Overheating very fast.

[Rouseman]

I was driving home from work last night and my car overheated to the point were the engine shut off.

The car sat from 11 am to 9pm. i sat in traffic for about 3 min then as soon as i turned out of it and started going at a good pace it shut down. i got about a mile from the traffic before it got all pissed off.

i pulled into a parking lot and the temp gauge was pinned and the red idiot light was blinking at me.

I normally am pretty vigilant about keeping an eye on my gauges especially temp but what i don't get is what could make it overheat that fast.
Any ideas?? i was thinking thermostat?

[Mike The Canadian]

Well the first thing to do is check your coolant level.
Perhaps it's a stuck thermostat?
Also have you had any work done to your cooling system recently? Perhaps a bubble in the system if it hasn't been burped?

I wouldn't drive it and let it over-heat like that though, otherwise you'll warp the heads and end up with a leaking head gasket.

[alerored04]

It should not go that fast if there is coolant in the system. Something dumped your coolant out I think. Check how much is in there. Either a hose came off or the water pump blew. Both have happened to me with the same symptoms. I didn't let it get that hot though. Check the underside of your hood on the pulley side for a discolored line over the belt. If it is there that points to the water pump going bad and slinging coolant off the belt all over the engine bay.

[Rouseman]

well the head gasket is already leaking into the 2nd cylinder. i think its the thermostat. my friend has a engine jack iam going to rip out the engine and redo the head gaskets and everything. ill keep posted with pics.

[guiguilandry]

no need to remove the engine to do the head gasket... you better to do it in place... but if you're leaking coolant in the cylinder #2 then there is your problem, when the engine works there is pressure of the cylinder and exhaust gases that goes into the coolant and it's making a hotspot that makes boil the coolant and then you're stuck with air in the system and the thermostat don't work in the air... there is your problem...

[Rouseman]

that makes a lot of sense actually..i guess ill just unbolt the hood and go for it

[Lucalare]

http://www.aleromod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32699

This is a recent thread, so you may have seen it, but the link in there will help you greatly doing your LIMG.