Yeo, here's my dilemma. Just did a tune-up and have new (3 months old) cooling system components. Car overheats intermitently which i find odd. It will only overheat at a stop SOMETIMES and when i start to go the temp gauge needle just doesn't go back down slowly it litterally drops back down to a "safe" level. I don't even really have to be moving much...just get on the throttle a bit and the needle drops back down. I drove the car around the block kinda hard to simulate a longer drive....having only gone around once i parked back in my driveway and sat there to see if the needle would go up......sure enough it did creeped up slowly. I backed out (needle dropped back down) and went around one more time and then parked in my driveway again and the temp gauge stayed where it should be and would not rise. like 2 min. after my gurlfriend took the car (to go tanning of all things) and told me that it was completely fine while she was out and when she got back.

Now i'm pretty sure it's air in the cooling system BUT the rad, cap, upper and lower rad hoses and t-stat are basically brand new with new coolant. the overflow tank is empty however. I'm PRETTY sure i recall the overflow tank being empty since the dude that swapped the rad put in the new shit. I put off adding coolant to the overflow tank for like 3 months. Since all stuff was new and pressure tested i was wondering how air could have gotten in. Is it possible for the system to suck in air from an empty overflow tank?? This is my only guess and hoping it's right. I have to wait 'til tomorrow morning to go check shtuff out on the car. I just need to know if anyone knows if air can get sucked in that way?? i'm SO hoping this is the cause because i'm scared of the fact that the only really thing left would be a blown head gasket

 

Yup, sounds like a HG... Let your car run with the rad cap off. If the head gasket is pooched it will bubble out exhaust gasses. Just take a whiff and see. If you still can't tell, any emission control shop should have a gas analyzer... Put the sniffer probe by the filler neck. If you see Hydrocarbons, well you know... :sad: