TJ 2001 overheats when stopped

Ginger Rivera

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Joined
Sep 18, 2022
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5
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Puerto Rico
For 3 occasions I have stopped in the jeep for 6 or 10 minutes and the jeep heats up to the maximum. I have already changed everything, Fan Clutch, Radiator, water pump, thermostat, even the complete engine was repaired because the mechanic said that due to a failure it had it could be the problem. I don't know what else to change. I have been suggested to change to an electric fan, others tell me to change the radiator to a larger one. I would like to hear from this forum and pray that can help. thanks
 
When the engine was repaired by the mechanic and all the cooling system parts were replaced; was a complete chemical FLUSH of the engine block performed to remove the rust build up?
Rust build up inside the engine block and head decreases the heat removal by the radiator.
 
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CharlesHS

sorry for the delay, hurricane Fiona left us without internet. I asked the mechanic and he answered yes.

Yes doesn’t mean truth.

It is overheating for a reason- that jeep was due a cooling system overhaul likely and may not have been done thoroughly. You need another shop to check it, and make sure you have a good radiator cap. Some fail under pressure.
 
You're right, as soon as they fix the traffic lights and restore the power here in PR, I'll go out in the jeep to look for other evaluations. Thank you

Good luck, keep us posted. Your name is pretty.

This forum can be of help to you- the search engine will show you similar topics we have had. Your issue is not uncommon- I would make sure the coolant looks clean- if it does not it is still getting debris from not being flushed properly. Be persistent, your jeep likely has many good years left.
 
This forum can be of help to you- the search engine will show you similar topics we have had. Your issue is not uncommon- I would make sure the coolant looks clean- if it does not it is still getting debris from not being flushed properly. Be persistent, your jeep likely has many good years left.
I'll be persistent, my jeep only has 87,000 miles on it. I will follow the advice given here. oooo and thanks for liking my name.
 
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ASSuming everything was replaced with Mopar/quality parts, then a good flushing with Thermocure followed by filling and draining with distilled water until it drains clear is easy to do and not expensive.
 
ASSuming everything was replaced with Mopar/quality parts, then a good flushing with Thermocure followed by filling and draining with distilled water until it drains clear is easy to do and not expensive.


The only piece that I didn't install original, was the fan clutch, because I couldn't find it original. But I will follow your advice. Thank you
 
You're right, as soon as they fix the traffic lights and restore the power here in PR, I'll go out in the jeep to look for other evaluations. Thank you

Have you pressure tested the cooling system?

Have you visually confirmed that your fan is turning?

Using your hand or using an IR gun, have you confirmed that all the hoses are warm (and that your thermostat is open)? I believe the hose at the top of the radiator will not feel as hot if your thermostat is not open.

If you aren't sure, I'd confirm that your thermostat is the proper 195f and is opening up (test it by boiling it in water and see if it opens). Doing so will also you a visual on if it's new or not.

If your system was super rusty it's possible that your iron water jackets are clogged up from the corrosion (much like how arteries clog up from high cholesterol). If nothing else solves your issue, I'd probably flush the system from the block and run Thermocure with distilled water. Just know that if it's super rusty and your freeze plugs are rusty, it will remove that rust and could result in the freeze plugs needing to be also changed.

Thermocure will also eat away at flakes of rust in there that might be hindering circulation. Was your radiator changed before or after the supposed flush and engine block was drained? If changed before a proper flush, it could be clogged. You don't want to continuously chase your tail on this. If your thermostat and pump are good and your system isn't leaking, I'd crack open the engine block's drain port. If it's super hard to open then they likely didn't drain it, which means you need to logically start the process over and not trust that any work was done (correctly) until you verify.

I don't believe your issue is due to not having an E-fan. Many of us delete e-fans and go with a mopar viscous fan clutch (me included). Speaking of Mopar, all these parts that were installed should be Mopar if you want a solid reliable system. The Mopar thermostat and water pump aren't all that expensive and are known to work in the harshest of summer conditions.

My system was so rusty that I did two separate batches of Thermocure that I got on Amazon. You will want to run the vehicle with just Thermocure and distilled water. Then flush it multiple times until the water isn't black anymore...you can run a second batch of Thermocure when the water starts to clear up if you want to do it again (rather than wasting those final flushes to get it clear, just to add another batch and start all over again flushing it days to a week later depending on how often you are able to run your engine without causing it to overheat).
 
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That it only overheats while you're sitting still indicates a problem with the fan or, more likely, the fan clutch. The fan does little while you're driving since air is blowing through the radiator but it's critical when you're sitting still so I'm betting it's not pulling enough air from a slipping fan clutch. I'm wondering if your mechanic installed a cheap store brand fan clutch. I'd have it replaced with a known good fan clutch like a Mopar or Hayden.

One more thing it could be besides the fan clutch. Look to see that the shroud that surrounds the fan is still installed or isn't broken and missing chunks. The fan shroud is critical too since it forces the air the fan is pulling to come through the radiator.