Overeating problem

Hi I have a question. I fixed my car's temp gauge problem, well kinda. The light works, but the gauge dosen't. Anyways after a few minutes of driving the temp light comes on. I changed the thermostat, and had the radiator flushed. Could the problem be the water pump, if so how can I tell?? I don't think it's circulating the fluid too well, because I pinch the upper hose while the car's idling and i don't feel a surge of pressure once I release it. I was told that's a good way to see if the water pump is working well. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Jimmy

It sounds like you may have a bad water pump but you may also have an air lock in the system. This happens sometimes when the thermostat is replaced. The only other item is to make sure the fans are coming on. If the fans aren't coming on due to a bad fan temp sensor then the car will overheat. This sensor is sperate from the guage and light sensor.

Just remember the hose pinch test is better used on testing the thermostat. Remember the water pump is connected to the lower hose not the upper. I"m doing a water pump replacement on my brothers 95 with the 3.1. It's a simple project shop time calls for about an hour. As for the temp gague not reading, it could be your temp sensor. Thes do go from time to time. The parts relatively inexpensive and easy to replace.

I did change the thermostat recently. What could I do about a possible air lock in the system? The fan does stay on, because it's wired to the climate control. Waiting on a fan relay that'll hopefully fix that problem. This car's in pretty bad shape, except for the engine, and transmission. I've been fixing problems part by part.

Remove the radiator cap and let the engine run. If there is air in the system you should see a drop in the coolant level when the thermostat opens. Simply refill the coolant and let it run for a few minutes. If there is no more drop in coolant then put the radiator cap back on and drive the car.