saturn 1991 sl2 overheating

I had this problem for a while now. First replaced the coolant temp senspr. Checked the fan and it's working fine. As long as I was going over 50mph the temp. stayed in the normal range but as soon as there was a lot of stop and go traffic it would increase. Usually turning on the AC brought it back down. Now I had the Thermostat replaced as well as a Radiator flush. Still Temp. gauge is normally in the middle and rises if I am in slow traffic or standing still. Turning on AC will not bring it down anymore. What else could it be?

Reply to
bea
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How many miles on this car? How much does the temperature increase? Does it go to three-quarters on the gauge? Does it go past three-quarters into the red, or have you let it do this? What actions (if any) do you take when you're driving and the temp starts to go up like you describe? How did you check the fan? Does the fan come on when you turn on the AC?

OTOH, it is actually normal for the engine temperature to go up _some_ when you're in city traffic, as compared to highway driving. Two reasons for this include a) you're not pushing volumes of air past the radiator b) you're working the engine harder in stop/go traffic, ie at a steady 65MPH you're probably holding somewhere around 3000RPMs (DOHC). In city driving you're constantly going from ~1000 to 4500 (or so, depending on MT or AT) under load.

-rj

98SL2
Reply to
richard hornsby

Unless it is in the RED, it is not overheating. It's normal for it to be around 3/4 on a hot day. Also, check to see that your airdam is still under the car. If it is missing, the car won't cool as well.

Lane [ l a n e @ p a i r . c o m ]

Reply to
Lane

Turning on the A/C is supposed to turn on the radiator's fan, this is what brings down the engine coolant temperature. When you turn your A/C on does the fan start? If not it could be a blown fuse, wiring problem, fan relay or fan motor problem.

Reply to
Ron Youvan

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