# Over heating **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [April 8, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/over-heating/12691 "2008-04-08T17:13:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jrome40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@jrome40](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jrome40)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/over-heating/12691/1 "2008-04-08T17:13:52Z")
My 1998 Cadillac Catera keeps running hot no matter what I do. Flush and fill changed hoses. ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/over-heating/12691/2 "2008-04-08T18:30:36Z")
First, you tell us what “too hot” means to you. You can go to the red banner, up there, click on Search, and in the Keywords block type “overheating”, and read all kinds of responses having to do with overheating (or, suspicions, thereof). ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/over-heating/12691/3 "2008-04-08T18:56:57Z")
Under what conditions does it overheat? Is this all you’ve tried so far? Are there any other symptoms? there are lots of different possibilities including a simple sticky thermostat, a bad radiator cap, a plugged radiator, or a bad cooling fan. Even a blown headgasket. The conditions under which it overheats helps narrow down the possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![jrome40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@jrome40](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jrome40)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/over-heating/12691/4 "2008-04-09T16:39:24Z")
It over heats when I just let it sit and heatup. I have scene a little oil around the heads too. Plus I do not know where the thermostat is located on this car. ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/over-heating/12691/5 "2008-04-09T20:34:53Z")
HOW do you know that it is over heating (or, “getting too hot”)? Does the radiator cooling fan come on, or, is it belt driven? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/over-heating/12691/6 "2008-04-10T17:29:05Z")
If it’s only when the car is sitting it may be just an inoperative fan, but if you’re not mechanically inclined I suggest you get it to a mechanic pronto and tell them what’s going on. Don’t tell them what to do, tell them the symptoms and let them do the diagnosis. Repeated overheating will destroy the engine. I recommend not procrastinating. ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/over-heating/12691/7 "2008-04-11T01:19:32Z")
This is a reach but it won’t hurt to look at the bottom of the rad. cooling fins. Here’s why, I had a Taurus that overheated only when the a/c was on because the fins on the bottom of the condensor were all closed up and folded over from stones and other highway debris. It ran fine until the extra load and then there was insuffiecient (spelling) air flow.