Running Hot, no heat

[NickDanger]

I am on an epic road trip in my SR5 currently stuck in Colorado Springs. I've crossed the continental divide and 6 mountain passes. My SR5 started running hot as I approached Colorado Springs. It seemed to not be overheating when I was moving good and not pushing the car. As I got closer to Colorado Springs, it got hotter and hotter. Managed to keep it out of the red part of the gage for the most part. I noticed the Heater wasn't working very good either. There is coolant in the reservoir. Anybody have any guess at what could be going on?

Nick

[Gottolovem]

Check the radiator fluid level not just the reservoir.
Is the reservoir to full like it's getting pushed out of the raidiator and into the reservoir?
You need to look at the hoses is the bottom one super soft and squishy?
Have you ever changed the t stat ?
How old is the radiator cap?

Where will your trip be taking you next?

[dlb]

i had the same symptoms on my first car, a dodge omni. turned out my rad had a leak. i had no idea about anything then though, and drove it till i overheated it. that was the end of the car, unfortunately (i actually really liked that car). so take a good look both in the engine bay and underneath the car for coolant leaks and repair as necessary. make sure to top up the rad and coolant reservoir but do this when the engine is stone cold, first thing in the day before you start driving. continue to carefully monitor your coolant levels the rest of the trip.

if there are no visible coolant leaks, it is likely your head gasket is marginal and should be replaced soon. it can still be driven in the meantime but keep an eye on the coolant level.

[yodasrus]

Most likely your Thermostat is bad.
Don't blow the head gasket with further driving

Good Luck

Thilo

[NickDanger]

Thanks for the responses. Found a pep boys open this Super Bowl Sunday morning and they are fixing a radiator hose leak, two bad belts, and the radiator cap.

[dlb]

is it super bowl day? oh boy. guess i'm shutting myself inside with the tv off.

glad it was all easy fixes! keep your eye on your temp and coolant levels anyways, though. you (almost) can't be too paranoid when driving an old car on a big road trip.

[Petros]

coolent level should be check in the radiator when it has cooled off. it is acting like it low on coolant, runs hot and not enough for the heater core. however, a loose belt that slips will also cause it run hot, and not circulate enough coolant to the heater to provide heat. If you hose is bad it needs replacing, but that would not cause it to run hot unless it caused a leak.

Is is very risky to allow the temp to get in the upper part of the gauge, the head gasket can be damaged if allowed to run hot, even if not in the red.

If your thermostat is more than 2 years old it would be a good idea to replace it too. though often when they go bad and do not open all the way, when you turn on the heater it will lower the temp since you are adding cooling capacity to the system by using the heater (it is like a small radiator under the dash). So if turning on the heater did not change the engine temp than it is not likely the thermostat.

Good luck