Q: Car overheats, usually in the stop and go traffic
My car has trouble overheating. It occasionally overheats and then go back to normal temperature. I had the thermostat replaced along with the water pump and water neck. It overheats usually after I drive it for a while and in stop and go traffic. Due to overheating, I sometimes have to pull over several times so that it would cool down. When it happens, there is white steam. It seems to be coming from the area of the coolant reservoir, from the right corner of the driver's side. There are no leaks as I can see. I checked the engine coolant reservoir and couldn't see any leaking and the water neck housing seems fine as well. There is no leaking residue. Do you have any idea what could cause the car to overheat like this?
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The problem may be due to the hydraulic cooling fan not working intermittently. There is a technical bulletin number 1-21-11 that says to replace the cooling fan hydraulic motor, which should correct the overheating problems. Your fan may work but the old one does not turn fast enough to keep the engine cool. I recommend having the system inspected by a certified mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic to see why the car is overheating. Your cooling fan motor might need to be replaced, the cooling system coolant filled to the cold fill line, and the cap checked for leaking or not holding pressure.
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