Ever since a few weeks ago my car has been over heating. It hasn't literally overheated, but the temperature gage is almost reaching the red. I've brought it to a garage and they are telling me that there is nothing wrong with it. The warmer the weather gets, the hotter my car seems to get and if i make it to the summer without the problem resolved I know for certain it will over heat. Some people think it might be my waterpump, but the garage isn't sure. I have no idea what to do with it.

 

i would suggest taking it to a better garage. if tyou want to have a look at things yourself...remove the radiator cap, and start the car...DO NOT OPEN THE RADIATOR CAP WHILE THE ENGINE IS HOT...

let it run for a little while, and watch the level of water right at the top....once the car heats up, it should move...like begin to flow...that should be when the thermostat opens, and allows the water pump to cycle the coolant...

when your car overheats, does it get hot, then cool..then hot...then cool? if so, that would be a bad thermostat...if the condition persists with no fix or cure..i woudl suggest removing the thermostat, and see if tat helps the temperature condition at all. let me know how things work out!

 

well i had my bf's step dad look at the car who is also a mechanic and we took it for a test drive and the temperature gage went up again so he got out of the car and popped the hood and looked inside... the weird thing was the engine wasn't hot. so i kno that the car isn't over heating. he thinks it could either be the temperature gage isn't working right or the water pump is starting to go. i already had my thermostat changed bc that's what they thought it was from the beginning. i'm not sure exactlly what is wrong with it bc the garage said my water pump is working fine... so i dont know what to do exactlly.

 

well, in that case,...if the water pump was going bad, you would be overheating...i would check into replacing the temperature sending unit, or the gauge...but to replace the gauge, it probably come as one big cluster with the speedo and whatnot, and it is likely very expensive...have you BFs dad change the temp sensor...it shouldnt cost very much...you could also buy a cheap after market temp gauge and have him install it under the hood...that way, when your stock temp gauge reads hot, simply pull over and pop the hood, and you will be able to see if it really is getting hot...if youre ever alone and it seems to be getting unusually high temps, pull over and open the hood..there should be a clearish or white plastic bottle, which is the radiator overflow resevoir...if it is starting to overheat it will be blowing bubbles and steam back into the little bottle.

 

well actually everybody thinks that when i go faster or make my car work that that the water pump might not be working... but i think the guy the first looked at it told me he changed the thermostat and suttin to do with the temoerature gauge... so i really don;t know what could be wrong with it... um people have said it could be sumthing with that sensor or sumthing but i'm not really sure... the gauge is reading really hott but the engine itself isn't that hott... so basically for now all i can do is juts ignore it haha... um there is weird liquid ot ne thing bubbling bc the bfs step dad told me to listen for that when i turned off my car and there isn't ne thing... i think it's just the car being dumb!

 

i would just continue listening for boiling....or the car running oddly...

 

well the car hasnt been doing ne thing out of the ordinary... there is no boiling when i turn the car off or ne thing... from what everybody is saying the only thing that is malfunctioning in the car is the temperature sensor... bc my car says it's about to over heat by looking at the gauge but when you open up the hood you can touch the engine and it's not hot at all... so i guess all i have to do is just get a new sensor and hopefully my problems will be solved!! but thanx ne way for all the help!

 

I have a Ford Escort Sport ZX2, airconditioner not working, the high and low pressure switches are good, freon up. there is no 12 volts to the compressor. Is there any other componets that could be bad?
thanks Dean

 

Check your fuses in the fuse panel also should be an AC relay which should be checked and last possibly AC switch it's self.

 

When the thermostat was changed did they have to remove the serpentine belt? I ran into another car once with the problem that you described, and someone replaced the belt and had it running the wrong way on the water pump pulley so that the pump was actually turning backwards.