Still Overheating.. DAMNIT!

**ProOnThaSnow** · 04-11-2008 06:01 PM

Ok, so when I bought this car, I immediately put a water pump, timing belt and t-stat in it. This was approx 1 yr ago.

I put a new temp sensor in it about 8 mos ago.

I just put an alternator in it 3 weeks ago, and it drove great for 3 days. Then when I was getting ready to head home to Wyoming, it started over heating.

I diagnosed the fan clutch as being the problem, and after a day of wrestling with it (today) I finally got it installed. (no spanner wrench, talk about a pain!).

So now it isn't going over 3/4 of the way on the temp gauge, but it is still over heating. I am going to go bleed the coolant system (even though I am damn sure it has no air in it), but I was thinking maybe the cats are plugged?!? What is the typical longevity of these, as the car has 130K on it, and I was planning on removing them anyways and doing the plug fouler trick.

Any other thoughts on what this might be?! I am fearing my T-stat is bad again (I fucking hate this car right now), but it would be either not heating up, or getting completely hot... I dont know WTF to think anymore.

**mark_2328** · 04-11-2008 06:37 PM

My coolant guage was going whack, but my car actually wasn't overheating. Check your temp sensor. Can you tell its overheating?

**ProOnThaSnow** · 04-11-2008 06:46 PM

I replaced it 8 mos ago... Think it could go bad that quick?!

when its warming up the gauge slowly rises, and it idled at normal operating temp, but once I started driving it is when it started overheating. I know the fan clutch was bad, so I dont regret replacing it, but Im just stumped as to why its still getting hot, but not over 3/4 on the gauge. Before the fan clutch, it threw the idiot light, and was almost pegged before I even shut the car down.

I guess maybe it could be another bad temp sensor, I am going to hack the cats out either way, but shit, I'm confused as hell.

**creechsa4** · 04-11-2008 06:57 PM

do you have a metal impeller on your waterpump? those damn plastic ones go out at will. i know it's a beatch to get to your tstat, i've worked on a 2.8 tbelt before. probably one of those 2, sorry man. or hopefully a radiator that needs to be recored. lesser of 2 evils i guess.

**mark_2328** · 04-11-2008 07:15 PM

I went through 2 in about 8 months myself. :) Good luck.

**quattro16** · 04-11-2008 08:11 PM

Is the electric fan coming on?

**audiness** · 04-12-2008 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by creechsa4

do you have a metal impeller on your waterpump? those damn plastic ones go out at will. i know it's a beatch to get to your tstat, i've worked on a 2.8 tbelt before. probably one of those 2, sorry man. or hopefully a radiator that needs to be recored. lesser of 2 evils i guess.

plastic impeller was my bet

**ProOnThaSnow** · 04-15-2008 09:58 PM

Well, I am bringing it to my exhaust guy on Thursday to have him test the cats. He said he'd remove them if they were indeed plugged, but I am fearing the WP or Thermostat. He is going to check the engine temp in diff areas with a temp gun to see if it is even overheating, because he said he knows the coolant temp sensors are notorious on these cars. He's a damn good mechanic, but sticks with mainly exhaust because hes the only one in this shit-hole of a town thats any good at using a pipe-bender.

Either way if it is the WP, or Thermostat, I am going to be doing this install for the second time in approx a yr, and I am not overly thrilled about it. At All. I am hoping it is a stupid sensor, but my instinct tells me it isn't. Fuck, I am learning to hate the car I love soooo much.