Hey guys i've recently noticed that my truck get really hot when driven for more than 5 miles. I noticed today that after a while the temp slowly raises to 240-250 and hovers there and occasionally throws a check gauges light. What could be the culprit to this. Also it's been hot as hell this last few days averaging around 103* with a real feel of 114 today and tomorrow which is damn hot for NC.

 

How's the coolant level, any leaks? How's the radiator's condition--nothing blocking it, fins aren't too smushed/broken? Thermostat might be stuck closed... Bad rad cap not holding pressure... Is the fan clutch working once warm? Make sure your brakes aren't dragging.

To check the tstat, have the truck warmed up at 195* (which is when the tstat should open) and feel the upper rad hose. It should be warm-meaning the tstat is in working condition. This is also a good time to check that the fan is spinning faster than it does at idle. Although yours should have a spring holding it up, the lower rad hose can collapse on itself and cause overheating, so take a look at that.

edit: you also might want to move somewhere else... 114 degrees is too damn hot lol

 

Bad thermostat,air in the system..low coolant...bad radiator cap can make it run 10 to 15 hotter. Glad i am not in NC. Thats hot!!

 

...also add to the list.....cracked head, bad head gasket, ,,,,,,

 

My truck wasn't happy yesterday either, my fiancees cars thermostat showed 113º after she started moving and got a little air flow on that sensor. They say it's supposed to be hotter today.
My truck doesn't show the correct temperature because of how the temperature sensor sits in my intake manifold but I know it got hotter than normal and my guess would be that it was running around 220º for the last 5 minutes or so of my 25 minute ride earlier at the hottest part of the day.
I hardly ever run my air conditioner but I was earlier so there was that added strain on the motor from the a/c compressor being engaged but I don't know if that was to blame.
My cooling system is all fairly new and in good shape but I'm not sure if the thermostat got stuck closed or not because the temperature rose then held steady like it opened but it just couldn't get cool enough.
On a side note, the house air conditioner couldn't contend with the heat because it was running all day, it was set on 70º and the inside temp was 83º. It will be better tomorrow because the two window units went back in to help out the big unit.

I want to say the heat of the day was to blame for my truck getting hotter today but I don't know if I can. I took my truck to Oklahoma a couple times shortly after getting it while it was still stock and the cooling system was all original and it never overheated. It isn't uncommon to see a daily temperature of 110º in central Oklahoma in July.

 

I'm thinking the heat of the day along with the added strain of the a/c on full blast was to blame for my truck getting hot. I did a bit of driving today in the afternoon when the air was in the 90's and it didn't overheat.

 

I forgot to check everything today, but I did check the upper rad. hose when the temp was approx. 220-230 and the hose was extremely hot. If I were to remove the hood insulator could that possible help bring down the temperature?

 

No. that would only make the paint on the hood fade faster. The problem is in the cooling system. Mine can run 170 degrees going down the highway.

Check the stat and other things listed. Also if there is air trapped in the system it can overheat.

 

How olds your water pump?

I can drive my truck with a bad pump and temps never reach 260, which apparently when really bad stud starts to happen.

Also, good time to get double roller timing chain of you have to replace because the chain is right there behind the pump!

 

As far as I know the water pump has never been replaced. I kinda feel dumb because I just noticed that the coolant level was very low so I will fix that today and hopefully solve the problem. Also I noticed the other day when I got home and opened the hood to let the engine cool faster so I could change the oil that the coolant was overflowing but hardly any was lost and now the reservoir is bone dry what could be the cause for that?