Why is my engine overheating?

Do you have white smoke coming out of the tailpipe? Check and test the water pump and check the radiator for clogging. Let check out these guides to help us fix the problem.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-overheating-or-running-hot

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test


Please run down these guides and report back.

No white smoke coming out of tailpipe

Remove the thermostat run it without it is it still overheating if not replace the thermostat again-

Thank you..
Is the thermostat suppose to open if you immerse it in boiling water?

It suppose to if not its no good

Thank you!

2001 Chevy Malibu. Overheating. Replaced thermostat, water pump, heat sensor, Radiator clear now heater blows cold air and still overheating

Could be air in the cooling system try bleeding it out don't work get it block and pressure tested.

if i put water and not anti freeze cause it is throwing it out any way when i get to my location water spills out and fans are not working what does what does that indicate?

Use a cooling system pressure tester and pressure test the radiator and the radiator cap-start here

how do i go about doing that

What does that indicate-Could be a blown headgasket, cracked head or block-bring it in to a shop and have it checked

ok, will it run 100% after that? so is that why my heater doesnt work?

Could be if the thermostat is stuck closed

ok thanks we will look into it. appreciate your help. will go into battle with it! thanks

Engine Cooling problem
2001 Chevy Malibu 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic
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I have an '01 malibu, I've had the intake manifold gasket, thermostat and the temp. sensor replaced but it is still getting hot and seems to be losing fluid without any signs of leaking (stains on driveway.) It has been about 3 months since a new thermostat was installed and it went up to 260+ with the red warning light coming on, I pulled the hood latch button from inside the car and continued home (about 3 blocks,) by the time I pulled into my driveway the temp. started dropping almost as fast as it went up. I let it sit for a couple days and attempted to drive it again (hoping it was a fluke,) and it began to get hot again. What do I look into now? Thank you for your time.

pressure check the cooling system. also did you make sure the you completely bleed the cooling system of all the air

The work was completed at a shop by certified mechanics, I can't say with 100% certainty, but I would imagine they did. The parts were replaced about 6months ago, and a second 'stat was installed about 2-3 months ago. Now it's getting hot again, I'm at a loss and the shops are crazy expensive ($275 just to replace the last 'stat.)

with the temp going up and down it sounds like there is air in the system from a leak or something. go to auto zone or somewhere like that and see if they rent pressure testers for the cooling system, pressure up the system to 14-16 psi and watch for either the gauge to drop aand watch for a leak.

Before any damage is done, you might want to check the oil level and see if it is too high and/or has a chocolate milk looking oil on it. Also pull the plug where you install oil in the engine doing an oil change. Look for the same chocolate milk looking substance on the cap and look down in the valve cover where the rocker arms are for the same substance. Any signs of this indicates the coolant is leaking internally in the engine, probably due to the intake leaking internally (even though it was recently done).

Friends 2001 Chevy Malibu was overheating and was driven on into the red. I replaced the thermostat for her hoping for no further damage however upon restart and drive the car now blows white smoke, runs rough as if a piston misfiring, and still overheats. I'm thinking HG, warped head, cracked IM, or cracked block etc. I just need to know what you think? Most of all is how to diagnose correctly. Thank you in advance.

I guess I should have just gone to troubleshooting first lol. I found the main reasons and ways to check. If there are more tips or tricks that can help please post em thanks

Rent a chemical block tester from auto zone buy the fluid and that will tell you if have a blown head gasket etc wont tell you which it is.You will have to tear it apart to figure that one out.

thanks saturn. looks like no matter what though it's gonna be a project. wish me luck

Wish you luck please keep me posted.

I have a 2001 chevy malibu. It has been getting hot whenever i am stopped but while on highway the temp goes down.I thought it could be water pump but when i turn the engine off, water leaks onto the ground from driver side next to where the wheel is it seems. What do i need to replace most likely or where can the water be leaking from?

There's more than one possible cause. Also, is the coolant coming from the overflow tank onto the ground? If so, that's a normal place for it to leak when it's too hot. Rather it come out there than somewhere else.

You should first check that the radiator fans are coming on. They're meant to push air through the radiator when the car is sitting still. While driving, the air coming through the grill is enough to cool the radiator by itself. If the fans aren't coming on, first check the relays. If they're good, check wiring/connectors/temp switch and fans themselves.

Engine Cooling problem
2001 Chevy Malibu 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive 85'000 miles

car overheated and lost power as i tried to pull over. now won't start,but sometimes have lights,bell,etc. battery only clicks. appears to be antifreeze under(on?)engine driver's side.did i burn it up?

Looks like what you have here is a blown head gasket. The loss of power/ability to start is due to the lack of compression. With a little luck, it may just be a gasket replacement ($600 +), but residule problems can become evident once the head is off. A warped or a cracked head can occur when the engine has been overheated. A warped head usually can be machined/repaired by a qualified machine shop, while a cracked head will need to be replaced.
Next question you have to ask is what is the root cause of the engine overheating. You may be looking at replacing your waterpump, hoses, heater core...etc. All in all....this is usually a good size job for the shady tree mechanic (at least a weekend to replace the head gasket). Good luck....hope things work out in your favor

ok this is my problem
i bought the car and 3 days after i purchaced it the car got hot. the fans were not running so hey its a easy fix. changed the relay and vola it works. but then it kep getting hot. so i hard wired the fans to come on with the turn of the key. it still got hot. i replaced the water resivor cause it didnt seam to hold the pressure of the system. i also changed the thermostat it still got hot. i completly gutted the thermostat so it would have the seal still. so basically there is no thermostat now. it still gets hot. but it takes a while like 30-40 miles or more some times. it is like a ghost sometimes its ok then other times its not. i dont know if it is the radiatior or maybe the catalic converter. please help me.

check for coolant mixing with the engine oil and vice versa. these malibus often have head gasket failures which can result in overheating.

ok i forgot to mention that. i read that online and my engine oil is clean no water. and with the new tank i can tell that the coolant is clean too. when the last time it went to a mechanic he checked for a head gasket problem he said it was in good condition. the problem was that while he had it there running it never got hot. and he didnt know what to do about it.

does it seem to overheat moreso in heavy traffic/slow moving or on interstates /higher speeds? are there any actual signs of overheating besides the gauge? it may simply be a faulty engine coolant temp. sensor which is sending inaccurate reading to the gauge.

it seams more in faster moving it seams to actually cool in slow traffic. the guage was actually faulty so it has a external temp guage. non electronic just a simple guage hardwired in. and yes when it is hot it has steam comming from the bleeder valves when i open them.

should have radiator flushed and checked. slow speeds the fan can keep it cool enough, higher speeds it depends more on radiator and coolant flow, if rad. is partially clogged it will cause restricited coolant flow

thank you it is going to the shop tomorrow and im gonna discuss it with him hopfully it is the radiator and i can get it changed and be on my way. so what do you think about it being the catalic converter?

A bad catalytic converter can make a car overheat by causing a backup of pressure in the cylinder head so you may want to have it flow tested as well

Thank you hopefully this will help with my problems

my car overheats out of the overflow. the head gasket has been change, the level is were it should be. there is all kinds of heat, when i turn on the heater.I'm not really sure if the fans are working the way they are suppose to.

most common problem with a vehicle overheating is the thermastat or a clogged system. when you drive the car at higher speeds than stop and go does the temp guage go down to normal. If so then the problem could be in the fans. if it goes down a little but still on the high side then I would change the thermastat and have system cleaned out.