My car over heats

ANSWER : Common causes of no cabin heat include malfunctioning blend door(s) (part of the in-dash ventilation network), a faulty or stuck heater control valve, a plugged heater core, stuck open engine cooling thermostat, collapsed hoses, and low coolant level. The cost to resolve the problem depends on which of the foregoing faults is the cause. If you desire a diagnostic to determine exactly why there is no cabin heat, please request a non functioning cabin heater diagnostic and the responding mechanic will come right to your location and get this resolved for you promptly.

With regard to your air conditioning system, if merely re-charging the system restored normal operation but the a/c ceased to function after a month or so, that scenario typically suggests a leak. Some leaks are really cheap to repair, like if a couple o-rings need to be replaced in system piping but if the leak is at the compressor shaft seal, that repair is more costly. It is not expensive to find the leak and diagnose the system and once the leak is found the mechanic can let you know of the exact cost to repair the leak and re-charge the system. If you desire that service please request an a/c system diagnostic – suspected refrigerant leak and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you

ANSWER : There are a couple of possibilities for such a rapid overheating situation. The thermostat may have failed in the "closed" position preventing the hot water from circulating and cooling in the radiator. The water pump or the serpentine drive belt may have failed and the hot water does not get circulated through the radiator.

If one of the head gaskets on the engine has failed, combustion gasses from one or more cylinders can "superheat" engine coolant very quickly. If the coolant level is low and there are air pockets in the engine, the coolant is literally "boiled away" inside the engine, creating far higher temperatures than an engine that is "full of coolant".

It is recommended that you get a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, to perform an inspection and determine the cause of the overheating.

ANSWER : Hi there. Most of the time when you overheat this engine it will also cause the transmission to get too hot. When this occurs it can easily cause transmission failure. I would suspect this if the vehicle does not move at all. If it move but is severely lacking power then you either have some serious internal engine damage or a failure in the catalytic converter from the overheating. It sounds like it is the transmission though. I would recommend having a transmission specialist take a look at it.

ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. Pads and rotors can become "glazed" if overheated. If this happens, the bonding material in the brake pads can rise up out of the pads and transfer to the rotors, causing a bluish discoloration to the rotors and cause a squeak. Removing the pads, sanding the surface of them and the rotors may help. If not, a light resurfacing of the rotors and using some brake lube on the backs of the pads should help. If you would like help, consider having an expert automotive technician from YourMechanic come to your home or office to inspect your brake system for you, and make or suggest any repairs or cleaning as needed.

ANSWER : Hi there – you may have 2 related events here, a coolant leak, and a problem with the heater system. The current issue may be air inside the cooling system, which can cause overheating, and a lack of heater function. The lack of heater function could have 5 causes: the engine is not getting up to correct temperature (center of the gauge) due to a malfunctioning thermostat, the heater control valve is not letting hot coolant into the heater core, there is a restriction in the heater system that is preventing adequate hot coolant flow through the heater core, the heater fan is not working to transfer heat from the heater core to warm air for the passenger compartment, or the air blend doors inside the heater are not working properly to route warm air to the desired vents. I would recommend a heater system inspection](https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/heater-is-not-working-inspection) by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

ANSWER : Hi there. What had happened is the wrong key set the security to the vehicle. This is to prevent the vehicle from starting with the wrong keys. Try removing the battery cables (+) and (-) for 13 minutes. During that time, put the original key in the ignition and turn it on. Activate everything in the car even though there is no power. Then remove the key and hook up the battery cables. The computer should have reset and reset the security. If the security is still being tripped, then I recommend seeking out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you

ANSWER : Hi there. The engine always at operating temperature leads me to believe, the thermostat is not the cause, for no heat inside the vehicle. There are several possibilities for no heat inside, the heater control valve is malfunctioning, the heater core is restricted, the temperature blend door actuator is malfunctioning. Replacing components without diagnoses, can be expensive and time consuming without resolution. I recommend having your vehicle’s inoperative heater be diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic.

ANSWER : Hi There,
It sounds like you may have some cooling fans that may not be working correctly. The coolant fans are triggered to come on at specific temperatures and controlled by a cooling fan relay. When this relay goes bad, this may cause the fans to come on intermittently, all the time or in some cases not at all. This is noticeable by an erratic temperature fluctuation, especially at idle speeds as you have described. I would recommend having a professional from YourMehcanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your cooling system.