Buick - Century :: Overheating - Temp Gauge Keeps Rising Until It Is In Red Zone And Warning Light Comes On
Sep 20, 2014
I have a 98 Buick Century, with about 250k miles on it. Recently when I first start the car and drive a few miles the temperature gauge keeps rising until it is in the red zone and a warning light comes on. When I pull of to the side of the road after a bit it begins to slowly drop and I can begin to drive again. The gauge will then normally stay a bit above halfway for the remainder of the trip, the gauge has sometimes done a bit of jumping around between 3/4 and half sometimes though. The only work that I have had done on it recently is to have some work done on the ac system.
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I got my 2003 Mini Cooper out of the shop about 3 weeks ago.. They replaced the damper, the serpentine belt, thermostat, coolant gasket seal, rear rotors/breaks, bleeding of the breaks, and inner cv boot. Noted to get the oil pan gasket replace which i planned on doing in the upcoming week when i got an oil change but they put beside it was light leakage. All Power Steering was redone under a recall warranty mid July.
Yesterday earlier that morning my battery light came on but than proceeded to try off by the time i was back home. I drive my car in the afternoon, i notice that my battery light is on and continued to stay on. Then my temperature gauge goes all the way up. i open the hood, its nothing noticeably different. I sit there for quite some time and i drive it again to see if it would overheat. I drove about 3 miles to my in-laws and the car no longer overheated. I decide to drive it down to the AutoZone to check my battery and she tells me it weak to leave the car running to see if it recharges but thinks something pulling on the battery. (the battery is new barely over a year old) During the drive to the autozone and back to my mother in laws the car doesn't overheat but the battery light remains on. I leave the car running in the driveway a bit later i notice the car is smoking, literally hear the antifreeze boil in the car,antifreeze is all over the ground, and the temperature gauge is running hot but the cars fan was not running.
i'm not sure if these problems are connected but i never had either of these problems prior to get it worked on. My car has always started strong. The alternator could be going but all lights, electronics,door-locks, windows, heated seat are working. Furthermore, the car starts so strong every time, haven't had any symptoms of a bad alternator.I read it could be a belt issue but the belt and damper are newly replaced.
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My 01 passat is telling me to check my coolant when it's working fine and its not overheating I think it might just be a sensor because my check engine light is on and it's reading thermostat.
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Having an intermittent problem on my 2002 Chrysler Sebring LX (about 132,000 miles). Often I can drive around and everything is okay. However, it seems like every 11 days or so, the temperature gauge starts to climb above the halfway mark and toward the danger zone. Only once has it gotten all the way up to the red danger zone and illuminated the warning light, and that was the very first time. It was fortunate that this happened the exact moment I reached home and parked in my driveway.
When the temperature gauge starts to climb above the halfway mark, I've tried to turn on the heater to cool it down, but this doesn't work. The heater just blows cold air. So far I have been taking the following steps:
1) Stop driving and park the car for 10 minutes or more.
2) Fill the coolant tank under the hood with coolant. I'm putting in about half a gallon each time.
3) Continue driving.
After this process, the heater is again blowing warm air and the temperature gauge is staying at a safe level. It seems to persist for about 11 - 14 days then the cycle starts all over.
It happened last night following a drive of about 5 miles home from the gym. Since I had no more driving to do that day, I just parked it overnight to see if this was a fluke and if it would be necessary to add more coolant.
This morning I drove the same 5 miles. Temperature gauge stayed pretty low for about half the trip, but then rapidly shot up. I got to the gym before it reached the danger zone (it was probably about 3/4 of the way up). I parked for a little over an hour while I went inside to exercise. Then I again added half a gallon of coolant and drove home without problems.
The last time I had overheating issues, the coolant rapidly spilled out of the bottom and the overheating was not preventable. I got the radiator replaced. This was in October 2013. I've also tried some of that stop leak fluid. It didn't work, but I'm not so sure I used it correctly. I didn't flush the tank and I think I might have poured it in on a normal driving day (coolant pretty full).
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My 1991 Nissan 240SX (only 85K miles!) has an intermittent overheating problem that began last November. Needle usually right in middle, but occasionally would quickly rise to danger zone. In Nov., I got new radiator and pump, as well as all new spark plugs. Was OK for about 3 months, then started overheating occasionally. In shop a day and a half while they tried to find the cause. Gave me a new thermostat. Then test showed there was a leak in head gasket. Instead of expensive repairs, I put 8-oz bottle of K-Seal in cooling system. Reviews all over the web gave me confidence it would seal all leaks. But within 5 minutes, it overheated. Tried again later, same result.
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I just drove the GLI from pa to myrtle beach for vacation. On the way back I noticed the temp was steadily rising while idling at a red light then at a gas station. Coolant level is fine. Thermostat, water pump, thermostat, and both temp sensors were recently replaced in the last two months.
So I know none of those things are a variable. Both fans never come on. I tried turning on the ac to get them to come on. But nothing. I read as much as I could on forums to find a solution but none applied to my specific problem.
Car is completely stock besides p flow intake. Has 153000 miles I'm pretty sure everything involving fan is original.
