96' Cavalier Overheating

[mitchmoney]

Got a question about overheating, My 96' Cavalier Z24 runs pretty good, but when i stop at a stop light or put it in park and let it run, and it sits there a little while, then it starts to overheat, and i don't know how much it will overheat because i either start driving again and it cools back down to normal running temp or i turn the car off. So I'm wondering what would cause that, my antifreeze level is good, i just don't know what's causing it to overheat when i'm stopped

[seannc]

I had the same problem a couple years back. It could be nothing more than a bad thermostat.

[Tookie]

A few things for you to check. The water pump and pump pulley. Make sure there is no slippage of the belt that drives the pump. Look for glazing on the contact areas, and make sure the belt tensioner is doing it's job. (proper tension exerted on the belt).
Thermostats are very fickle creatures. If your machine has repeatedly overheated, consider a stat with a failsafe open feature. If something should begin to go wrong and the stat not work properly, it should default to open mode.
Check the cooling fan switch as the car reaches overheat mode. It should kick the fan in and the fan should run. Check the wiring to the fan to make sure it is connected well and in good condition. Check the fan assy to make sure the vanes etc are intact. Make sure the rad is clean and purge any air that may be interfering with coolant flow.
Failing to find those checks offer no joy, look for a real blockage in the cooling systen and consider a professional backflush and refill with some quality coolant. You might just have a innacurate temp sensor or gauge!

hth

Tookie

[mitchmoney]

alrighty, i'll check all that stuff and get back to you, thanks for the advice, hopefully it will just be a crap thermostat.