Chevy S10 1998 2.2 L engine . In 105 degree temperature I was driving approx. 60 miles per hr when I started loosing power. It slowed to about 40 miles per hr, started smoking from under hood & smelled like something burning, motor died. Prior to all this I had checked & all fluids ok, except I didn't check the water reservoir tank. But it previously had water in the tank and never had run hot before with me. I let it cool until morning, checked & hoses looked ok, checked water tank & was empty. I put some water & antifreeze in it, turned air conditioner off, & tried to start it, no start. It turned over fine but wouldn't start.It doesn't sound like it's about to start. It just has a whining turning over & over useless sound. I tried and could not get the radiator cap off. it's not made like most.It's a plastic cap and doesn't look like it's made to let any steam escape. It has plenty of gas. Why won't it start now?
If the engine won't crank with compression in the cylinders, either the head gasket has blown or something else major has happened.
You will have to get it towed to a shop.
If it cranks normally but won't start, you have to figure out if it is a fuel or ignition problem.
Did the temp gauge show it was overheating before it died ?
No, the temp gauge didn't show anything wrong. I heard a faint clicking sound, wondered what it was, and since the gauges were all ok and I was only about 1 mile from home I kept going.. When I could see my driveway ahead the truck started loosing power and I tried to go the little distance left but white smoke/steam started coming from the hood & the engine died so I pulled over. I had someone pull me on home with a rope. Next morning I removed radiator cap and saw no water. I put about 3 gal water in but it was slowly loosing it somewhere around the motor, not underneath the radiator. But it still turned over when I tried to start it after putting water in, so I thought it could be fixed. My ex looked at it and said the motor is ruined because there's water in it. I noticed the water it was leaking looked like it had a little oil in it. I was told it blew or cracked the head and got all in the cylinders, and that it couldn't be fixed. I learned something new. I didn't know it could go from fine to totally ruined from overheating that quickly. It's been many years since I had one run hot. But back then, they could run hot, smoke, and engine die and if you let it cool off and add water it would run again. Someone said it's because of what they are made out of these days. Thank you for responding.
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SOURCE: I have a 1998 Dodge
Sounds like you got a tank of bad gas. That would easily cause your issues. Start by draining as much as you can, put a can of Seafoam in there, add a few gallons of fresh gas, drive to the gas station and tank up, and run that tank down until your gas light comes on before adding more. You may end up needing a fuel filter or plugs again, but with minimal run time on the bad gas, you'll probably be fine.
SOURCE: I was driving my truck
Hello and welcome to FixYa!
As a first course of action, I strongly suggest that you check the fuses of radiator fan and condenser fan motor for they may be blown that's why they are not running. This is one reason why you have heating irregularities.
If the fuses are good please try this trick. Remove the positive battery connector, let it sit for atleast 5mins. then reconnect it. This will reset the system and can get it back to it's normal operation.
Hope this helps and thank you for using FixYa! Have a good one!
SOURCE: 1996 Acura 3.2TL Overheating Problem...
From your description of symtoms it sounds like you have a bad water pump. If the coolant is not circulating properly you will have a heating problem. Sometimes even a new thermostat can stick and cause the engine to overheat. I have seen them fail in as little as a week after they were installed.
SOURCE: Radiator cap allows overheated fluid to backpressure reservoir
Sounds like a sticking thermostat (temp up/down).
In an emergency, you can remove it, but replace it soon.
I otherwise suspect the radiator fan, but it shouldn't overheat if you are on a highway going faster than 50mph (enough air blows through the engine compartment).
Everything else you describe does not indicate any other solution.
I suppose it could be the radiator fan RELAY SWITCH or loose wire to it.
Hope this helps....
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I forgot to tell you.....about a mile before it started loosing power, it started making a light clicking noise, when I let off the gas I couldn't hear it, give it gas it started again.
It's a 5 speed and after the smoke etc. as I was changing gears it died.
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