96 ex with 190k on the clock. 2.2l

Recently the car is overheating. in traffic or after hard driving.

I turned the heater to cool it...it only makes it worse and makes the temp needle race towards red.

Whats going on here?

 

i assume you have checked the cooling system for the correct level ?
since it it getting hot while driving i would have to assume their is a circulation problem could be in a t/stat need some more info please.

 

Yea def check the coolant system levels..
Also make sure none of the tubes have leaks or cracks anywhere.
And make sure all your radiator fans are plug in and to the correct connector.

 

I checked the fluid level. It was low. I added fluid (50/50mix).

The problem still comes back unchanged. I will replace the t-stat tonight.

Also...i believe the issue might be the fan. The AC radiator fan works when only the AC is on correct??

the fan on the passenger side seems to only be coming on after the car has shut down.

Am i looking at a bad temp sensor? Fan Relay?

I just got laid off recently and can't afford to take my car to a mechanic...thanks in advance to anyone providing tips.

 

you could have a fan relay or a faulty fan control unit.