i didnt want to jack matts thread so i made my own.
i was driving around just now, 100 degree weather with the ac on.
i drove through town for a while and car temperature was normal.
i go drop off my girlfriend and leave my car on with the ac on while i walk her to the door.

i get back to my car not five minutes later and my tempature is 3/4 of the way to the red.
ive left it idling longer before with the ac on and the car got hotter, just about all the way to the red.


its gotten hot just from driving too so its not just from idling.

what can i check for?

 

Thermostat is always my first check.

 

My first thought would be that the car just got to hot for running on a 100 degree day, with the added stress of the A/C with no air flow going thru the rad to cool the fluid down. But it wouldnt hurt to check the thermo. You can do it at home. Heat up a pan full of water till its bowling and drop the thermo in. If it "opens" then the thermo is working.

Matthew
(And thanks for not trying to thread jack)

 

ill check the thermo first thing tomorrow, i just got back from the movies.. `Grownups` was a disappointment lol

earlier, i drove my car around and it was fine. i turn if off for a couple minutes and when i turn it back on the temp is higher than it was before.

hm but then i drove it down a long straight road at about 70 and the temp slowly went back to normal. maybe it is this damn heat. it hasn't done this while driving at night.

i did replace the thermo not even a year ago too

 

is ya radiator fan turning on? mine was overheating due to it being seized and coming on intermittently. that caused my timing chain gasket to blow, thank god it wasnt my head gasket, causing coolant to leak....check that also

 

Im with altonc, Confirm that your fans are coming on at a standstill.
Its critical they do, especially in that weather.
When its on its way up the temp gauge, quickly put the
car in gear and drive it so air is circulating through the radiator,
if that solves the problem i think your looking at radiator fans.

 

i drove around for maybe 25 minutes with ac on. through town and long stretches of country road. when i got to where i was going the temp gauge was like this. it was 100 degrees out.

 

Start with easy stuff and change the thermostat, check all the hoses
and make sure theirs no restrictions. Are you loosing coolant?
Anything infront of your radiator that would restrict air flow?

Any diffrences with the A/C off?