a little help please....

[fusion1027]

i recently purchased a 2003 marauder. i fell in love with it when i saw it on the lot of a local dealership and just had to get one. i love everything about this car, and am very glad that i bought it.

that being said, i am having one problem that i could use a bit of help with. living in the boston, the weather is kinda cold at the moment. when i get in my car to go someplace, i turn the heat/defroster on around 72-75 to get it warmed up then drop it down to 67-68. so now i start driving, car slowly heating up, when all of a sudden about 10 mins into the trip, it starts blowing cold air and the engine temp gauge starts climbing. it climbs all the way past the H into the red, then almost as soon as it gets there, boom, the heat comes back on full force and the temp drops back down to about halfway on the gauge. normally it only happens once on a trip, but today it happened twice within the span of 25 mins.

now, i have searched/read some of the threads on here about overheating, etc and was wondering if anyone had any definitive answers as to what may be wrong. also, the car is still under warranty, and i just want to make sure they pick up the tab since i am kinda short on the cash now.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Bigdogjim]

Sounds like a thermostat sticking?

[fusion1027]

thermostat, eh? sounds pretty straight-forward. i'm assuming this would be covered by the warranty, correct?

[DEFYANT]

T-stat? Yes. Covered? Yes.

[fusion1027]

thanks guys, i'll call the dealership tomorrow and schedule an appointment

[CRUZTAKER]

Get 'er done soon indeed. Overheating is very dangerous as we have seen in the past.

Easy fix, as long as the dealer knows how to properly 'burb' the system after the swap. Otherwise, you'll overheat within moents of leaving the lot. :shake:

[jgc61sr2002]

fusion - Welcome to the MM site. I tend to agree that the thermostat is sticking or there is air in the cooling system.

[LordVader]

:bows: Welcome to the wonderful world of Marauders, and I agree it sound like a thermostat sticking or air in the system.

[Go Mifuni]

i recently purchased a 2003 marauder. i fell in love with it when i saw it on the lot of a local dealership and just had to get one. i love everything about this car, and am very glad that i bought it.

that being said, i am having one problem that i could use a bit of help with. living in the boston, the weather is kinda cold at the moment. when i get in my car to go someplace, i turn the heat/defroster on around 72-75 to get it warmed up then drop it down to 67-68. so now i start driving, car slowly heating up, when all of a sudden about 10 mins into the trip, it starts blowing cold air and the engine temp gauge starts climbing. it climbs all the way past the H into the red, then almost as soon as it gets there, boom, the heat comes back on full force and the temp drops back down to about halfway on the gauge. normally it only happens once on a trip, but today it happened twice within the span of 25 mins.

now, i have searched/read some of the threads on here about overheating, etc and was wondering if anyone had any definitive answers as to what may be wrong. also, the car is still under warranty, and i just want to make sure they pick up the tab since i am kinda short on the cash now.

any help would be greatly appreciated.
Welcome Fusion!
Won't bother with the T-stat advice, it's been covered.
It's good to see another Mass Marauder! :D
Hope to see you at one of our gatherings.
Oh yeah,
Do you still have the BFG's mounted or snows?
If you plan to drive through the winter (as I must, though not through choice) it would be a good idea to get them off as mine wouldn't get out of it's own way with even a little snow. Plus I live on a hill. Check past threads for correct sizes so you don't throw off your speedo.
Again, WELCOME! :banana2:

[BillyGman]

I'd also say that it's likely the thermostat. however, I'm thinking that it might also be simply that the coolant level is too low, and needs to be filled. If the level is low enough, then you won't get heat. And perhaps it's possible that you only have enough coolant in it to cool the engine and also reach the heater core when it gets hot and it expands a little as the pressure in the radiator builds up. I've found it best to fill the coolant system by that little hex-head cap in the coolant pipe in front engine where it runs horizontally across the engine bay. That's the highest point of the coolant system, and is where you can get all of the air out as you're filling it (with the system cold ofcourse!!!).

[Patrick]

Welcome!!!!! :wave: :wave:

[MarauderMark]

i recently purchased a 2003 marauder. i fell in love with it when i saw it on the lot of a local dealership and just had to get one. i love everything about this car, and am very glad that i bought it.

that being said, i am having one problem that i could use a bit of help with. living in the boston, the weather is kinda cold at the moment. when i get in my car to go someplace, i turn the heat/defroster on around 72-75 to get it warmed up then drop it down to 67-68. so now i start driving, car slowly heating up, when all of a sudden about 10 mins into the trip, it starts blowing cold air and the engine temp gauge starts climbing. it climbs all the way past the H into the red, then almost as soon as it gets there, boom, the heat comes back on full force and the temp drops back down to about halfway on the gauge. normally it only happens once on a trip, but today it happened twice within the span of 25 mins.

now, i have searched/read some of the threads on here about overheating, etc and was wondering if anyone had any definitive answers as to what may be wrong. also, the car is still under warranty, and i just want to make sure they pick up the tab since i am kinda short on the cash now.

any help would be greatly appreciated.


This is what happened to mine the first time it overheated before the engine went.My wife was using it all night bought it home it sat for about 20 mins then i went around the block(long way of course) and the same thing happened.after i shut off the car about 5 mins everything was ok unlit i used the car the next night 10mins into the trip and the needle want all the way upthen i had to take it right home then the dealers the next day .getting 3/4 of the way there and having to pull over and leeting cool .then driving the rest of the way , getting it there while it was overheating , them seeing it like this , feeling the hoseses which he said felt odd. then calling me back 3 days later and saying they can't find anything wrong..then 1 week later Bamm!!

[BillyGman]

He was checking for the thermostat operation when he felt the radiator hoses. If the thermostat isn't opening by the time the engine gets to full operating temperature, then one hose will be hot, and the other will be cool, or luke warm. That's a clear indication on most engines that the water isn't being circulated through the entire system as it does when the thermostat is open at full operating temp.