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Old 09-24-2013, 10:51 AM
 
296 posts, read 1,249,605 times
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I'm asking in this forum cause I want to know if it's a common thing here in SA due to temperature, or if I should get a second opinion on my car. I brought my vehicle out from California (never had issues with it there) but recently I've been noticing the temperature dial going from the cool range to the high part of "normal", close to overheat. The other day I was driving home (about 40 mins freeway, then stop and go bumper to bumper traffic for another 30 mins) and during the stop and go traffic, the light for "check engine temperature" came on. The dial didn't go into overheat, but was right on the line between normal and overheat. It scared the crap out of me so I turned off the a/c, rolled down the windows, and when I could get off the road, I pulled over, parked in shade, and let the car cool off for half an hour. When I got back in, I was able to drive it home and the dial didn't get too close to overheat again, but I was only a few blocks away. I took it into a shop this morning and they said coolant and all that looked okay, and didn't really help me. I'm a bit freaked out to drive it to school now (the 40 min freeway drive, plus whatever other traffic) in case it happens again.. Is this a common thing? My car is always parked outside during the day, usually in sun, so it does get hot and was probably hot before I even drove it. Just wondering if I should take it somewhere else for a check, or if this happens here a lot? I'm used to mid 70's as a regular temperature so I'm not sure if this is just normal here or what. Thanks and sorry for the stupid question!
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Old 09-24-2013, 11:03 AM
 
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We came here from MD over 2 years ago and have never had a problem with either of our cars.
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Old 09-24-2013, 11:06 AM
 
Location: New Braunfels, TX
7,130 posts, read 11,827,375 times
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Not stupid at all - first thing I'd do is check the coolant level - it could be low. From there, I'd check thermostat - could be sticking. From there - yeah, get to a mechanic you trust and have them look things over.
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Old 09-24-2013, 11:08 AM
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Location: Ohio
17,107 posts, read 38,096,265 times
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Sounds like a visit to a service place would be a good idea. The vehicle may needs a radiator flush and fill. Just describe the symptom and let the shop tell you what you need.

FWIW, I've never had this problem here and this is the warmest place I've ever lived.
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Old 09-24-2013, 11:31 AM
 
Location: San Antonio
1,893 posts, read 5,585,752 times
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If it happens again before you can get the problem diagnosed and fixed you may want to try turning OFF the AC and turning ON the heater with the fan blowing on high. It won't be pleasant for you but it may help to bring your coolant temp down a little.
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Old 09-24-2013, 11:42 AM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
11,495 posts, read 26,859,038 times
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The only car we've had trouble with overheating in traffic was a Saturn. For some reason, the fan under the hood only ran when the AC was turned on. When the AC quit working and we quit running it, the car started overheating sometimes in traffic.
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Old 09-24-2013, 12:28 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX via San Antonio, TX
9,848 posts, read 13,687,247 times
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I had troubles with my jetta in the winter. So no, temperature is not an issue with overheating. With tire pressure it can be and has been for the two cars I have owned.
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Old 09-24-2013, 12:37 PM
 
Location: San Antonio. Tx 78209
2,649 posts, read 7,437,451 times
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Never had trouble with overheating in any car we've had, or tires for that matter. Car manufacturers use a 120 degree testing area, so San Antonio's heat shouldn't be hard at all.
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Old 09-24-2013, 12:53 PM
 
85 posts, read 329,725 times
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Check the fan and see if it's spinning. We had a problem with our Cherokee where the relay was bad so radiator fan wasn't engaging and in turn the car would start overheating.
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Old 09-24-2013, 01:04 PM
 
296 posts, read 1,249,605 times
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I ended up taking it in about 20 minutes ago for a second opinion, hopefully this time they can look it over better and see if there's an underlying problem. I had a feeling it wasn't a normal thing, but one of my friends said since I live in Texas now maybe it was just the heat, so I thought I'd check on here. Thanks everyone, I took the advice and brought it into a different shop and they're gonna look it over and do diagnostics too. Hopefully it's nothing too serious!
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