I asked this question earlier this week and got a lot of great answers - thanks!
One bit of info I ommitted - my car does not overheat when the AC is off - it runs just fine. The overheating problem occurs only when the AC is on and I am stuck in traffic.
My car is overheating while sitting in traffic during the hot summer heat with the AC ON.
What happens is this:
1. Begin to get into traffic - slowing down or a complete stop.
2. After a few minutes in traffic, the AC begins to blow hot air.
3. A few minutes after that, the temperature gauge goes through the roof.
The AC works fine with the temp guage having no problems when there is no traffic - it blows cold and the guage stays at the mid-point.
As soon as I get into traffic, bam - AC blows hot and the gauge goes hotter.
Why?
2006-09-30 10:54:33 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
ive had a similar problem with my car, i drive a 93 honda accord, what i would do if i were you is get your radiator fans checked to make sure they work , some cars have 2 fans and they both cut on when you use the ac if only one works then your car will probably overheat, cause your motor has to work harder when your ac is onand needs aditional cooling, also once a year either YOU or a mechanic flush your radiator and refill. check your coolant level in the overflow container. wouldnt hurt to replace your thermostat either, cheap measure will save you alot of money.
2006-09-30 11:23:04 · answer #1 · answered by Brody W 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The thermostat could be stuck in the closed position, or your cooling fan (behind the radiator) might not be running while the A/C is on. The fan has to be running, or the A/C will not run (this happens automatically to help keep the car from overheating). I'm not sure, but I imagine that the A/C would automatically shut off when the engine reaches a certain temperature, too.
2006-09-30 23:56:36 · answer #2 · answered by lj1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you looked under the hood? Is your fan working with a/c on/off ? Is there any water/coolant in your radiator? Is the thermostat working ?If you can't check those things and can't afford to take it to a shop than you should sell your car and ride the bus , walk or ride a bike!
2006-09-30 11:05:17 · answer #3 · answered by budlowsbro420 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check if the cooling fans in front of the radiator are workingand if so then have the anti-freez level checked to see if it is low .
2006-09-30 11:11:18 · answer #4 · answered by Err 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is it your blower in the car you are speaking about? If it is its simply a stuck thermostat , if its real A/C then maybe choked cooling fins
2006-09-30 10:58:55 · answer #5 · answered by Paul Sabre 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cars usually do this when you're idling such as at a stop light or traffic. It may also need freon.
2006-09-30 11:03:01 · answer #6 · answered by First Lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had this happen to my car also, I found that I had two cooling fans and one of them wasn't working.
2006-09-30 11:02:18 · answer #7 · answered by Mark G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds as though the thermostat is stuck or a hose is sucking shut
2006-09-30 11:05:18 · answer #8 · answered by nbr660 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