twizage3

So two fridays ago I was driving my GS as an Uber driver and luckily my last trip was a short trip due to this incident. Im at the last light for my trip and when it turned green, i applied the gas, the engine doesnt respond for a split second and then it kicks in accelerating. Thought it was odd, dropped off the passenger, did a U turn and again the non-response occurred except this time it just held on and i pulled over immediately to the curb. I noticed white smoke coming off from the hood, smelled like cooked coolant. I allowed the car cool down and got it towed to my house to play it safe. Car turns on fine and what not, just that it plainly overheats especially with the AC on and i figured if im idle in traffic. I had my mechanic come over the next day and he saw that i needed a new radiator cap considering the button in the inside came off so it couldnt make it an efficient air sealant. I had low coolant but that couldve been from the overheating as it boiled it out. he fills the radiator and the reservoir with water to see if there is any change in water level and had the car running for potential air bubbles or leaks in the hoses. no leaks or bubbles. fill the radiator and reservoir with pink coolant. i did a test drive and it still overheats in traffic only or if the AC is on, i bring the car back, the reservoir has low coolant again. he checks the fans if theyre running, im assuming he checked if the fan clutch is working, if the motors are running fine (connected directly to battery, they kicked on) but the fans wouldnt kick on even when the engine reached the appropriate temperature. he plugs in the computer to see if there is a code message, the ECT sensor had a low input, so we replaced that a few days later. topped off the radiator with coolant. I drove the car again, it doesnt overheat until an hr and half later when im doing city driving so lots of stops and gos, traffic. at this point, i mean the car overheats by going past the halfway mark at a steady rate, not a dangerous or fast rate. i turn off the car, cool it down for 20 minutes, it cooled down to the 1/3, this time i blast the AC full on, max cold, the car overheats alot faster compared to in traffic overheating. i didnt allow the car to boil the coolant so i still have the same levels. i turn it off for 45 mins and i drive 11 miles home in the same traffic and streets, it maintains an even temperature as long as i dont turn on the AC, for me what i consider the halfway mark is if the needle is between the 4th and 5th peg so i register it as 4.5. only about 5 min from home it climbs steadily up to 5.2ish by the time i get home. Oh, forgot! I checked to see if the fans came on after each stop/cooldown, and they did not. I cant figure out whats causing the fans to not kick on and whether or not thats the culprit for my overheating issues. I need this car for work ASAP and i unfortunately dont have alot of funds at the moment to take it to the dealer. Im gonna be doing a Midwest Rock n Roll tour this coming week so Im royally screwed for work already

Gotcha350

Could be the thermostat...and possibly the radiator or water pump impeller might not be putting out. I would start by replacing the thermostat and doing a very thorough inspection of the condition of the radiator.

pman6

take an Uber

GS350Lexus

iTrader: (5)

It probably overheated because of low fluid, check your radiator for white residue. I had my radiator go bad and replaced.

Blaze876

iTrader: (1)

Am I missing something or did I read incorrectly?

OP clearly stated the fans where not coming on so why is everyone recommending other solution or fixes?

If the fans are not coming on when the temp is getting high then it is definitely your problem. Did you check to see if both fans are spinning when the AC is on? It sounds like it may not which causes the engine to overheat much faster with the AC on.

Check the fuses for both fans since you stated both are working when hooked up directly to battery.

Gotcha350

Ooops....you are correct. I was reading to fast and I thought he said that the fans did come on when he checked.