my car overheats and the heater isn't working?

Question

i just bought a 1998 mercury and now the heater doesn't work and after you drive it a little ways it starts to overheat. any idea?

Answer 1

Start easy and work your way up from there.

Is your coolant level OK? If not, add coolant, and find the leak.

If your coolant level is OK, then chances are your thermostat is bad. Have it replaced, and off you go.

Answer 2

Possibilities:

Low Fluid Level
Check it when it is cold and top it up if necessary.

Thermostat Sticking
Replace the thermostat, but you can normally, but not always tell by squeezing the rad hose that goes to the thermostat to see if it is hard and not displaing the fluid when you squeeze it. Careful if it is hot.

Water Pump or Fan Belt
This may be slipping and a visual inspection of the belt at the pulley will show you if the belt is not moving as fast as the pulley then the fan belt is stretched, if the belt is moving faster than the pulley then the water pump pulley is faulty. There is also the option of the fan teeth/blades in the pater pump being gone which there is no visual inspection for.

Temperature Sensor
There should be a engine light on in your dash if this is gone and if so, a computer hookup will confirm this.

Head Gasket
Check your oil and see if it is foamy and sweet tasting ( Yes, I said sweet tasting ) just a dab on your tongue and if it is sweet that is antifreeze in your oil and a sign that your head gasket is gone.

You should also have a loss of power, white steam/smoke out your exhaust and possibly oil which rose to the top of your antifreeze in your radiator.

Give those a try and good luck with it.

Answer 3

The heater gains it heat from the engines coolant. Sounds to me like there is a lack of flow in your engines coolant and being so, theres also a lack of coolant flow in your heater core. Id predict that either your thermostat isnt opening (most probable) or your waterpump isnt circulating the coolant (less probable). And being that the thermostat is more likely to be easily replaced than your waterpump, Id change it first. Good luck.

Answer 4

They're known for bad heater cores going but you may just have air in the system. Dont let it overheat much until you can get it checked out.

Answer 5

You have a coolant leak, basicly you car is very low on water. It does not have enough water to cool the engine and send hot water to your heater core. Get a mechanic to look at it for you. (wait until the engine cool down for about 2 hours then open up your radiator cap fill it with water and then go get help from your local mechanic

Answer 6

Your coolant is low, or, Your thermostat is stuck. First visualy check Your coolant level,(make sure the engine is cold.) add antifreeze if needed. If that doesn't help, get a mechanic,(one You know and trust) to check it out. Also, Your waterpump could be bad.

Answer 7

#1)You're Thermostat is stuck most likely. #2) You're out of coolant. Not enough water and antifreeze in the system. Least likely though.

Answer 8

you are out of coolant. the coolant is leaking out of the cooling system. could be a hose, heater core, radiator, head gasket, cracked head, ect.

Answer 9

I WILL GO AT IT THIS WAY,IF ITS A FORD WITH A HEAT PROBLEM, ID FIND OUT IF ITS A 3.8 MOTOR, IF SO CHECK ON A RECALL ITEM TO RELOCATE THE TEMP SENSOR. ON THE HEAT ITEM SEE IF IT HAS A SENSOR IN THE CAR PASSENGER AREA, IF ITS BAD THIS COULD BE THE PROBLEM. WE HAD A TAURUS THAT DEVELOPED THIS PROBLEM.

Answer 10

You are out of coolant or it has frozen in the lines.
Check the level and strength of your coolant.
Check for leaks.