my car is running hot

2002 PONTIAC SUNFIRE
120,000 MILES • 4 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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OLIVIAP79
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
my car's temp hand goes up when i'm in traffic or sitting still and the heater blows cold until i start getting some speed and then the heater gets hot and the temp hand goes all the way down.and it has overheated a couple of times . is there someway to figure out if it's the thermostat or what's going on
Jan 9, 2011 at 11:20 PM
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WRENCHTECH
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 20,761 POSTS
You need to pressure test the cooling system and determine where it may be losing coolant. The loss of heat is usually due to air pockets in the cooling system.
If you find that it hasn't lost any coolant, then you're probably looking at a plugged up cooling system.
Jan 10, 2011 at 5:18 AM
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