Young_Mustang_27

So here's the background behind my 1996 V6 Mustang:

bought it in november from an auction
dad got the headgasket, thermostat, water pump, & spark plugs and wires replaced.

Just today morning, I was driving to school and then i see light smoke coming from the driver side front under the hood. After school, i put some water in the radiator and drove home and within 2.5-3 miles, my temperature gauge was showing the car was hot so i pulled over. I popped the hood open and saw no leaks but can smell something burning. I touched the top hose connecting to the radiator and it was extremely hot and there was a sort of boiling noise coming from it. There's a hose on the bottom of the radiator which i felt and it was cold.

so my question is, what can be possibly causing the over heating?
am not getting coolant or water to the engine?

If it helps, i got the radiator cap replaced as well. Im also missing a radiator reservoir or whatever it is called. Next to the radiator cap is a hose that connects to it and that hose connects to nothing so i guess the radiator reservoir connects to that?

Radiator fan is working
A/C & Heater works
No leaks


Also, I have a rough idle. When i start the car, the RPM starts at 3, drops down to 2, and then drops down to 1 but for a second it will jump just a little above 1 and then go back down.

Thank you in advance to anyone who can possibly help me solve this solution because im in extreme need for some help.

Young_Mustang_27

also, my check engine light is on, but it will randomly turn off out of no where. When it turns off, it will turn back on but prior to turning on, it will like flicker of flash and while its flashing, the whole car just shakes.

DRAGUL

You need to take the car to your local auto parts store to get the code. Once you get the code/codes we can help you more on the check engine light. As for the overheating, it sounds like it may be a bad thermostat. I do see you have already changed it. You do need to have a expansion tank for the cooling system to operate properly.

88 orangepeel notch

If your car is not leaking coolant, it's going somewhere. Did your Dad have the heads checked for flatness before putting them back on. They do warp after being overheated, maybe from the po.

Young_Mustang_27

For the codes, I'll get back to you guys with them.

For the head, I know my the mechanic told my dad that they got the head re-built or something. Either way, when I look at the head of the engine, it looks brand new. Once again, I drove to school today morning and it overheated again. I can smell something burning but I don't know what it is and the sizzling noise is still there.

88 orangepeel notch

Is it a sweet smell ? That would be the coolant. Some/ most auto parts store sell little test kits to check for a bad headgasket. It's just a little strip of paper you dip in the coolant and it'll tell you if you have hydrocarbons in you'd coolant, that indicates a bad headgasket. Make sure you top off and burp your coolant if you have to drive it, but the more you drive it, the more damage your doing to it.

Does your oil have a milky color to it, don't drive the car if it does.

Edit: After reading your last reply again. You need to track down that sizzling noise. That's where you'll find your problem.

DRAGUL

If you do not have a overflow tank you will still continue to lose coolant. As the coolant heats up it expands into this tank. When system cools it pulls antifreeze from this tank. Since you do not have one, it just goes out the end of that hose. When it cools down you are sucking air into the system. You are probably creating this problem by not having a overflow tank.

LilRoush

I'd say you have either or bad thermostat or pneumatic block (air bubble) stopping the flow of coolant into the motor.