Guess my auto problem

[Dave G]

I deliver pizzas in my own car. I've been laying around for a week because my car started to overheat when I started back to my apt. from my parent's house.
I managed to get my car to their house again, and I had to wait until my stepdad got a chance to work on it. He spent most of the day today working on it and here is what happened:
My car is a Mazda 626, 1998 model. It is so hard to work on a mechanic that had it once had to take off the motor mounts and lift the entire engine up in order to change a simple water pump. My battery ran down as well as overheating, so it looked just like a thrown belt...the belt connected to the alternator (hence no battery juice) and the water pump (so no cooling). He worked on it all afternoon, and when he got the belt on he called me.
I started out for home and the danged car started to overheat again, and the oil light was blinking on and off. Odd that it wasn't steady, and odd because it had plenty of oil in it.
My stepdad thinks that the car may just be too worn out to work, and if that's the case I'll be spending all of my savings and borrowing just to get another used car. Crap.

So can anybody give me suggestions on what the problem might be?

[$cirisme]

Did the mechanic change the pump out properly?

[Dave G]

Yes, that was probably done at least a year ago. I think I've been delivering now for about 9 months. hum...maybe a year and a half.

[SlapShot]

Change the thermostat. Only cost a couple of bucks.

[Dave G]

Hahah! I didn't even think of that. I'll try that tomorrow...hopefully that's all it is.

[SlapShot]

Start cheap!
Then get a kickin' stereo!

[Dave G]

yeh...that buying a new car would really cut off my new stereo purchase (and I actually have been saving for one.)

[Dave G]

OK,..it wasn't the thermostat, radiator is full, belt is replaced...maybe a blocked radiator, maybe (please no) a blown head gasket.
It runs without overheating when not being driven, it ran for half an hour parked, but when it was driven for about a mile, it overheated again.

Anybody know of a reliable cheap car?

[Glenn P]

If/when you get it fixed, sell it while it is working, then buy a toyota.

[luv1another]

have you checked the timing? if the timing is out it can cause the engine to run at a higher temp.

also did you change the relay?

also do you have an oxygen sensor? could be something to do with that.

also it might help to do a search online for the model and make and the problem there are forums on cars

[Crow]

OK,..it wasn't the thermostat, radiator is full, belt is replaced...maybe a blocked radiator, maybe (please no) a blown head gasket.
It runs without overheating when not being driven, it ran for half an hour parked, but when it was driven for about a mile, it overheated again.

Anybody know of a reliable cheap car?

If you want to check for a head gasket problem, check the radiator fluid for signs of contamination. If y'all want to check for a blocked radiator, take off the radiator cap, prop the hood open, and start the car. Give it a couple of minutes or so and then look into the radiator and see if you can see the fluid circulating. A constricted radiator will show little to no circulation. This isn't as much of a problem idling, but it gets worse the faster you go.

Or, you could just beg Pixie to tell you what it is.

[Jimmy Higgins]

If/when you get it fixed, sell it while it is working, then buy a toyota.

That sounds rather disingenuous.

[Darth Executor]

two sad things about this thread:

1. Women are giving more advice than men
2. I have no idea what the hell they said

[Dave G]

It's fixed. It turned out to be what I initially thought, the oil. It was the first thing I checked, and all I can figure is the oil under pressure moved up the dipstick, or else I'm blind as a bat in the dark. All the signs pointed to the oil (except the oil light didn't stay on), and finally my step-dad checked the oil again. I can't complain, he went ahead and gave it a tune -up, so now it runs better than ever.
Now I know about 10 things to check when a car overheats.

[Tickle Me Mercury]

If/when you get it fixed, sell it while it is working, then buy a toyota.

Hah! I was just gonna say that!

Dave, I recently bought a Toyota Yaris for $12000. It's tiny, and great on gas. I pay 250 a month, that's with no trade in, very little money down, and the "platinum" warranty (Bumper to bumper, 7 years, 100k miles).