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i have a 2005 dodge neon with about 115,000 miles on it
The issue i am having is the car overheats when i leave it on idle for about 15 minutes on a cold start. it has had the wires and hoses replaced recently. There is no sign of external leaks, the coolant levels stay normal and so does the Oil. I just changed the Thermostat yesterday. I get cold air on AC and hot air on heat….The only smell that I can smell is a slight during smell, but it doesn’t linger….
When driving it around town and freeways, it tries to overheat, but turning the heater on full stops it for the most part.
I am at a loss, as I am not a huge car guy, and would like to try and avoid taking it to the mechanic again.
thanks in advance !
danny
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[quote=”Dannycarey409″ post=149552]The issue i am having is the car overheats when i leave it on idle for about 15 minutes on a cold start.
When driving it around town and freeways, it tries to overheat, but turning the heater on full stops it for the most part.[/quote]
Why do you feel it’s necessary to idle the car for 1/4 of an hour?
Anyway, several things come to mind:
1. Electric cooling fan not operating. (Either the fan itself could be fubar, the temp sensor switch could be duff, or it could be a wiring/connector issue.)
2. Thermostat not opening fully.
3. Restricted or diminished internal liquid flow within the coolant system (scale deposits or a weak water pump), or restricted air flow through the radiator.[quote=”Evil-i” post=149565]1. Electric cooling fan not operating. (Either the fan itself could be fubar, the temp sensor switch could be duff, or it could be a wiring/connector issue.)
2. Thermostat not opening fully.
3. Restricted or diminished internal liquid flow within the coolant system (scale deposits or a weak water pump), or restricted air flow through the radiator.[/quote]This is great advice, but also check the cooling fins of the AC condenser too. If air isn’t getting through the condenser, it’s not getting through the radiator either.
i had it idle that long trying to see if would overheat. it is my wife’s car so i never really drive it.
I think i will try the temp sensor next since that seems pretty straight forward.
Thank you guys for the advise!
I have seen overheating due to the fins rusted away from the waterpump.Waterpump looks good on the outside with the fins gone.
^ Hopefully the water pump was changed with the timing belt at 105,000 miles. OP, was this done? Or do you know.
yes I the water pump was changed not to long ago, along with the belts.
I have not tried the temp sensor yet, but since replacing the Thermostat, it takes about 10 minutes more driving time to start to overheat…not sure if that makes a bit of difference.
I was driving it today, both highway and stop and go, and it would jump to overheat about 10 minutes into driving and then drop to normal temp. Then 10 minutes later it jumped to overheating temp and from then on the needle jumped from overheating to normal temp. This was also followed by a slight burning smell.
I looked under the hood and no smoke, no external leaks, coolant levels were normal, heat and ac work perfectly, and the fans were spinning.
There might be air in the system causing the overheating.
Also, is the coolant/antifreeze a 50/50 mix?
This the recommended procedure for filling the cooling system on the Neon; lifting the front of the car is the key part to force any air out. If the car was on an inclined driveway or street would also work.
Step 1
Allow the car’s engine to cool completely. Chock the car’s rear wheels and set the parking brake. Lift the front of the car with a floor jack and secure it on a set of jack stands. Remove the cap from the coolant overflow tank.Step 2
Crawl under the car and look toward the bottom-right corner of the radiator. On top of the lower radiator support, hidden behind a length of wiring conduit, is a circular drain plug with a fin sticking out of it. You may have to feel for it.Step 3
Slide a drain pan under the radiator and turn the drain valve counterclockwise with a pair of pliers. Wait for all of the coolant to drain out and then close the valve.Step 4
Add coolant to the radiator through the coolant overflow tank; the radiator on this car doesn’t have a built-in cap, so the only way to add coolant to it is through the overflow tank. It should take about 6.5 quarts of coolant mix, including one quart in the overflow tank itself. Leave the coolant tank cap off.Step 5
Start the engine and monitor the overflow tank. Dodge designed the car so that the fitting for the overflow tank tube and the expansion tank are the highest points in the cooling system. Air trapped in the cooling system will naturally rise out of the tank.Step 6
Top up the coolant tank as necessary as the engine idles up to operating temperature, and install the cap. When the engine reaches operating temperature, shut the engine down. As the engine cools, it will create a vacuum in the cooling system that will draw any needed coolant in through the expansion tank.Step 7
Start the engine and allow it to idle again until it reaches operating temperature. Add coolant to the expansion tank until it reaches the “Hot” line on the tank.Air could be the culprit. I changed the water pump/ and timing belt on my daughter’s Neon this past weekend. Upon refilling the cooling system and running the car, It took about 15 minutes with the pressure cap off for the bubbles to stop appearing from the engine side of the radiator hose.
As suggested toward the end of the thread, air in the system is the most likely culprit. In fact, if you did all that work and didn’t purge the air afterward, then you likely have some trapped in there anyway. Here’s a video I did on purging air from a cooling system. Forget about the bleeder valve. They’re only there to make filling the system easier. You can bleed a system just fine without one.
More info on diagnosing overheats here.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/what-to-do-when-your-engine-overheats
Please keep us updated.
thank you guys for all the help.
Now after getting this done a new issue popped up (i LOVE neons lol). The engine light came on two days ago and not the heater will not blow hot air. I am stating to think that they first problems with the overheating is all related and that as i fix one issue, more keep jumping up.
I am waiting for my buddy to get back from vacation so i can borrow his tool to hook it up to my car to see what engine light code i get…but as far as the heater not blow hot air…any suggestions?
btw THIS site is the best forum on cars i have found and glad I came here
First we need to determine if the problem is the heater core or a dampener issue.
Since you have just filled and purged the air from the cooling system an easy test is to determine if the heater hoses are both hot to the touch, or close to the same temperature if you have a non-contact temperature gun.
The outlet from the heater core should be a little cooler since it will dissipate heat to the passenger compartment when the heat is on.
If one is hot and the other is cool there might be an obstruction in the heater core preventing heat from working correctly.
Please provide the results from your finding to determine if dampener diagnosis is necessary.
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