car running very hot help

ok i have to edit this, ive found out the fan on the left is the ac and it works as should cept the fan on the right turns on with the ac too....the fan on the right doesnt turn on all the time when the car is running to hot...and it goes on and off when it does work......

the ps also squweels like crazy until you accelerate a few times??
there is also a ticking that sounds like its coming from the maf??
the exhust also is kind of groumbly...
could any of these be causing the problem....
please help

when was the last time you had the coolant flushed?

i think last winter i drained it all out and added all fresh coolant..dont think that counts as a flush but new coolant was added.

Sounds like a shot temp. sensor, maybe.

should i change the thermostat

Might as well...couldn't hurt. That's IMO though, so w/e.

soo i changed the thermostat and the needle still doesnt sit where it should....the fan does come on then turn off....both hoses from the radiator do get hot...the oil is clean and no leaks so no head problems....and the fluid in the resovoir tank never boils so its not overheating....

should i not be worried....could this be a water pump...thanks..

How many miles do you have on it? Usually it is a good idea to replace the water pump when you replace the timing belt...

72k but im selling it so i was really trying to aviod doing the timing belt.....how can i test the water pump....isn't there something that if you open the radiator cap and the fluid is at the top and doesnt get sucked down the water pump isn't working

The squealing sounds to me like you may need to replace your power steering belt. It is something you can do yourself if you are mechanically inclined. It is just a pain in the a$$. I think you should just take it to the dealership and get an estimate. They will tell you what is wrong and then you can decide if you want to fix it or not. You don't wanna fool around with a hot engine. That could spell disaster. If you ever find that the engine temperatures are climbing too high you can always put the heat on full inside the car. Doesn't matter if you sweat your arse off. Better than a broken engine...

Originally posted by KdMkIdd00
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should i change the thermostat
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Yes.

thermostat was changed and didnt' do anything...for the squeel i just needed to tighten the belt guess it stretched a lttle after it was changed

The first thing you need to do is verify that the car's actually overheating and that you don't simply have a malfunctioning gauge. You can use an infrared thermometer to get a good idea of your operating temperature.

If you are actually overheating:

When your car is still cold start it with the radiator cap off. Does the water bubble out the cap opening? If so it's compression leaking into your coolant. If not and there are no leaks...or oil in the water...or water in the oil...then you're probably right, no head/head gasket issues.

Drain your coolant from the bottom of the radiator. The condition of the fluid coming out should give you a clue as to whether you're likely to have a clogged radiator. Properly flush the system when you're done just to be sure even if all seems good. Add a bottle of "water wetter" when you're refilling.

If that doesn't work I'll try to hep you further if I can. I know how frustrating it can be to have a vehicle that constantly overheats.

when i changed the thermostat the fluid looked okay....when i topped the radiator off with fluid it did start to bubble up and not suck back in... the overflow tank never starts to boil wich has happened in the past a long time ago when the car was overheating because a belt broke while i was driving....the temp gauge never goes all the way hot...thank you for your help...

If you start up the car cold and it "boils" out of the radiator cap opening in significant amounts that's a blown head gasket or cracked/warped head.

If it slowly runs over the top a cup or less (or so) of coolant with no bubbles and then stops overflowing that's normal and not from having compression getting into your coolant passages.

no it doesnt boil out in sig amounts just a little and theres no bubbles....also the oil doesnt look milky so im hoping its nothing to do with the head