i was having some overheating problems and was questioning whether the water temp sender was bad. i replaced it and it didnt change anything. my car warms up to around the halfway mark and stays there. what are the chances that it is the guage itself? or do you think it is actually overheating?

 

bump

 

Have you tried changing the thermostat? Also anything under halfway is normal on the temp gauge in your case.

Also check the coolant level and make sure that's topped off.

 

yea i just put a new thermostat in, didnt change anything either. i know something is wrong because it never used to get this hot before. ive been thinking and my guess is that something is wrong with the water pump because it happened sort of suddenly so it doesnt make sense that the radiator got buildup. the radiator isnt leaking.

 

Why don't you get a thermometer and measure the water temp, so you know what the gauge is actually telling you?

 

Pop the cap on the radiator when the motor is cold. Does pressure escape? This might mean that your water seals are begining to fail. Oh also try bleeding the coolant system. Take off the radiator cap and start the car and let it run until all air pockets are done surfaceing from the radiator cap area. Turn the heat on full blast when doing this.

 

My SE's temp. guage has always read at the half way mark. The only time it is below the half way mark is when I am going downhill at freeway speed.

Jeff

 

JLIU, it only says at just above halfway when idling. if i go anywhere and drive stop & go it gets even hotter.

AdrenalifeRX7, i will try bleeding it and see if that helps. the coolant level is fine and i cant hear pressure escaping when i loosen the cap when the motor is cold. is this bad? you didnt specify if there is supposed to be pressure when cold or not.

after i bleed it and if nothing changes i will try the thermometer wankelguy. what is normal op temp in degrees F ?

 

my belt was a little bit loose on my water pump...i tightened it today and drove it home and it ran cooler with a leaking hose than it did before i got the leak....i guess the belt was slipping and not turning the pump like it should have

 

could my fan be messed up? is there a way to test it without a stroboscope?

 

Coolant pressure when cold is usually bad.

 

ok well there wasnt any pressure, what causes pressure when cold? im starting to lean toward a problem with the fan. my car has been out of commision for a while cuase i have been working on the brakes and i just got my dual belt alternator pulley so after i get that on i think i will do some cruising down hills and stuff to see if it runs cooler....that would indicate a fan problem. ive been wanting to get an electric fan anyway.

 

have you checked to see if the water pump has coolant coming out the seep hole. It will only be a little but thats how to tell quick if the waterpump is failing.

 

Clutch fans beak down...... That is probably the case.

Quick fix. remove fan drill thru the cluch section and a put a screw in there. it will spin at the same rate as the motor.

 

Bad idea. It'll howl like a banshee, spin too fast, and wear out the water pump bearing prematurely.

 

i checked for any movement in the pulley and for water behind the pulley but i didnt notice any.

why would the water pump bearing wear out? doesnt the water pump spin a speed depending one its pulley size and engine speed regardless of what the fan clutch is doing?

there is an electric fan kit that victoria british sells, i am wondering if its powerful enough, has anyone used this kit?

 

If you lock the fan as was previously suggested, there is no viscous coupling of the fan, which induces a lot of rotational inertia as the fan rapidly accelerates and decelerates in direct proportion to engine speed.

 

oh, so it jerks the bearing around