Car runs great, still does although its overheating. I'm driving down the road and smell burning so I decide to head home. On the way home the car overheats. Hits 230* and smoke comes out so I stop. Cools off so I drive home and it overheats when I arrive home. I'm not really sure what to think. The car runs great still so I don't know if that could be a blown headgasket. I plugged in to terminals A and B and the fan didn't come on although the relay clicks. I also hear a ticking from the throttle body somewhere while A and B are jumped. The burning smell seems to have gone away but I really have no idea what it was or if it will come back. What is the easiest way to check the thermostat (without removing it)? What are other things I should check? I'm not much of an engine guy- I'm more into electronics- so I'm not sure what the problems could be.

 

First get the fan working. Check the connection at the plug for corrosion. This somtimes is the problem. When in the "service mode", you should hear the fan come on.

Dont worry about "checking" the stat. If it has been a while since a cooling system tune up, I would buy a new one and do a flush, and replace the coolant while you are at it.

That "ticking" is the IAC valve, while the ALDL is grounded.

 

Thanks! The fan blades are scraping against the housing which is odd. I'm going to straighten that out and post back.

 

So my fan is getting 12V but its not turning on. Its not supplying enough current to activate the motor. My guess is the relay is shot and is somehow sending the 12V meant to activate the relay to fan. Hopefully it didn't cook something in the ECM.

 

luckily most of the cooling system components are super cheap

a replacement fan switch ran me 7 bucks, and a relay was like 5.

another 10 for a thermostat.

i'd just go ahead and replace all of those, they tend to go out quite a bit after a few years of use, and I don't know many thirdgen owners that haven't been through them already

(the lady I bought my 92 RS from was selling it because she bought a 2002 RS and she didnt want to use this as a daily driver anymore because it was overheating for a reason her husband COULD NOT find... it was the fan switch)

 

Where is the fan switch?