Why is my car overheating but it has plenty of coolant?

Question

Why is my car overheating when it has plenty of coolant?

My car started overheating today and almost didn't make it home. I pulled over and let it cool down and checked the coolant level after it cooled down and it had plenty of coolant in it.

What could be causing my car to overheat when it has plenty of coolant?

Answer 1

If your car is overheating when it has coolant then your radiator might be clogged or you might have a bad thermostat.

If your cars radiator is clogged then the coolant can't flow through the radiator and it can't cool the engine.

It's also possible that your water pump could be going out or the fins in your pump could have corroded away and it can't pump any coolant through your engine.

I've seen that happen a few times where the fins on the water pump that push the coolant through the water pump have corroded to nothing.

This mostly happens because of contaminated coolant or running straight water in your car for emergencies.