Ok I'm new here, but need some advice! I have a 02 x-type and it was given to me if I wanted to put the work in to fix it. It had a leak which I took it in and they said it was water pump. Had it replaced and they called, radiator was leaking, had that replaced and system flushed. Drove it home half a mile and it overheated. Took it back, replaced the thermostat and it didn't overheat for a day or so. They had driven it 25 miles away and back and no overheating. I had the a/c charger and checked and it ran 15 miles and overheated. I had a diagnostic ran and it said the engine temperature control was out, had that replaced. The fans are coming on when it gets warm and continue to run for a bit when its shut off. But I've checked everything I know to check. No leaks. And no smoke or residue to make me suspect a blown head gasket. So .... and car genius's out there that can solve this mystery. I can't go more than 2-4 miles before its almost to overheating ... which isnt even far enough to get my girl from school. (( I am disabled so I was given the car to help me out, and I cannot afford to take it to a dealership ))

 

Hey Tracy,
Well it could be a few things... The first thing I would like to know is how full is the expansion tank? It sits to the right side, at the top of the engine, where you put coolant in. Try running it until it get's warm, not hot, turning it off. Then do again and again and see if that tank level goes down. Also, with a flashlight you can look down the engine, where the intake manifold is, a lot of times our cars will leak there. It doesn't go on the ground, so when we look under the car it seems that there's no leak. You can take it to any automotive shop and have the system pressure tested at 15 psi, if I lived in your area I'd come do it for you, but I don't. Shouldn't cost much and it will let you know for sure if you have a leak or not.
When I first got my Jag, I was having weird issues too, just like yours. It would over-heat randomly. So I took it to a shop, paid them 100 dollars and they told me they changed out the water pump and thermostat. Got it back it was still doing the same thing. Well it turns out, they changed nothing. I went back, got my money back, got a thermostat and water-pump online changed them both out, extremely easy. Funny thing about the whole problem is there wasn't a thermostat in the car. I took everything apart and nothing was in there. So, I changed out those to items and it no longer overheats. Hope this gives you an idea or two on where to start.

 

I have checked it just a few minutes ago and it was full. Let it run til it hit normal temp and it idled there for a while. It seems to stay where it should temp wise when it idles, but when you drive it for just a few short miles it shows its overheating. There was alot of white water residue on everything from the original water leak. So I could tell the pump and radiator have been changed. Also There is a new gasket and sealant showing around the thermostat... but I have read it could be a bad thermostat or a thermostat that is stuck open. They said the old one was pretty dirty and sticking open. I've also read the fans could possibly not be going fast enough to cool the engine when it heats up... not sure about this...

 

Tracy, if the car is overheating when traveling at highway speeds (ie, over 30 mph), then it is not the fans that are your issue. At 30+ MPH, there is more air forced through the radiator by the fact that the car is going through the air than the fans pull. Also, if you put your hand over the radiator (car started, A/C set to manual mode and set as cold as it will go with the dash fan on max) and you should feel a strong breeze blowing. If you are getting just a little bit of wind, then it is possible that your fan controller is toast.

If you need more ideas, let me know.

 

i will try this tomorrow with the a/c and fans. I flushed the system and refilled it and burped the air out of the lines and drove it..... it didn't overheat or even get past the normal running temp.The fans kicked on while driving and for a little bit when I turned the car off. I got it up to 50 on a stretch of road near my home and it didn't budge. I was a nervous wreck and afraid to hope it was fixed. I took it out a 2nd time later and it was still half way to the normal temp line... It went to the normal line pretty quick but never overheated or even tried. I stayed close to home, didn't want to get cocky and get stranded but plan more outtings tomorrow to see if it is going to work. (( oh I didn't run the a/c or heater on either cruise-- not sure if that has anything to do with anything )) On another note, its idling weird. not steady... goes up to 1 then drops, then goes up to 1 then drops. It needs new O2 sensors. Would that cause the idling problem? And thank you all so VERY VERY much!

 

Tracy, the idle issue more than likely is caused by the throttlebody needing a cleaning. Get yourself a can of throttle body cleaner (NOT!!!!! carb cleaner). Remove the intake tube and then with one hand, hold the silver disc open and with the other hand position the can so you spray away all the brown that is on the inside. If you look at the bottom of the throttle body (just in front of the disc when allowed to close), you should see a small hole. Give that hole a good squirt. Do not forget to get the edge of the disc too as this is the most critical place to clean. Then see what your idle is like. I bet it will be smooth as a baby's behind. Just a side note about this: the car will probably be flooded after doing this, so, when attempting to start the car, floor the gas and then crank the engine. This will cause the computer to not add any fuel to the engine as it is cranking and once the motor catches, ease off the gas to maintain the RPMs. This has been known to cause a code or two. Erase the codes and verify that no others come on/back.

 

When engine temperature is normal (after some time idling or after a test run), check if the radiator is hot. Also, check if it can blow hot air in the cabin.

 

Here's a good video on cleaning throttle bodies. He also makes a video on how to find vacuum leaks with a cigar (could be your idle issue). He works on a Toyota in this video, but the steps are basically the same.