saturn 1991 sl2 overheating

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

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 ]

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.