Overheating issue

Hey guys, so went for a drive in my Fiero today( standard
is going pretty good!). But my dad and I noticed a few
issues... we were driving when suddenly we heard this
squealing coming from the front end. We popped the hood,
and radiator fluid is spewing from the over-flow, and steam
coming out. The radiator fan seems to not be working, and
is causing it to get too hot, I think.

Any ideas how to fix this?

PS: How do I get an ISP email to register on Pennocks
forum?

Fan: do you have a/c?  If so, turn it on, and your fan will kick in - that at least confirms that most of the wiring is intact.  After that, the most likely suspect is the temp sensor in the manifold (there's 5 of them in total BTW, so get back to us).

Clutch: You might have got some air in the system (after an overheat, you can sometimes boil the clutch fluid!).  Step on the pedal, and have dad measure the throw of the slave under the hood (just put a tape up to it, then step on the pedal).  You need about 1".  Any less than about 7/8" on a 4spd, you won't be shifting.

Unless it's an Isuzu (normally only found on a 4cyl car), the Getrag (which you've got) and Muncie (4spd) will both have the same throw.

Uh...  heard the term "throwing the baby out with the bathwater"?  ;)

Figure out exactly what is damaged - replace it.  If you get in the habit of carpet bombing small problems, you'll have a $50K Fiero in no time flat.

This could get REALLY wordy... 
I'm gone about 3pm, but I can talk you through it for a short bit.  604-318-8742

E-Brakes seem to rarely work on Fieros, from what I hear. Do as the good Doctor says: Identify precisely what isn't working and replace that part. As for cooling, you said you were driving around when it overheated. If you were moving, it wouldn't be the fan, I'd look at other components.

Hello SteveR,

Great to see a young newbie like myself in these forums (I'm 20!)! When I bought my Fiero last year, I encountered very similar if not the EXACT same problem relating to the overheating issue. You probably should get a radiator temp switch from the Rodney Dickmans store as a solution if you managed to check to see if your fan does work by following Dr. Fiero's steps.

In the mean time though,  and I have been using this to help me out: just simply use your A/C controls provided that your Fiero is A/C. You should always check your temp gage occasionally, and once you see it hits half way during a drive, just turn on the normal setting or maximum (the latter should be used if the temp is more than half way) for A/C. Think it as a manual switch directly hooked to the fan, but just way more easier, and less complicated.

Good luck!

The bottom line here folks is the car should NEVER overheat if it's in
good shape. So do yourself a favour and get it dealt with. These
cars can be such a joy to own as long as you stay on top of issues like
this.

Dawg

A little overflow is ok as long as the temperature is normal. If the
temp is really high when this happens then you have a problem.