My car keeps overheating. What's wrong?

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Relatives have been given us a 2002 Holden Astra Equipe for my daughter. It has extremely low km, just 68,000.

There seems to be problem with the engine heating too quickly. I was in the car driving only for five minutes and the temp gauge rose quickly to halfway. It also cuts out when you are driving, obviously getting too hot.

Any ideas? RACQ roadside assistance said it could be a thermostat problem or a cooling issue.

Answered by CarsGuide

20 April 2018

Graham Smith

Getting to the halfway mark on the gauge in five minutes doesn’t sound like a problem, providing it sits there and doesn’t go any higher. The gauge will move up relatively quickly while the thermostat is closed during warm-up, but once the thermostat opens the gauge should remain steady. If it continues to climb it could be that the thermostat is stuck and not opening.

Others things to check are the coolant level, coolant leaks, and make sure the thermo fan is working.

Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.

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