Q: How do I stop my car from overheating?
About two weeks ago, my car started having problems with warming up. It wouldn't warm up at all after idling and the heater wouldn't work. I had to go to work so I drove it anyway. I went and got an oil change, and things were fine for about 5 days. It was warming up ok. Then one night at a friends house I tried to start it, it tried to start but wouldn't, making a repetitive DUT DUT DUT DUT DUT sound. After waiting about 15 minutes it finally started and I made my way home, the car again, not showing a change on the temp gauge And this RED lightening sign popped up when I was almost home. The next day, it warmed up fine and I had no problem so I thought maybe it was just a weird thing that just happened randomly. NOW. Its overheating every time I try to drive it after only 5 minutes of driving, and I am having that RED lightening sign pop up. What do you think might be wrong? I NEED my car. We just had our first snow and I work and I need to get this figured out. PLEASE HELP!!!
My car has 113258 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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Once the car is completely cool, check the coolant level in the radiator. If low, that will cause overheating. If it is low, you might have a leak that should be diagnosed. If the level of coolant is correct and yet your vehicle was not warming up properly that is often a indication of a stuck open cooling system thermostat. However, now you are experiencing the opposite problem which is overheating. A stuck closed thermostat could cause that but so could a low coolant level, a non operational cooling fan, a partially plugged radiator, a faulty water pump, and other causes. The warning light you are referring to - the lightning bolt - signifies that there is a fault with the electronic throttle control (ETC) system. It is possible that the hard starting you experienced is a consequence of an ETC fault. What I would recommend is an overheating diagnostic(https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/car-is-overheating-inspection) as well as an inspection of the ETC system. With that the Mechanic will be able to identify the needed repairs and let you know of the cost to repair.
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