# Car overheated, now won’t crank **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [October 31, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheated-now-won-t-crank/171789 "2020-10-31T16:00:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Joshua-70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Joshua-70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joshua-70)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheated-now-won-t-crank/171789/1 "2020-10-31T16:00:06Z")
I have a 2007 Pontiac G6. It’s been giving me an issue with overheating occasionally and when it does I pull over before it gets too hot, shut the car off and it only takes maybe 30 seconds to cool and then start back up and keep moving. Well yesterday I did this and now the car won’t crank or anything. It’s like the starter doesn’t even attempt to do anything. Wondering if maybe there was a fail safe that was tripped or what. I highly doubt it’s locked up because like I said it was running fine before shut the car off myself. Don’t know what to do and it’s stuck on the side of the freeway. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheated-now-won-t-crank/171789/2 "2020-10-31T16:09:22Z")
Try shifting into neutral and see if it will start. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 4:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheated-now-won-t-crank/171789/3 "2020-10-31T16:44:56Z")
Temp gauge goes from hot to normal in 30 sec? Nice Are fans running? ---
**Author:** ![Joshua-70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Joshua-70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joshua-70)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheated-now-won-t-crank/171789/4 "2020-10-31T16:45:06Z")
I’ve tried. I’ve tried disconnecting the battery for a long period of time, I tried jumping it thinking maybe the battery was too low. ---
**Author:** ![Joshua-70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Joshua-70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joshua-70)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheated-now-won-t-crank/171789/5 "2020-10-31T16:46:12Z")
Yea I think it’s a thermostat issue or a clogged coolant line that was causing it. But now it won’t crank or do anything ---
**Author:** ![vipergg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@vipergg](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vipergg)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 4:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheated-now-won-t-crank/171789/6 "2020-10-31T16:53:11Z")
when was the last time you checked the oil ? ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 7:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheated-now-won-t-crank/171789/7 "2020-10-31T19:57:24Z")
An overheted car does not cool off in 30 seconfs even if the gauge says it does. Your radiator may be low on coolant and when you shut off the engine the coolant is not surging and hitting the coolant temp sensor. The sensor can’t read air. You may have a seized engine now. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheated-now-won-t-crank/171789/8 "2020-10-31T20:57:06Z")
I unfortunately agree with oldtimer\_11. What has the coolant level been throughout this situation? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheated-now-won-t-crank/171789/9 "2020-10-31T21:01:24Z")
> [@oldtimer-11](#): > > You may have a seized engine now. Yes, a definite possibility, based on… > [@Joshua-70](#): > > **overheating occasionally** and when it does I pull over before it gets too hot, shut the car off and it only takes maybe 30 seconds to cool If you were driving–let’s say–a '52 Plymouth, repeated overheating might not take a toll, but repeated overheating incidents will almost always take a major toll on modern engines. Anyway… as oldtimer\_11 stated, an overheated engine doesn’t cool-down in 30 seconds, so there could well be a problem with the temperature gauge, as well as with the engine.