|
Most likely, your radiator is in need of service. If it's the original rad, it's probably replacement time after 17 years. What you might try first, though, is to remove the radiator from the car and with nothing more powerful than a garden hose, blast out all the crud trapped in the cooling fins from back to forward. You really do have to take the rad out to do a good job of it - too much area is obscured if it's still in the car. You'll probably be surprised to see the amount of stuff that comes out. Take this opportunity to put in a fresh thermostat and gasket, and check the condition of all the hoses, including those little ones at the back of the engine that connect at the firewall.
When you reinstall the radiator, refill the system first with tap water (and make sure there's water in the block before you put the 'stat back in). Run it for a while and see if your overheating symptoms persist. If they do, then it really is new radiator time, and an OEM style is available for a reasonable price at fcpgroton. (I'm out in the AZ desert and that rad is just fine, even in the worst summer heat and in traffic.)
--
No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public - H.L. Mencken
|
