belt ?

4. Radiator coolant level.

Hi KHLow2008,

The water pump wasn't replaced when they changed the timing belt.

I dropped the car off at the Mitsubishi dealer, so hopefully they'll solve the problem and I can drive it on the highway.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions. I'll let you know what the outcome is!

KHLow2008 wrote:

Hi mvs, If the overheating occurs only at high speed driving, the cooling system is inefficient, you need to check for, 1. Clogged radiator, hoses and passageway. 2. Thermostat unable to open fully. 3. Weak water pump or loose belting. Was water pump replaced same time as timing belt ? 4. Radiator coolant level.