So I just found out that my car was overheating due to the fans not being hooked up right im assuming. The guy I just got the car from had both the fans hooked up to run at the same time and the wire is ran into the fuse box to run them. But my car keeps overheating so I am assuming tthis is way wrong. Also my temp gauge sweeps to max ouut and stays there as soon as i turn my car on so I never know when to turn my car off due to overheating. It has already shut off on me twice due to this. Am I just screwed or is this fixable.

 

Is this an 88 IROC? Which engine? What symptoms does it exhibit when it overheats? Steam coming from under the hood? Is the coolant in the overflow jug boiling? (Don't take your radiator cap off when it's hot) The gauge could be a faulty coolant temperature sensor. Is it possible you can ask the guy why he hooked the fans in ths fuse box?

 

Its an 88 Iroc-z with a 305 tpi, when it overheated it would just shut off all power. The other times it would be boiling water in the overflow tank and steaming out the overflow lid. I already replaced the coolant temp sen. I figured it was maybe some other temp sen. I tried calling the guy back when I found out that there were no fluids in the car which was bone dry in everything after he told me he would check them before so I trusted him(ovbiously no itegrity on his part) but he wont answer his phone now. The car was really mistreated but I couldnt pass it up for the price. Just need some help on certain things, trying to restore it on my own as much as i can

 

hey dude, theres THREE THERMISTOR sensors in our cars man. 1 for electric fans, 1 for dash coolant gauge, 1 for engine computer. If you fans arnt turning on at all then your FAN SENSOR THERMISTOR is prolly shot. its located between the 6th and 8th cylinder bank, above the knock sensor. ITs a BIthc to get out, and put in. and 9/10 times the connector harness always breaks into little teeny tiny piece, then the words DAMN IT, is heard within a 1/3 mile radius. HA. try this man, run the car until it gets hot in park with hood up. (if the fans dont turn on or arnt on by 230* on your dash, then you got three possible things happening wrong. #1fan relay wiring #thermistor fan switch sensor #3 stuck closed Mechanical thermostat. do you have bad coolant ratio? relax and take a deep breath, you wont find that previous owner on here, low fluids ehh, stuff happens... oh and if you have low radiator fluid, sometime you can get air lock in the systems cooling passages...you gotta bleed the air out of the radiator by running the car in park with cap off and constantly top off the radiator and wait until the car gets about 160* (ABOUT 4 minutes)or when the car goes into 'CLosed Loop" computer mode. then reinstall the cap and bam system is properly bleed. if the return heater hose line isnt gushing into radiator, then maybe the water pump is counting the days

 

Its not that the fans wont turn on, they are plugged into the fuse box and run as soon as I turn the car on. I was goin to get a digital dakota 2000 to fix this problem but havent gotten around to it yet. And I already replaced the coolant temp sen. so I dont think thats the problem. I flushed the radiator and put the proper coolant ratio in and when I did that replaced the themostat with a 180*. My fans dont go to anything in the engine at all, just straight to to fuse box so I im pretty sure the fan switch is bad or something. I planned on replacing it when I got the Digital Dakota 2000 but dont know what the thread size is yet so I havent been able to order one. I wish I had more time to spend with this car but being in the Air Force im lucky to spend one day a week with her. The imput is much appericated though

 

1. Fans staying on is only going to prevent the motor from warming up faster. It won't hurt nothing.
2. When car is "COLD" take the radiator cap off and then start the car. Let it warm up. Do you see water circulating? *rules out bad water pump. "DO NOT TAKE CAP OFF ON A WARM MOTOR! THERE IS PRESSURE THERE AND YOU WILL GET BURNED!
3. After engine is warmed up. While the motor isn't running,check the oil to see if it looks like coffee with cream. *Rules out blown head gasket.

It's possible that you might have a bad water pump.

 

Im sure its not the water pump because many times I have looked in the raidator cap and seen water being circulated. As far as the head gasket goes not sure cause I just changed the oil not long ago so it looks ok. Im praying its not a blown head gasket because I dont want to put money into this engine, I just wanted it to last me until I can drop a 383 or bigger later in a year or so