SOS.911!!

Ok after driving 120 to palmdale and 120 back home today for the maxima meet and car show, I parked my car at home and took a nap before going out to dinner.

So I'm on the freeway and I notice my steering is kinda tight. Then I look at my guages and i see that my car is overheating. I exit and realize my powersteering is out too!! So i turn on the hot air and roll down the windows. BUT, barely and hot air is coming out. I stop at a gas station, pop the hood and i see the reservoir tank is full with coolant. Not wanting to open up the radiator cap, I shut the hood drive home with the hot air on (which was still blowing mild warm air) and get home. Engine sounds fine, all the belts are there and spinning.

I had to hop into my sister's car and drive out for dinner. Anyone know what the heck is going on>???

PLEASE HELP!

 

How many miles??? Maybe the water pump...

 

Did you break a belt?

 

Umm, all belts are intact and running. Water pump have been changed i'd say about 10K ago

 

The car should be cool now. That 'resevoir' is actually a coolant overflow tank. It did its job. Try restarting the car and seeing if it over heated. Doing 120 causews alot of heat buildup in your engine and cooling sstem, and maybe the car couldn't handle it.

 

well actually after i got home from dinner last night. I started it just to test out the powersteering and it still wasn't working. I'm gonna check the fluids when I get home from work today.

Why wasn't my heater blowing out hot air though? It was only luke warm.

 

The blower mixes hot air with the outside air, you were probably getting the effect of the outside air.

 

Well what did you expect, you have a 10 year old car. Doing 120 in it is a huge stress on the engine.

If everything is fine after the engine cools down, then count your blessings, and don't do 120 again!

 

120 miles!!! I live 120miles away from palmdale!! I wasn't driving 120MPH.

What's with the criticism? I'm just asking for help with the problems I have with the engine. I don't need a lecture on how I shouldn't take my car to 120 (which I didn't). If someone has usefule information, please respond, otherwise don't.

The car did have a chance to cool down. Please read the entire post before giving me remarks like that.

 

your first post is a bit vague.. you said 120 to and 120 back.. if meant 120 in distance.. why would you then say you did 120 back? one would assume that if you drove 120 miles there you would also do 120 miles back..

 

Even though the belts are still on, make sure the underside (the piece that hits the pulley) is not glazed or slick. When the motor is on, check to see if the PS pulley is moving.

Do you have 0 PS? or just very little?
Are you still having heat issues?

 

ZERO ps. Didn't drive the car today. I have to check it out when I get home.

 

so if a car is more than 10 years old then you can't drive it over a certain mph?

 

That would suck to own those nice old big blocks from the 60's and 70's then huh? 69 Camaro SS comes to mind as well as the old GTO Judges or even the special edition Olds Cutlass

 

If you are low on coolant, your car won't blow hot air out the HVAC.
Also, if you seized a pump or something, an intact belt won't help.