My 1998 Jeep wrangler overheating!!!!!!

[the23rdman]

1071617

So i'm driving down th ehighway when i look down and the "check gauges light" comes on and the temp is up to the red. I pull over let it sit for 10 minutes and restart the gauge goes back down to halfway (210) and i continue driving. I get home replace thermostate flush and fill the radiator and also replaced serp belt as it hasn't been replaced. I drive the car for 3 days all is fine Then today on the way to work it overheats again, this time i pull over and shut of but left key in ig so i could watch the tekp gauge. For about 3 -5 minutes it stayed in the red then suddenly it drops down to the halfway point and i drive off. I was doing like 70-80 gauge didn't budge from 210(halfway). Also i was watching the gauge as i was driving and it stayed on 210 then jumped to the red in like 2 seconds no warm up or anything. So i took can to firestone they checked it all out and said that the radiator needs to be replaced and the want $500. Now the radiator in the car is not 5 years old as some jackass plowed into my front end about 3 years ago and it was replaced by the collision shop. Any ideas anyone could the radiator be bad. Oh the firestone guys said that they let it warm up and one part of the radiaot was hot and the other part was not. I ttok it back and i will take it to jeep dealer to see what they say but would like some input. By the way this all started the day i took the hardtop off and i got new tires last week.
thanks :-( [addsig]

 

[Utah_jeepster]

1071645

By your description and the service techs you have hot and cold sections in your radiator it sounds like you have some plugged cores. I would find a radiator shop that specialises in radiators and have them rod it. (pushing a heavy wire through the cores to remove the plugged up ones. What it sounds like is you have some type of forien material floating through your coolant syatem giving you a pereotic over heated situation. And most radiator shops are cheaper since that is all that they deal with.

I think you will find that the dealer is a bit more expensive than your goodyear dealer but a good radiator shop should beat both on price and knowlage in helping you find this problem.

Good luck and I hope you get it fixed.
[addsig]

 

[MORGSTER]

1071701

This is an excerpt from a previous post with some added input: 1989 YJ 4.2 I-6

Previous post:
Last year, during a hot spell, I noticed the temp gauge reading about 220, which is hotter than usual in my YJ. Always keeping my Jeep in good running order, I decided to go through my cooling system and replace the radiator, water pump, thermostat, hoses, and coolant mix. (A benefit of having a Jeep for so many years is all of those parts previously installed are now being replaced under warranty, this makes it easier to trouble shoot. L.O.L. Just replace it all)(I do the work myself, No labor $$$, but you get the point,)

All of those parts changed made no difference in the temp reading. But I did feel better knowing that they were fresh. Leaving only a few options other than internal problems, next I decided to replace the temperature gauge sender.
(Problem Solved)
Note: Dealer price quoted at parts department $24.95
Dealer price quoted by service writer $31.95 + install (Way too much!!!)
Price at local part store $12.95 (2 minutes to change)(It pays to shop)
Now it runs 195 degrees all day all night (195 degree t-stat)

Never thought the sender would create such a false reading.
I was used to them either working or not

Added input:
If you do need to rod out or replace your radiator, removing and replacing it yourself usually saves some money and, in a Jeep it's rather easy to do. :roll:

F.Y.I. I replaced mine with a brand new "Modine" 3-row radiator with internal automatic transmission cooler that ran me $150.00, purchased at my local radiator shop. (You can also find them online, go to Google search, type in Modine Radiators and shop away) This is a quality part with a lifetime warranty.
Back on the original date, before I had replaced the radiator, the shop quoted me $40 to $50 to rod out the old one, which would have been fine, but thinking ahead, buying the new one seemed the better way to go. I liked the warranty.

Problem solved and warranted forever.
[addsig]