Engine heating up

1997 MERCEDES BENZ C280
180,000 MILES • 6 CYL • AUTOMATIC
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MIDHUN
  • MEMBER
  • 13 POSTS
My car listed above (w202) has been heating up recently, the A/C cooling is fine but the heat just goes up so high it almost reaches the red bar when kept in idle and running also but on highways it comes a bit low. I changed the water pump and cleaned the radiator, I also put a new coolant tank. I changed the compressor and thermostat also recently and still the problem is the same. The clusters work sometimes only and when it doesn't work when I stay near the engine I can feel the heat and when it works i can see it going up to red. Please let me know what to do in this case and also if any problem will happen if i keep driving it this way.
Sep 20, 2020 at 3:40 PM
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4DRTOM
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 467 POSTS
Hello,

The A/C system wont have anything to do with the engine getting hot. If you had changed the different cooling system things you may have an air bubble in the system. One way of knowing is to feel the heat coming out of the air ducts in the car. Next time you warm it up turn on the heat in the car and feel the air coming out. If it is always warm then the air bubble is out but if you get cool air coming through it after the cars temperature gauge is reading warm then there is air in the system. Also check to make sure your cooling fans are coming on, if they aren't when the temperature gauge is reading hot then then something is happening with that system. Another thing that can make a car get warm if the cooling system is good is exhaust gas getting into the system and that would be a symptom of your head gasket going bad.. Run that test and get back to us about it but you very well may have air in your cooling system. Here is an article on how to check the head gasket too.

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

Get back to us with what you find.
Tom
Sep 21, 2020 at 1:45 AM
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