My car over heated the other night while my boyfriend was driving. Now my car wont start. Why?! More in the details.

SOURCE: '94 grand am cooling system failure

What engine do you have? One noted problem with the 4 cylinder engines is the reliability that at some point the intake will crack. I went through all the same things when I bought my 93. Drove off the lot, started overheating, replaced the thermostat and still had the problem without moving from the driveway. Look all around the intake. Make sure car is full of coolant and have the engine running. Most likely you will see a small coolant leak on the backside by the firewall. These cars were known for this problem. By the way if this is the problem make sure you take it to a reputable mechanic, make sure you get a new one installed. I had a used one and had the car back in the shop the next day. It then sat there for 2 more weeks while the used car dealer and I had a "discussion".

SOURCE: '97 Grand Prix 3.1L...Head Gasket? Manifold? Control Module?

Hi Melody- it feels like you could be right. it feels like your car was well worn when you got it. common causes of overheating are coolant too low, which is what i suspect was the case when you first got it. a stuck closed thermostat not allowing coolant to circulate. i assume you have an electric cooling fan- check to see if your fan motor is fried. you could also have large air pockets inside your cooling system which can give false coolant level. when you pour coolant into your radiator rather than your overflow tank, you introduce air into the cooling system that has to be purged by allowing the bubbles to work their way out through your radiator by squeezing your coolant hose you can assist the escape of these air pockets (with engine running) evidence of a cracked head can be presence of coolant in your engine oil-pull your oil dipstick and look. you say no evidence of coolant leakage, however, look underneath your car and check to see if there is coolant splatter surrounding the underside. it maybe that your car is maintaining enough pressure to run but when engine temps reach a point to where the radiator fan should kick on, and/or the thermostat should open to allow coolant flow and these things dont happen-the result is what you describe with no power and overheating that will eventually overstress your head(s) warped heads can cause the symptoms you describe. you can perform a compression test to help pinpoint a blown cyl. an idea for fixing your car for cheap would be to take it to your local high school auto shop. the only way kids learn the trade is by subject cars. ill bet you can even arrange them to pick it up. the will fix your car for cost. you would only need to supply whatever parts are needed to make the repair. its a win-win situation because they get to learn by fixing your car and you get to use your car for doing mommy things without fear of labor fees. which are around $120/hr. I hope i have helped you with your car good luck!

SOURCE: Car is over heating and going into the resovier.

If you have a white, milky fluid, you have moisture in the oil. No question on this. You may try retorquing the top of the engine (heads, intake, etc.). Change oil and filter. Now if this has electric motors for cooling (fans), make sure they are working. Don't overlook the obvious. Check the radiator cap. Cooling system must have pressure to function right. A bad cap could cause overheating.

Good Luck

SOURCE: 2000 Sunfire coolant problem. Engine overheating,

ok, its time for a radiator flush. there is major sludge in the internals of this radiator. Make sure the thermostat is in the correct position as well. I've seen many cars come into my shop with the thermostat inserted backwards.

SOURCE: When I bought the car, the previous owners put a

A hydraulic lifter can internally fail and not open and close the valve it serves as fully as it should. If a lifter is not going up and down at all, then the lifter and the camshaft have failed. That is serious and expensive to repair. Either condition will change the quality of the fuel charge in that cylinder and drastically affect the way the engine runs. A sticking lifter can sometimes be corrected by adding marvel oil to the engine oil. Otherwise it needs to be replaced. If original overheat was severe, don't forget to change the trans fluid...Trans is cooled by radiator and will change chemically when overheated, causing later damage to trans. Consult with the shop that did the work for you and get their opinion as to what needs to be done to correct the problem.