help!
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2
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help!
Someone please help me?
I have a 99 Dodge Stratus 4 cyl 2.4 L engine. A month ago my AC froze up and broke my serpentine belt. Not enough money to fix the AC at the time we put on a shorter belt bypassing the AC (the belt does NOT run the waterpump). Shortly after we replaced the belt the car started overheating and has progressively gotten worse. If in idle for too long the temp shoots straight up to the red. On a straightaway for a few blocks it cools down quickly. I took it up to the local auto parts store and the guy had me start the engine and he took off the cap to the radiator and when it overheated the antifreeze just poured out of the radiator. He said it was definatly the thermostat so I bought a new one and we replaced it. It's still overheating. Does anyone have any ideas what the problem may be? Has anyone had a similar problem like this? If so it would be very helpful to share your knowledge.
Thanks!!!
I have a 99 Dodge Stratus 4 cyl 2.4 L engine. A month ago my AC froze up and broke my serpentine belt. Not enough money to fix the AC at the time we put on a shorter belt bypassing the AC (the belt does NOT run the waterpump). Shortly after we replaced the belt the car started overheating and has progressively gotten worse. If in idle for too long the temp shoots straight up to the red. On a straightaway for a few blocks it cools down quickly. I took it up to the local auto parts store and the guy had me start the engine and he took off the cap to the radiator and when it overheated the antifreeze just poured out of the radiator. He said it was definatly the thermostat so I bought a new one and we replaced it. It's still overheating. Does anyone have any ideas what the problem may be? Has anyone had a similar problem like this? If so it would be very helpful to share your knowledge.
Thanks!!!
Captain
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 636
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RE: help!
the rad fan is not comming on.
this is what i think is going on. most cars have two fans. one for the eng and one for the a/c. since your a/c don't work you prob don't hav it turned on, right? the a/c fan pulled enough air over the rad to keep the eng cool, but the eng cooling fan was not comming on. prob just a relay in the eng fuse box, you could try turning on the a/c to see if the fan will still come on (it might not because it's dicon), or swapping the a/c fan relay for the eng fan relay.
as you drive down the road enough air passes over the rad to keep the eng cool and the fan becomes pointless. when you slow down not enough air passes over ther rad and you NEED the fan to keep the eng cool.
when you say the a/c froze, what do you mean? as in tv dinner frozen, or stoped turning? let us know, happy motoring.
this is what i think is going on. most cars have two fans. one for the eng and one for the a/c. since your a/c don't work you prob don't hav it turned on, right? the a/c fan pulled enough air over the rad to keep the eng cool, but the eng cooling fan was not comming on. prob just a relay in the eng fuse box, you could try turning on the a/c to see if the fan will still come on (it might not because it's dicon), or swapping the a/c fan relay for the eng fan relay.
as you drive down the road enough air passes over the rad to keep the eng cool and the fan becomes pointless. when you slow down not enough air passes over ther rad and you NEED the fan to keep the eng cool.
when you say the a/c froze, what do you mean? as in tv dinner frozen, or stoped turning? let us know, happy motoring.
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
RE: help!
ok so here's the thing. i looked in the fuse box for a fan relay and there isn't one at all. there's not even a place marked on the diagram for a fan relay. and yeah the AC froze as in stopped turning and busted my belt. if you have any ideas about the fan relay it would be greatly appreciated. thank you for confirming my idea that it might be a the fan relay....that's one step down...now to find it and replace is the next step for me.