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I have a '97 Buick Century. I noticed the smell of coolant, and the "Low Coolant" light flashed on the dashboard. However, according to the temp gauge on the dashboard, the car was at normal temperature. I pulled over and opened the hood. The coolant in the overflow tank (not the radiator) was boiling, and sputtering out.
I took the vehicle to a nearby shop, where they said it needed a new "Coolant Level Switch." They told me they put a new one in and did a coolant flush, and sent me on my way.
About a mile down the road, the "Low Coolant Light" came on again. I pulled over and found that there was ZERO coolant in the engine. I filled it myself, and continued driving. Over the next few days, I checked the coolant every day and it stayed normal. I drove a bit, but never more than a few minutes, so the car didn't have a chance to overheat.
Then, today, I drove it a good distance for the first time since the original incident. After a few minutes of driving, I smelled coolant and pulled over. The coolant in the overflow tank was once again boiling and bubbling out. What it might be?
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Ran scanner and it showed codes C1215, C1226 and C1233. We checked the passenger front and found the wire to the sensor hanging off. It was damp inside so we dried it as much as we could. We reconnected the wire and tested. The light still on. We ran the scanner again, Only one code came up C1233. The book says ( Right front wheel speed circuit open or shorted)
C1233 - Right Front Wheel Speed Circuit Open or Shorted
Read more at: [URL] .....
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I had my ABS and Traction Control system checked a few times for buzzing sounds and ABS warning light coming on occasionally. My mechanic assured my all the speed sensors and connections were good. I recently noticed there was uneven tire wear on the right front tire. Could a severe misalignment of the front wheels cause the ABS warning light to come on?
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I have a Chevy lumina Euro 3.1l from '92. I have a little problem with it:
My temp gauge, in the dashbord, says the engine is getting to hot. When the car is in idle, the temp gauge will just keep rising to around 190-200 F, when driving 2-3 miles, it will keep going up to 260 F and the heat indicator will start flashing.
When we measure the engine's temperature with a IR thermometer at the thermostat house it says 180 F, so the thermostat and the fans work just fine. (the fans kick in when getting over 180)
We have tryed replace the temp sensor twice, but getting the same result/problem. The problem just came out of nowhere.
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I have a 2005 Elantra GLS with a couple thousand miles over 100K. There is what appears to be an overheating issue with my car. When I'm driving it in city driving usually less than 45 MPH, the heater blows cold air. However, on the highway (greater than 50 MPH) it blows hot air and the temp needle stays in the normal range (just below the halfway point between hot and cold and more towards the cold). However, when I slow down and come to city speeds, the temp needle starts to rise and the heater blows cold air.
The needle went to the red zone this morning but as soon as it got to the red zone, it slowly came back down to the normal point (within 2-3 seconds). And @ the same time, the heater started blowing warm/hot air like it would be functioning normally. When the needle got the red zone, my car didn't stop or I didn't see smoke coming from the hood or anything like. It was almost like something (maybe thermostat) tripped and allowed the engine to cool.
After doing some research on this, the potential issues point to thermostat, coolant level, radiator crack. I haven't checked how the coolant level is doing but I will check that this weekend.
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2005 Hyundai Tiburon Keeps Overheating
I live in Washington State and have a 2005 Hyundai Tiburon with less than 110,000 miles. I have had it for 5 years, and have not had any issues with the car until recently (last 2-3 months). My car overheated on me back in May while out running work related errands. I was able to leave it parked downtown while my husband took a break from his job to come pick me up. Since then, it has continued to overheat every time I drive it.
The temperature gauge climbs into, or dangerously close to, the “red Zone” within the first 10 minutes of driving. The first couple of times the car overheated, if I was using the air conditioner, it would start blowing hot air instead of cold air and the air would stay hot. Now when I drive the car with the air conditioner on and it over heats, it continues to blow cold air (if that matters at all).
My super handy husband (a certified motorcycle mechanic) has done the following in an attempt to fix the car:
•Checked coolant levels
•Topped off coolant
•Bled coolant system and added yet more coolant
•Replaced the thermostat
•Replaced the radiator cap
•Water pump was replaced November 2012 (not even a year old yet)
The radiator cap was the most recent fix. It was replaced on a Wednesday evening after testing it and finding that the existing one was not maintaining the proper PSI. The car drove great around town for two whole days without any issues (Thursday & Friday). Saturday, I decided to take it on a longer drive out of town to see if my good luck would hold…it didn’t. I drove a total of 30 miles round trip and my car started overheating after about 20. I limped back into town and barely made it back to our apartment.
My car continues to overheat!! What is going on?! So confused and frustrated I’m hesitant about taking it to a mechanic who, my husband is convinced, will just charge me to check all of the things he has already fixed.
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I JUST got my brand new 2011 gti this wednesday, which I am obsessed with. When I was driving around earlier yesterday however, the temperature gauge started to go up and into the warning zone. a message on the dashboard then sed "check engine coolant see manual".
So i did, and according to the manual everything should be running perfectly fine. So i pulled over till the engine cooled down to normal, then after about a mile it happened again, and it kept overheating every mile. I got the car towed by vw to a dealership nearby, but they're closed on sundays so i have to wait till tomorrow.
