Q: Overheat but gauge is not on H
December 2014, my car started overheating. We( bf and I ) and helped from Kim Auto and Tap's Auto repair put in new timing belt, new radiator, new water pump ( 2 didn't work ), new spark plugs by me, new battery by me, new coolant fan switch, oil drain plug, fix power steering pump, alternator, air filter, that plastic mold for air filter, dist rotor, fuses by me, radiator cap, coolant temperature sensor gauge by me, and replaced the port vacuum switch and this is the last part I added. I turn on the car. No overheat. I thought I solved the problem. 2 hours later, I had to go to work. As I was driving the car, the gauge slowly moved up not to H but to the line just before H. I feel like I am losing my mind. They checked the engine cap to see if there is any white smoke for head gasket. Nope. What else should I look for? Please and Thank you.
My car has 277785 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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You did not mention the thermostat being replaced. If you did not replace it, then it may be sticking or not opening. The next thing to check is to see if the fans are coming on before the temperature gets too hot. Sometimes the fan motor has a dead spot and will not come on without moving it by hand or driving above about 45 mph. I recommend checking the temperature at the thermostat housing to see if the thermostat is opening as it should. Check the upper and lower radiator hoses when the engine starts getting hot to see if the upper and lower hoses are both hot, but the lower hose may be a little cooler due to the radiator cooling it down. If the radiator is defective, it may not be cooling the engine enough due to clogged passages.
Have a mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, check for proper flow of the radiator, thermostat, and then see if engine has a bad head gasket. They will be able to come to your home or office to properly diagnose your car’s overheating issue so that you can quickly have this problem resolved.
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