# Overheating but coolant system is pratically new

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/overheating-but-coolant-system-is-pratically-new/106473>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** dodge, stratus\
**Created:** [August 1, 2017, 12:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overheating-but-coolant-system-is-pratically-new/106473 "2017-08-01T12:40:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Waterbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f07891/32.png) [@Waterbuff](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Waterbuff)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 4:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overheating-but-coolant-system-is-pratically-new/106473/21 "2017-08-02T04:48:54Z")

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> [@christinashipman](#):
>
> 1st I thought it wasjust b/c I got too relaxed when it came to the maintenence on the car. So I.started paying attention to the car and making sure therewas water in the reservoir & radiator @ all time.

If you are original owner of this 2005 car, did you or others add water to the reservoir and radiator over the years? If so, was it distilled water or something else?

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**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 6:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overheating-but-coolant-system-is-pratically-new/106473/22 "2017-08-02T06:20:41Z")

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Yeah agree you need to rule out the head gasket possibility. Then its on to the radiator. Over time they can lose their ability to dissipate heat due to junk collecting on the inside. Radiators are reasonably cheap. The other thing I had once was bugs clogging up the front of the radiator. A high pressure washer cleaned them out and helped the radiator performance quite a bit.

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**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:** [August 2, 2017, 1:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overheating-but-coolant-system-is-pratically-new/106473/23 "2017-08-02T13:07:27Z")

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yep, just like every caddy northstar with bad headgaskets has a new radiator and water pump. than they realize the headgaskets are bad.

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**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overheating-but-coolant-system-is-pratically-new/106473/24 "2017-08-02T13:34:07Z")

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> [@christinashipman](#):
>
> I.started paying attention to the car and making sure therewas water in the reservoir & radiator @ all time

I too suspect a breached head gasket, but I also have to hope that you are NOT using straight water in your cooling system. I hope that, when you say “water”, you really mean “coolant”.  
🤔

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