I am trying to trouble shoot my overheating problem, I have already searched under overheating and head gasket to see if my symptoms match anything already discussed. My car used to only overheat during idle and actually the needle would not go up until I started to accelerate after a stop however I just replaced the coolant temp sensor and now the needle is on hot all the time, even on the hwy. Pease Help, I am about to change the waterpump, head gasket, timing belt, and radiator just out of desperation…
1. New thermostat (installed correctly)
2. New coolant temperature sensor
3. Clean radiator fluid (not rusty)
4. Upper and lower hosed are both hot as hell
5. Tried removing radiator cap and letting the car run – no bubbles but the fluid
did start to get very hot and steam up
6. Fan works but cannot cool down fluid
7. No white smoke, but a friend has seen bluish smoke while accelerating from
exhaust
8. No major leaks of any kind, fluid levels are all normal.

 

do you have the heat on in the car when you start it up? do this along with taking the radiator cap off.

 

I'm gonna guess waterpump. Seems like you've proven everything else in the cooling system is in good working order.

Like you said, good time to change the t-belt as well

 

It could be a faulty thermostat. Its happened to me a few times.

 

no heater, no ac...both hoses get hot which is why im not sure if it is the waterpump, the thermostate is new and is the type that remains open if it fails.

 

What is the best way to test a waterpump?

 

Make shure your system is purged of any air...we put a new radiator in my bddys 91 rex and there were air pockets in the system that prevented the waterpump from pumping coolant...Try that and see..maybe youl be lucky

 

I am currently doing a search on how to get air out of the system, but did not think that was the problem since both hoses where getting hot.

 

How do you remove air out of a cooling system that does not have a heater, every post i have seen, says to turn the heater on full?

 

honestly man dont worry about the air in the system. water pump is good unless water is bleading out of " weap hole " then the water pump is bad. go get your radiator cap tested at a shop . see if its doing its job. your radiator cap should be holding pressure. because if its over heating during accelaration then most likely your low on fluids. witch means boiling point is hiting to soon. for every 1lb of pressure in your coolant system raises the boiling point 3 degrees.