1996 Chevrolet Cavalier Logo
Anonymous Posted on Aug 07, 2009

96' Cavalier coolant light on, replaced thermostat, fan not on

The past couple of days my 96' Cavalier has a slight smell like the beginning stages of overheating. The temp gauge stays where it always does, sometimes it raises a little bit higher, but not red line. The coolant gauge comes on saying I need to add coolant, but it is full. It doesn't smoke or anything and when I drive faster or give it gas when in park the temp gauge goes a little bit lower.

I replaced the thermostat, but it was still having the same problem. I turned on my AC and let it run for a bit. I noticed the fan was not kicking on. Help?

  • 1 more comment 
  • Anonymous Aug 07, 2009

    I honestly do not know a lot about cars. How do I know if the a/c compressor kicks in?

  • Anonymous Aug 07, 2009

    It's not leaking.

  • Anonymous Aug 07, 2009

    And it doesn't over heat.

×

3 Answers

Anonymous

Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Governor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 20 times.

Hot-Shot:

An expert who has answered 20 questions.

  • Expert 60 Answers
  • Posted on Aug 07, 2009
Anonymous
Expert
Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Governor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 20 times.

Hot-Shot:

An expert who has answered 20 questions.

Joined: Aug 07, 2009
Answers
60
Questions
0
Helped
35746
Points
172

Hi ! first ,does your a/c compressor kick in when you turn on the a/c ? if it does but your fans dont then check for blown fuses ,if all fuses are good then if you have a test light see if you have power going to the fans with the a/c on .if you have power then you may have a bad fan ,that can cause your temp to go up ,try that and get back to us!

  • Anonymous Aug 07, 2009

    when your car is running look down at your a/c compressor ,with the a/c off you will see on the outside of the pulley there will be a piece that is not spinning along with the pulley ,thats your a/c clutch ,when the a/c is off that wont be engaged ,then turn on your a/c and look down at the pulley ,the piece that was not spinning now should be spinning ,if it is then you a/c should be working if not then you have another situation going on ,if its engaging then your fan or fans sholud kick on ,if ther not ,you should have a shop look at it ,because there could be several diffrent things that could cause your fans to not work and if there not kicking on it will normally get warmer than its supposed to or possibly over heat on you . Its hard to tell whats going on without being right there to look at it ,hope this helps you !

×

Anonymous

Level 3:

An expert who has achieved level 3 by getting 1000 points

All-Star:

An expert that got 10 achievements.

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Vice President:

An expert whose answer got voted for 100 times.

  • Master 462 Answers
  • Posted on Aug 07, 2009
Anonymous
Master
Level 3:

An expert who has achieved level 3 by getting 1000 points

All-Star:

An expert that got 10 achievements.

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Vice President:

An expert whose answer got voted for 100 times.

Joined: May 21, 2009
Answers
462
Questions
0
Helped
289626
Points
1803

The 2.2 L engine has a head gasket leak problem on the front drivers side of the engine.
The head will also get cracked when overheated.

The 2.4L will leak at the water pump weep hole.

Either one is an expensive fix.

Ad

jatncbeach

Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

All-Star:

An expert that got 10 achievements.

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Vice President:

An expert whose answer got voted for 100 times.

  • Expert 225 Answers
  • Posted on Aug 07, 2009
jatncbeach
Expert
Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

All-Star:

An expert that got 10 achievements.

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Vice President:

An expert whose answer got voted for 100 times.

Joined: Aug 06, 2009
Answers
225
Questions
0
Helped
93431
Points
753

Sound like your coolant temp sensor runs your fans.

1 Related Answer

Anonymous

  • 1 Answer
  • Posted on Aug 05, 2009

SOURCE: 96' Cavalier coolant light comes on

I thought it may have to do something with the thermostat. I went to the parts store today. My manual said 195, at the parts store they have 160, 180, and 192. Is 160 too low? should I go with 180?

Ad

Add Your Answer

×

Uploading: 0%

my-video-file.mp4

Complete. Click "Add" to insert your video. Add

×

Loading...
Loading...

Related Questions:

0helpful
1answer

Car runs cool

see if the carpet is damp on the pass. side . if it is you need to replace the heater core . if it isn't check under the hood for a leak in one of the hoses
0helpful
2answers

2005 kia sportage sweet smell in cabin

That would be antifreeze check radiator for coolant and if you have heat then check thermostat if equipped with one
1helpful
2answers

2003 chevy cavalier with no heat and temperature doesn't rise past 40 degrees engine code P0128 comes up when checked and the thermostat and radiator have been replaced still isn't fixed what do i do?

A code P0128 may mean that one or more of the following has happened:
  • Low engine coolant level
  • Leaking or stuck open thermostat
  • Faulty cooling fan (running too much)
  • Faulty coolant temperature (ECT) sensor
  • Faulty intake air temperature (IAT) sensor
Possible Solutions
1helpful
1answer

96 Cavalier continues to overheat and blow cold air through the vents. I replaced the thermostat and waterpump and that didn't fix the problem.

If you don't have any noticeable coolant leaks, you might want to check the fan or fans if you have 2, start car and when it starts to overheat check to see if the fan is working. good Luck.
0helpful
1answer

Radiator is bent slightly and leaking coolant

First of all, when the engine is running do you see a coolant leak ? If so, just correct that problem. Sometimes even if the rad. is bent a little, it might not leak. If it is a hose broken, then this is not expensive and you can do the repair yourself. If the rad. needs to be replaced try the scrap yard ( wreckers ) say less than 50 bucks gets you a good rad. Next time when it snows, leave the car in the driveway.
3helpful
3answers
0helpful
2answers

96' Cavalier coolant light comes on

you might have to put in a lower temp.thermastat so like if it has a 195 put in like 180 or whatever you can get that is cooler than whats in it and it should say the temp.right on the old thermastat.Call a parts house and ask them what temp ranges of thermastats they have for your year make and model of car.
1helpful
1answer

96 cavalier overheating

You have a front wheel drive car so it requires and electric fan motor which in turn requires a temp sensor to tell it to turn on. The sensor should be on the radiator itself. Check that the connector to the senor and the motor are tight and if the wiring checks ok then I'd go for the sensor first.
The reason it cools while driving is the natural flow of air at driving speed.
Not finding what you are looking for?

748 views

Ask a Question

Usually answered in minutes!

Top Chevrolet Experts

ZJ Limited
ZJ Limited

Level 3 Expert

17989 Answers

john h

Level 3 Expert

29494 Answers

Thomas Perkins
Thomas Perkins

Level 3 Expert

15088 Answers

Are you a Chevrolet Expert? Answer questions, earn points and help others

Answer questions

Manuals & User Guides

Loading...