car overheating

ok i just noticed my car start overheating, when i drive the temp goes down to normal, but when i sit still it goes way up, i popped the hood and noticed bubbles coming out of the top of my radiator and i could smell it, it looked like someone had put bondo or something on top of the bubbleing spot to patch a crack or something, then painted it black, could this be the reason? there is also a small hole in the coolant hose that goes from the intake manifold to the little metal pipe thats welded together to the other pipe that goes to the intake hose., i have tried to get that replaced many time but the auto parts store keeps giving me the wrong sized hose. Do you think that if I bought a new radiator and replaced that hose it would go back to normal?

is your coolant level fine? you could be losing coolant out of the crack in your radiator causing the overheating. but from what you say about the temp going down while your driving but up when your parked, is your cooling fan coming on?

i just filled my colant up recently so the level should be pretty good, i have heard the radiator fan coming on sometimes, but i dont think as often as it should, if my rad. fan isnt working properly, whats involved in fixing it?

well, it could be the fans, it could also be the fact that you have a hole in your radiator hose... Your cooling system is compressed to increase the boiling temperature. That alone could cause your overheating. Replace that hose asap.

also, do you have one or two cooling fan's? if one isn't working, that could also cause the problem. If the fan isn't working, then check your fuses.

the problem is definately the fans. its not overheating while moving because of the air being forced through the grill. first fix those leaks. then diagnose the fans. the engine is sensitive to air pockets in the cooling system. if you have leaks, you have air pockets that could potentially keep the fans from operating.