Check Engine / temp gauge not working / loud fan

I hope I am in the right spot. I have a 2001 Impala with about 98k miles on it. On a trip recently, the check engine light came on and I noticed the temperature gauge was stuck at the bottom and even after driving a while, it didn't move. I have no money to fix stuff when it breaks, so I had to keep driving it to get to my destination. Upon my arrival, I noticed that the cooling fan stayed on for quite some time after driving - and it was 35 degrees outside, I was not using the AC. Then I was asked to move my car out of a driveway, so I started it and backed it up and reparked it. After doing so, I heard an awful noise coming from the cooling fan.

If I drive it for more than 15 minutes or so, it does not make the awful noise, but just starting it, driving it for less than a few minutes or just starting it and turning it off, I hear the noise.

I am a single mom and I really don't know any men I can ask about this, so I'm hoping someone here can give me some direction and hopefully inform me of the urgency of this repair, which I am going to have to save for... any ideas on cost?

Thank you!

Your thermostat might be stuck open... same thing happened to me and was less than 10 bucks for the part and about 15 minutes labour. They make thermostats that when they fail, they'll fail in the open position to prevent overheating your engine. Worth a try... worked for me. When it's stuck open, the engine will not warm up and the fans will run on high all the time further preventing the engine coolant to warm up. The noisy fan motor is expensive though as it can only be replaced as a complete unit (assuming you've got the 3.8) but should be quiet on low speed, which is normal how they run until you turn on the a/c or have a cooling system problem like a bad t-stat. Good luck with it... not too serious.

I am a single mom and I really don't know any men I can ask about this, so I'm hoping someone here can give me some direction and hopefully inform me of the urgency of this repair, which I am going to have to save for... any ideas on cost?

Thank you!

I would use a dating service and find a male / female familiar with auto repair.

the fan must be replaced and the reason its bad is because its being commanded by the computer to come on.all the time....since the temperature gauge is not correct the Engine Cooling Temperature sensor, or wires / connector are in need of testing/replacement..

make sure you have the correct and full amount of coolant in the radiator..

a bad thermostat would cause low poor heat out of heater ,,you didn't mention a heat problem..

good luck

I agree with jcat, this sounds like a bad engine coolant temp sensor. When the computer senses an incorrect signal from the temp sensor, it commands the fans to run on high all the time, just in case the engine is actually overheating. The fan operation will return to normal when an accurate signal from the temp sensor is received by the computer.
The temp guage is also controlled by the temp sensor. With no signal from the sensor, the computer cannot tell the temp guage what to register.
I would have the temp sensor replaced, it is fairly easy (assuming you have the 3.8) and not very expensive.

look thats a easy problem cause i have that issue what i do is just remove the positive cable from the battery when the fans are on thats gonna reset your car so after 5 seconds put it back and turn the car and warn the car and see if the temp gauge starts moving and it will happen again if you dont warn up the car 2 the regular temp just do it in the cold days ... tell me if it works cause thats the cheap way i know ...

look thats a easy problem cause i have that issue what i do is just remove the positive cable from the battery when the fans are on thats gonna reset your car so after 5 seconds put it back and turn the car and warn the car and see if the temp gauge starts moving and it will happen again if you dont warn up the car 2 the regular temp just do it in the cold days ... tell me if it works cause the the cheap way i know ...Yes that is a fast solution,i had the exact same trouble,i took my pos cable off also,it fixed the problem,everything reset back to normal