What does it mean when the engine keeps heating up?

[lamborg25]

I normally service my car regularly but one thing I have never been able to understand is why the engine keeps heating up in such a short time.

What is normally the cause for this?

 

[joeNmass]

If I had to guess I would image it could be thermostat issue or get one of those antifreeze meters, they only cost a couple of dollars and check if your antifreeze to water ration is okay.

 

[MaximumSpeed]

Have you checked to be sure that there is not a leak in the radiator? It seems that usually if there is a problem with overheating, there is a problem with fluid somewhere.

 

[Skippy]

It should not heat up past a normal range. If it is, then there is a problem. I would start with a thermostat and checking for leaks in your radiator and hoses.

 

[Donald]

I used to have an old truck that would start overheating if you were idle for more than a minute or two. Using the air conditioning would usually make it worse, but running the heater would help some. I think the problem might have involved the radiator, but I ended up selling it for other reasons before I tried to get it fixed.

 

[Hotrod25]

Is the vehicle an old vehicle? Sometimes they just run hot. Make sure your Radiator is full and check the other fluids too. If it's all good, then you should be fine. I always use to turn on the heater and that seemed to cool the car off.

 

[joeNmass]

Replace the thermostat. Its cheap and easy to replace on most cars. Probably $15 or less at most auto parts stores.