Please Help! My '95 Dodge Intrepid Is Overheating

[zerkalo]

After some slow speed driving (30 to 50 mph), my car has overheated (the indicator went right up to the H). The anti-freeze starting smoking out of the hood. It smells sweet, so I know it's that.

What should I do? What kind of tests should I perform to help me diagnose the problem?

I currently don't have a mechanic that I trust and would rather do as much for the car myself as I can before I go to one of them.

Thanks in advance, guys.

Please help me out.

[theFREAKnasty82]

There are several things to look at when that happens. Check all of your radiator hoses to see if they are intact. Next carefully inspect your radiator for any cracks or signs of coolant out of it. The best way to find out where your leak is to go to your local auto parts store and buy a cooling system pressure tester. Remove your radiator cap and attach the pressure tester and pressurize the system to the specifications on the radiator cap (usually with Chrysler vehicles, 16 psi). If you see coolant leaking anywhere or hear hissing and you can visually trace the leakage, that's your problem. If still nothing happens, take it to a repair shop and have them do a compression test on all 6 cylinders to see if you may have a blown head gasket. Worse case scenario, if they can not locate that, you may have a busted heater core and that's inside the dashboard.

[dampachi]

I have a 93 dodge intrepid and it over heats too after about driving a mile or so...It did this once before and it was the water pump...but this time I think it's blown headgaskets. but when it'd start overheating and I turned on the AC it would cool down to normal...but my AC quit working...so yeah. i'm gonna change the waterpump again and see what happens. but i'm pretty sure it's the headgaskets. could possibly be the heater core...does anyone know how to change that?

[theFREAKnasty82]

in response to your problem, the best way to tell if your headgasket it gone is when the engine is running, look out the tailpipe and look and see if you have white smoke coming out of your tailpipe. If it smells sweet and white smoke is accompanied by it, your head gasket(s) may be gone. To replace the heater core is a tedious task. You have to remove the dashboard just to get to it. The exact steps to do it (i've done it many times, I'm a Chrysler tech) discharge your a/c, drain your coolant, remove the heater hoses and a/c hoses from your firewall, remove your steering column, remove dash. It's hard to do if you're inexperienced so I recommend taking it to someone you trust and know. If you want to tackle it on yourself, be patient, don't rush, pay careful attention to every little detail, bolt, electrical connector, etc.