My 2002 Intrepid ES (with the High Output 3.5L engine) started overheating
> about a month ago (Bought it new in Aug 2002 and now have 40,000 kms on it).
> I've taken it to 2 different Chrysler dealers and my local independent
> garage and no one has been able to fix the problem. Overheating seems to be
> intermittent - for example, on Thursday on my way to work it overheated
> after about 15 minutes of highway driving. Later that day, on the way home
> it ran at the normal operating temperature (if not a little bit *below
> normal, actually) the whole way (and it was much hotter outside on the way
> home). Tonight, it overheated immediately after getting up to normal
> operating temperature. Every time it has overheated, I have been able to
> bring the temperature right back down to normal by running the heater on
> full. Uncomfortable, but it keeps the engine temp from getting up close to
> the red zone. Oh, and about half the time, driving at highway speeds while
> not in traffic cools things down, but when I get up behind a truck or slow
> down, the temperature climbs - but only sometimes. :-)
>
> In the attempts to fix it, I've been told twice that "we can't find anything
> wrong with it", and one place installed a new thermostat. I've been told
> that the computer shows no problems, that there are no leaks in the cooling
> system, and that the fan switches on and off like it is supposed to do. >
> I'd be very very grateful if anyone could offer some advice on what the
> problem might be.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Lee Carney
IF you can cool it down by kicking on the a/c, I would suspect a cooling fan not turning on. When you turn on the a/c your other fan kicks on. This then does the job of the inop fan. Good Luck.