SO its a 95 with 140,000 miles on it. I know the first thing to check is the headgaskets but I cant check that until the engine cools down so Im looking for any other possibilities. While I was on the freeway doing 65 I look down to see temp gauge going into RED so I pull over and pop the hood. I can see where the rad cap did blow off pressure by releasing coolent (not alot, but enought that I could see), once the engine had cooled down I got back on the freeway headed home (watching the temp the whole time). Everything was fine on the way home. The temp stayed bellow "o" on "Normal", but when I did get off the freeway and was sitting at the light the temp shot up the the "a" on "Normal". When I got home I sat in the car just letting it idle for a while and whithin 30 sec the temp gauge had gone back up to "a" again. So now it seems the car if fine while driving but if I have to sit at idle the damn thing heats up quick.

Any help please....

Facts:
1. Cooling fan does work and is kicking on
2. Top hose is to hot to touch while bottom hose is luke warm at best
3. Not loosing fuids anywhere, no puddles, no leaks (newish hoses)
4. Temp is going above "Normal" range then coming back down
5. Coolent is less than a year old
6. When I got out of car after letting it sit idle for 2 min I saw water had sprayed out the driver side exhaust tube but nothing had come out the pass side....

Thanks,
Matthew

 

I would be leaning towards a thermostat(or due for a waterpump with those miles, usually will leak out of the weep hole), when's the last time you changed it?

 

I would rule out head gasket for now, head gasket will generally cause other issues. Look at these:
Thermostat - could be stuck closed
Temperature sensor - sensor could have failed
Water Pump - could be going out and not circulating fluid properly

 

Hey, my car was doing the exact same thing, I just replaced the waterpump and thermostat. I'm not sure what exactly was the cause of it, but everything is working great now.

If your upper rad house is hot, and the lower one is warm, it sounds like your thermostat could be stuck open. On the top of your water pump, there is a little weep hole, is there anything coming out of that?

When you take of the thermostat housing, make sure that the engine is cool, and you replace the gasket yadda yadda yadda, the housing warps if you tighten in back on to much, and well it is very hard to find one.

 

YIKES! if water was coming out of the exhaust pipe then you have a blown head gasket!

 

If it was a blown head gasket wouldn't you be able to see water in the oil?

 

Wow this forum is full of dumbasses...

If you have water (h20) coming out of the tail pipes, it's just condensation.

Now if there's white smoke that smells like antifreeze coming out the tail pipe, then you're burning coolant, which is 99% of the time a blown head gasket. But it could be a cracked head or block, too, where coolant is getting into the combustion chamber.

 

whats with the insults? are you intimidated by me or just an ******* in general? go put a bullet in your head and do everyone a favor.


on my old 84 chevy pickup it over heated, blew a head gasket, didnt smoke but shot ****loads of water out the exhaust.

 

Hes just a straight shooter. But can come off as kindof an ******* lol sorry X

 

yeah he can come off as a *** sometimes but he means well and does really know his stuff, but actual;y both of you can be right, it's more the quantity of water that matters. sometimes the burning water can condensate in the pipe and create a LOT of water coming out of the tail pipe however if it's only a lil water like some drops here drops there. then it's just regular condensation.