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Just had a new timing belt put in with water pump. Drove it home and the temp gauge flew up to red zone. Took it back they said air pocket in system. Bled the system. Drove home and same thing happened. Nothing changed. Temp gauge elevates past normal and into red zone when I idle or drive slow without air conditioning on. The weird thing if the air conditioning is on the gauge stays at normal longer. What is the issue? Is it a bad water pump or thermostat? Or something else.
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My 03 Buick century is overheating. I changed the thermostat and the water pump. And still overheats as soon As I start driving. I am also getting when it is overheating some misfiring in cylindar 1. I am going to reflush and bleed the coolant even though it seems to be full . i dont think it is disappearing. Is it Possible i have a blown headgasket or intake manifold leak?
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I am having a very tricky problem with my Buick.
For approximately the last 4 months, it has been (at least according to the heat gauge on the dash) running pretty hot. Not overheating, but getting close. And it doesn't take long for it to get there. This all seems to have begun right around the time that my father and I flushed the coolant system.
Since then, I have replaced some parts, and learned a few things in the process.
I learned that there are bleeder screws which can be opened to let air bubbles out. And I have heard that the 3.1L is especially susceptible to them.
New parts which I have installed:
- thermostat
- coolant temperature sensor
- radiator cap
- upper radiator hose
- lower radiator hose
I have checked the water pump and it seems to be perfectly fine. No leaks. No signs of bad bearings. And it circulates coolant just fine. I have not been witness to either cooling fan, primary or auxiliary, switching on in a while.
The exact symptoms are these:
The heat gauge does not take long to get to mid-way point, but will sit at that point for a bit if the vehicle remains stationary. Once the vehicle is in significant motion, the heat gauge will climb fairly quickly, especially with moderately high RPMs. It WON'T touch the red though, but will get very very close to it. The car runs fine. It does seem to be a bit underpowered, but I am comparing it to my fiance's 1996 Olds Cutlass Ciera, which I believe has a different transmission. My Buick does not seem to have lost power since this problem arose. The cooling fans no longer kick on. The oil appears fine. The coolant as well. With the radiator cap off, coolant does not bubble out or shoot out.
I made sure after changing upper and lower hoses to fill the radiator, let the car run long enough for the thermostat to open, and then slowly poured more coolant into the radiator until it was full again. And the reservoir is at proper level and the the reservoir hose s not clogged.
I am not SURE, but I don't believe the radiator is clogged. I believe that covers it, at least as well as I can.
BTW, I do not know where the fan relays are, otherwise I would test the fans to see if they still work.
What the heck is up with my Buick? Also, it has 97,xxx miles on it, and the transmission fluid is at proper level and looks normal.
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My 2013 Elantra twice now has almost overheated. About a month ago i had the software patch related to the cooling fan done. Since then, twice the temp almost hit max and the warning light came on. Both times i had driven it in 80 degree weather with 3 short trips to various stores. Both times the air conditioning seemed to stop working and the gauge started to rise to max. The second time i turned off the car and restarted it and everything returned to normal. If it happens again i will check to see if the cooling fan is on. It seems to me that turning it off and on to fix would be a software glitch. The car has 30000 miles on it.
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I was driving and noticed that my temperature gauge went close to the warning zone so I blasted the heat and it went back down. When the car cooled I popped the hood and noticed that the coolant reservoir was pretty close to full but I couldn't see any coolant in the radiator. I filled the radiator with water for now but it looks like it gone again. I cannot spot any actual cracks or leaks on the hoses but I did spot a puddle of coolant in the groves on top of the transmission. The closest hose I can spot next to the puddle is the lower radiator hose but I really do not know too much about cars. I also noticed a hissing sound today coming from the radiator cap, which I am going to replace. Where the leak could be which is causing the puddle on top of the tranny?
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I have a 2004 Grand Prix and it is displaying the symptoms of overheating but the temp gauge is not going above normal operating temp. I replaced the thermostat twice, and after driving for about 10-20 mins coolant comes out of the overflow. I'm at a loss, I'm thinking temp sensor(?) But I don't want to keep throwing unnecessary money into it. The fans work fine, the heater blows as it should.
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Driving this 1996 Buick Century limited,4 cylinder car normally, the car will just stop running without any warning, nor rhyme nor reason. Most of the time this has occured, a tow truck has been called, but prior to towing, the car started normally and ran without problems for quite a while. The car has been in the chevrolet garage multiple times, at least over nine, for this problem, but will never show up for the mechanic. There is no specific driving pattern to cause this to occur: it dies in normal driving on the street, starting from a stop, in parking lots,
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Only two weeks ago I had the crankshaft sensor and the ignition module replaced in my 1992 Buick Century (3.3L V6). Without any warning, the car abruptly died while cruising. Are there any things outside of the ignition module or cranshaft sensor that can cause these things to fail? Was the mechanic supposed to disconnect the battery before replacing these items? Can a short-circuited spark plug cause the ignition module to fail? Can a mis-alignment of the sensor cause any damage? Could there be a hidden frayed wire that short-circuited?
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