My temperatur guage usually sits at C. The other day it went up to about 3/4 Hot, but my dad and I checked the coolant levels in the radiator and it seemed fine. Last night on the way coming back from work it went hot again and seemed like it was having trouble getting going off stop signs. At home I parked it on the side of the road for 5-10 minutes so I could shovel snow out of my driveway. When I went to start the truck again, it would not start. It still does not start this morning. But I can turn on the headlights. What is wrong and how can I fix it?

Thanks.

check your thermostat

Thanks for answering. How would I do that?

The truck is running now, after changing the coolant and topping up the oil and jumpstarting it off my mom's car. We have it on a battery charger overnight. But I wonder if the temperature guage will go Hot again. How do I check the thermostat?

Thank you.

It should be located at either the top hose connecting to your radiator, or the lower one (most likely the top). You need to locate it and unscrew the hose, loosening the clamp. When the clamp is loose simply pull it from the radiator. (PLEASE NOTE: don't do this when it's hot, I don't want you to get burned here). Then locate the thermostat housing, and remove the bolts holding it in place, then simply lift out the old thermostat.

The type of new thermostat you need should be in your manual, if not, check with the dealer.

To install, simply reverse the instructions, making sure the hosing is securely fastened back onto the radiator.

PS, these are simple guidelines, as it is hard to type out full instructions on a forum. If you feel unsure at all I would take it to a mechanic for more assistance, shouldn't cost too much.

Good luck and remember DO NOT work on the radiator when the engine is hot. :)

You can be overheating and have full coolant. Since the truck was having problems running, it should like it overheated and did damage to the engine. A leak down test will give you a quick answer on engine health.

Since it got hot, you might have warped the head to the truck, get a compression test done on it to make sure thats not the problem. Other than that, check the thermostat like the guy said (its like a 5 min job, so dont take it to a mechanic) if you have any questions specifically to this job, just send me an e-mail and ill give you more detailed instructions

when you get the thermostat out boil it and see if it opens. if it was stuck open and were driving in stop and go chances are that you saturated the coolant with heat, leading to your overheat. if it doesnt open you know it was bad. replace. If it opens you know your pockets might get thin doing costly engine repairs btw what engine is it?