Overheating at idle

285,000 MILES • 3.7L • 6 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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JUSTBREATHASH
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  • 1 POST
Temperature is fine as long as am driving, with A/C or vent air on or off until I am at idle for more than ten minutes then it gets heated passed half way mark no matter what air is on. Turning the heater on resolves this and it will, cool back down slowly. I just replaced the thermostat, today thinking that was it, had A/C system repaired/fixed about two years ago, and now, literally twenty minutes ago, no cold air! Could just need Freon topped off, but is the radiator a possibility, being clogged or rusted/damaged? Is the heater is serving as radiator/heat escape in a way? And how would I go about checking it, or any other possible causes? Much appreciated! A.D.
Feb 3, 2018 at 1:04 PM
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CARADIODOC
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 34,407 POSTS
The better suspect is a bad electric radiator fan. To check its operation, turn the ignition switch to the "run" position, then unplug the two-wire coolant temperature sensor. The engine computer will turn the fan relay on by default. If the fan does not turn on, the most common suspect is the motor has tight bearings and that blew its fuse. The clue is when you spin the fan by hand, it will stop as soon as you let go of it instead of coasting a few revolutions.
Feb 4, 2018 at 9:42 AM
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