overheating???

i have a 97 cavalier w/ a 2.2 my temp gauge reaches to 3/4 of the way wether i'm in city or highway..is that ok or does it need to go lower..what could it be if it's too high?...no water in oil...and coolant is fine..fan does work.

also in case it's air in the system..how do i bleed it?

seeing your in the south... i would say you are fine. During the summer mine hovers on the higher range of the normal range.. Maybe a coolant flush and refill.

Two immediate possibilities for overheating~~~~ One, if ya run your A/C and see the high heat condition, that is expected. Two, run a flush/fill of your coolant system, and/or drop in a lower temperature-rated thermostat. Check around on the thermostat, though, cuz those 4-bangers run a bit hot regardless, and ya might screw up the computer settings.

Knifeblade_03

thanks fellas..i'll keep ya posted when i flush the system and put in a thermo.

If you have air in the system you will overheat a little like you described. On my 2002 OHV there is a bleeder screw near the coil packs (on the heater bypass hose). The sparkplug wires actually conceal the bleeder screw so you really can't see it unless you look for it. If there is air in the system, you may see the upper hose collapsed. This is a sign there is air in the system.

well, i put in a thermo..flushed/filled the coolant system, bled the air off system..still a lil high though..thinking maybe water pump is ready to go out...i guess i'll have to take out the thermostat for now..really need my ride..what a pain!

forgot to mention..my low coolant light comes on..but the system is FULL.

If it is full, then there is either an air pocket or a restriction. Begin by flushing your system and checking hoses along the way. Could also be the system is not pressurizing because of a weak hose or pump.

If you have air in the system you will overheat a little like you described. On my 2002 OHV there is a bleeder screw near the coil packs (on the heater bypass hose). The sparkplug wires actually conceal the bleeder screw so you really can't see it unless you look for it. If there is air in the system, you may see the upper hose collapsed. This is a sign there is air in the system.



My 02 cav ran fine until last night, I drove the 40 miles home from work turned it off and it wouldnt run after that, I didn't notice last night in the dark, but today I noticed that the upper radiator hose had been collapsed and still partially is, I opened the overflow lid but the car will not stay running, when it starts it runs for about 2-3 seconds (I'm thinking about the time to use up the fuel from the primer pump) then shuts down and won't restart unless you turn off the key and start it again. Any ideas? I'm desperate! Walking the kids to school is ok but not the 40 miles to work!