The temperature gauge on my car says HOT. What should I do?

You are looking at serious expense - usually $1000-$2000 - if you drive overheated. Something is wrong with your car. If you are low on coolant (a very likely situation) there is a leak.

A good place to start is to top up the coolant first and see how it behaves. The owner's manual says where to put it in and how much it needs. You can get a gallon of Dexcool premix at an auto parts store for about $10. If that stops the overheating, check the level every day. If it is dropping you can look for a leak yourself - it will show up as a wet spot around the engine or as drips where you park. If the level does not drop check it every time you get gas (don't open the pressure cap when the engine is hot!).

Low coolant in a Dexcool system, especially in a first year Dexcool system like your 1996, is bad news. It is identified as the main cause of sludge - look at the first source. Nobody has found a flush that affects this sort of sludge.

Hi Jiveland;

Well lemme give ya the straight scoop ...no jiving.

It is obvious you haven't a clue as to how to fix your car or even the ramifications of driving it with the temp gauge showing hot ....so what point would it be for anyone here in AnswerLand to tell you how it should be fixed?

You need to find a good, highly recommended local shop or dealership...someplace that's not gonna rip you off ... and bring your car in for them to look at. Dealerships these days are very competitive with independent shops so do not discount the dealer. If in fact your gauge is true and you are running hot, continued operation of the engine like this will destroy it and potentially leave you stranded somewhere. So, yes, you need to be worried ...very.

My advice? Quit driving the car. Find a good local shop or even a dealership and bring the car in to have them diagnose and repair it. Realize that it may require a lot of money to repair. If you've treated your car like a hair dryer over the years ...neglected normal routine maintenance ...blew off fixing things when they needed to be done ...then your false economy, ignorance or laziness is now about to take a big bite out of your ....assets.

And that's no jive.

Check your coolant level, if low, add some Dexcool. And then take it straight away to a shop to diagnose the problem, which might be any number of problems within the cooling system such as the thermostat, water pump, radiator, hoses, etc.

It is usually that the connector to the temp sensor is corroded or unfastened. I had this equal thing occur with my stay away from Sundance and i determined that the connector was once very loose. I cleaned the terminals and crimped the connector to make it tighter and no problems since.

youre car is doomed unless you pay the man to pour something in.btw he wont pour something in,he will fix the problem and itll be like getting your nose pierced with a rusty shovel.expensive.hmmm auto shop sounds more interesting now doesnt it.

You should open all of the car doors and lt out all the heat because it's chilly this morning.

Is there water/antifreeze in the radiator?????