here's how it started:

driving home from tahoe, i hit some stop n go and while sitting in traffic i happened to notice my temp gauge creeping up. so i pulled over and everything was ok, no more trouble for the rest of the drive.

today, i only drove twice, about 5-7 minutes each time. both drives when i was sitting in traffic at idle, the temp gauge creeps up to the red. and then goes back down as i begin to move faster.

i'm thinking either the fan clutch is done or the thermostat is done.

any other help would be great as i'm moving for college soon and i'd really like to have my baby working.
thanks.

 

check the coolant first. is the rad full? is it clean looking? is the rad cap in good shape?

 

i'll check that when the sun comes back up but i did replace the cap as well as flush the whole system in feb.

thanks for the reply.

 

update.

pretty sure it's the fan clutch. when i drive it's fine, but when theres no wind (and i don't think the fan kicks in) it starts to overheat. lame.

can anyone tell me if it's very indepth to replace the fan clutch?

 

It takes a lot for that fan to come on. I don't think it would have needed to come on unless it was hot outside. I would check the thermostat first.

 

does it temp gauge jump right back down? or is it a creep up creep down. maybe you just need to burp your baby.

 

I've had 3 cherokees, and they are notorious for having a creepy temp gauge. Thermostat worked every time (along with a burp ) I ended up getting a cooler temp thermostat than the factory recommended, but that wasn't a yota.

 

i have no idea about the cooling system. so if someone could point me in the direction of the thermostat along with an explanation of how to "burp" it. that'd be more than great.

thanks for being patient all.

 

Park on a slight uphill (front end facing up the hill) start the truck and open up the rad cap.

I think thats how you do it.

 

are you serious?

 

the burp: basically air bubbles can get in to your cooling system. when hot air hits the temp gauge, it will read hot and then it can cool down pretty quickly when the coolant starts flowing again. start the truck cold with the cap off. let the air work its way out of the system. coolant will most likely bubble up and out of the radiator. not as in a boiling manner, but a bulging, ive got air coming behind me kind of deal. let this run its course, and fill the radiator with coolant allowing it to get all the air out, and keeping up on the coolant. cap her up/fill the reserve and youre good to go.

 

Your best bet would be to get one of these...

It is a deep funnel with radiator cap adapters. Pour in coolant til the funnel fills up about half way, then fire up the truck and let it sit until the thermostat opens. At this point, you should see air bubbles coming out of the coolant. Just let the truck run until they stop. Squeezing the radiator hoses periodically helps, too. This also saves you from getting coolant everywhere. When you are done, shut off the truck, put the plug in the funnel neck and remove the adapter. Reinstall your radiator cap and you should have zero air in the system.