Engine shutting off and overheating?

Tiny
DARITEW
  • MEMBER
  • 2006 DODGE STRATUS
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 180,000 MILES
Okay, so my car is overheating on the passenger side white smoke, and I just replaced the water pump timing belt with a pulley and the head gasket. And my car is still shutting off and overheating. My chemical says my radiator fan and my thermostat are fine. Can someone please tell me what is wrong with my car? I need my car to survive basically.
Saturday, September 3rd, 2022 AT 4:41 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,055 POSTS
Hi,

Does this happen at highway speed, or does it seem to happen when you are in stop-and-go traffic?

If it happens in stop-and-go traffic, pay attention to see if the cooling fan is turning on.

Let me know as much as you can. Anything you can think of that could help me diagnose the issue will be helpful.

Also, let me know how long it takes for it to overheat, if the thermostat has been replaced, and if the radiator has been flushed.

Take care,

Joe
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Saturday, September 3rd, 2022 AT 11:23 PM
Tiny
DARITEW
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
It happens in stop and go traffic. My mechanic said my radiator fan was okay and he said my thermostat is okay, but he hasn’t flushed my radiator.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Sunday, September 4th, 2022 AT 5:01 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,055 POSTS
Hi,

If it only happens in stop and go traffic, most commonly the radiator fan isn't working. At highway speeds, there is enough airflow to prevent it from overheating. When stopped, the fan is what draws the air through the radiator.

Pay attention if you hear it once the engine gets warmer than expected. You should be able to hear it.

Let me know.

Joe
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Sunday, September 4th, 2022 AT 7:12 PM

Please login or register to post a reply.

Related Engine Stall While Driving Content

Code Read Retrieval/Clear - Dodge Stratus
VIDEO
Code Read Retrieval/Clear - Dodge Stratus
In­struc­tional re­pair video
Engine Stalls While Driving
GUIDE
Engine Stalls While Driving
An en­gine that stalls while dri­ving and then starts back up again, ei­ther im­me­di­ately or af­ter a short time is dif­fer­ent from an en­gine that just wont start or if the...
VIEW MORE