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Engine keeps overheating?

Tiny
XSHAWN117X
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
The thermostat is inside the thermostat housing. The thermostat housing is located where the radiator cap is at. You will see two screws that hold the housing in place. Unscrew it and lift the housing and you shall see the thermostat right there.

NOTE: Do not perform this when the car is hot. Wait at least 3 hours if the car has been used. Just a very small amount of radiator coolant may come out.
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Saturday, December 5th, 2020 AT 10:05 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DENISE_C
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2001 DODGE STRATUS
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 170,000 MILES
The car is in excellent shape. May be feeling a slight loss of power but it is time for new plugs and wires etc. This is my dilemma. Temperature gauge rises to about three quarters but if I run either the heat or air conditioner(with it set on the dash blower) the temperature gauge will drop to between a quarter and halway up the gauge. Is this a thermostat problem? No water leaking anywhere and I have been checking it every three days since this started happening. Checked all hoses--no leaks. Oh and this only happens while actually driving. With the vehicle idling(I checked it for about 30 minutes yesterday) the temp gauge never goes up. Fan kicks on and then will kick off which I am assuming is normal. Noone can seem to figure out the problem. Can you help?
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Saturday, December 5th, 2020 AT 10:05 AM (Merged)
Tiny
RACEFAN966
  • MECHANIC
  • 5,029 POSTS
This can be a thermostat or a water pump with a bad impeler (have had this happen once). If you know anyone with a infered thermomiter then have them check the actual temp just to insure there is not a faulty guage. If it is heating up then start with the thermostat. Let me know what you find and we will go from there.
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Saturday, December 5th, 2020 AT 10:05 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JAMES W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,395 POSTS
With the heat on the heater core acts as another radiator helping cool the engine.
With the A/C on, the radiator cooling fan runs continuosly, bypassing any input from the fan temp switch. At an idle, you say the cooling fan will cycle on/off normally BUT, the engine isn't under any load at an idle and apparently the cooling fan can keep up. BUT, AGAIN, if your radiator is partially plugged, cruising down the road, the cooling fan and the "moving air rush" may not be enough to keep the engine cool. I would have the radiator checked out. With 170K miles, it could well be partially plugged. This could cause the problem you described.
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Saturday, December 5th, 2020 AT 10:05 AM (Merged)
Tiny
BIGSQUIRREL
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2000 DODGE STRATUS
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 168,000 MILES
Our car has just developed a leak in the cooling system, and my wife ran it hot. The engine locked up, and now it will turn over, but it is slow. What can I do, or is it a 2000 lb paper weight now?
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Saturday, December 5th, 2020 AT 10:06 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DOCFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,828 POSTS
Pull plugs crank coolant come out? Worst case haedgasket failure and piston rings shot and possible bearing damage if coolant got into oil. So paper weight or boat anchor is good analogy.
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Saturday, December 5th, 2020 AT 10:06 AM (Merged)

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