Van is overheating

2005 KIA SEDONA
128,000 MILES • 3 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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TRIP189
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So I first discovered the issue when i went and got food. There wasn't any water left in the radiator which cause the engine to overheat and shut off. I let the car cool down and added fluids to the radiator which seemed to make the van work for a day. The van started to overheat again within 10 minutes of driving. I replaced the Thermostat today and the issue is still there. I have full coolant fluids and the fans on the radiator work. I am thinking it is the water pump. The radiator takes in water and doesn't have any leaks. I know my van needs a desperate oil change. It was low on oil when i serviced it again the second day. Could it be the oil filter is clogged? any help would be appreciated.
Aug 7, 2019 at 1:05 PM
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KASEKENNY
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Hi,

This does not sound like a filter issue. It sounds like a head gasket issue. When the coolant was empty and it overheated, if there are no external leaks then the coolant had to go somewhere and that is normally through the engine and it gets put out through the exhaust.

I would suggest starting with a head gasket test and compression test.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-engine-compression

If these check out then we can move onto something else but if they are not checked then we will chase our tail on an issue like this.

Let me know what you find. Thanks
Aug 7, 2019 at 5:56 PM
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TRIP189
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Okay, it got 3/4 hot and it started to go down and eventually stayed at 3/4. It smelled like burnt oil and there was a little bit of smoke. I haven't changed the oil and oil filter since February and the air filter since December.
Aug 7, 2019 at 9:23 PM
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KASEKENNY
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It won't hurt anything to try and change them however, the smell is most likely coming from the engine getting hot and the dirt and oil is burning off.

Here is a guide that goes through the common issues of overheating:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-overheating-or-running-hot
Aug 8, 2019 at 6:36 PM
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TRIP189
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So the car overheated completely after the oil change and the coolant hasn't changed levels at all. I'm looking next into getting the water pump fixed as I feel that's the next option in fixing it.
Aug 8, 2019 at 6:44 PM
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KASEKENNY
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Okay. Clearly a water pump could cause the engine to overheat. Keep me posted on what you find. Thanks

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/symptoms-of-a-bad-water-pump
Aug 8, 2019 at 6:48 PM