Over heating

My car starts to over heat when in traffic or when its idle for like 2 minutes. I put the air in which makes it cool down but yesterday my Brothers car which is also a Saturn did the same thing. Is this a problem anyone else has?

by overheating do you mean the coolant light came on or do you mean the fan never kicked in?

anyway rig up a jumper wire from the battery to the fan motor and if it works then the probelly is a sensor but if it does nothing then it is the motor.

No i mean the temp gauuge will start to go up to the point that it gets in the red if i don't catch it in time and put the ac on which seems to make the gauge go down i can hear the belt kick in but why does it do that? And it happened to my brothers his is a 4 door. I don't know anything about cars but i was just wondering if it's a problem that other people have with there saturns? It's not like I,m in idle for a long time it will start acting up in I'd say two minutes it's always done this.

Change your coolant temperature sensor aka ECTS. The reason why it cools down with a/c on is because the fan comes on when the a/c is switched on. The ECTS tells the computer the temp of the engine and when they go bad, the computer thinks the engine is cold and doesn't turn on the fan.

sounds like a plan thank-you

Yeah I think that happens to most Saturn SL's serioussly. I had to replace my radiator and fan because the fan stopped kicking in and the temp would go up to red. Watch out though cause now I have a blown headgasket.:banghead:

i have a sc2

Oh sorry, I ment it happens MOSTLY to SL's but a friends VUE had that problem too so looks like its common in Saturns.

> Fm Cat Fuzz <
> The ECTS tells the computer the temp of the engine, and when they go bad, the computer thinks the engine is cold and doesn't turn on the fan. <
Very good 'alert'.

I'm having the same problem with my 1992 Saturn SL2...only I have to turn my heater on in order for it to start to cool down and get out of the red. When I try the air conditioner trick, it only gets hotter, can anyone tell me why this is???

> Fm Mechanic In Own Mind <

> I'm having the same problem with my 1992 Saturn SL2. <



> Fm Cat Fuzz <

> Change your coolant temperature sensor aka ECTS. <



If you have the original unit it the engine, it is most likely cracked, thus mis-reading the coolant temperature.

are the aftermarket sensors okay, or should i go with an OEM temp sensor?

John 1993 SL1

are the aftermarket sensors okay, or should i go with an OEM temp sensor?

John 1993 SL1


As long as the replacement is all brass, it will work just fine. Don't over tighten it