Shellz1927

Hello Please Help!

Recently my engine fan to cool down the engine stopped working, engine check light started flashing on and off and engine started shaking or sputtering. Besides the Fan what else could it be? Coolant started needing to be replaced almost everyday due to the car getting hot. Thermostat never read that it was over heating and has all been changed withing the last year along with water pump and timing belt. Only drove a few days once fan stopped working until I noticed driving home the check engine light flashing and the car shaking and engine making a noise.

I was told the coils and spark plugs but could that be all it is?

the_duke

VCDS scan. Also it would be nice to know what county you are in and what engine you have. If you drove the car with it overheating it's quite possibly ruined.

Shellz1927

4.2 engine year 2000 and I reside in the United States.
It did not over heat per the Thermostat the highest the gauge ever got was in the middle. Didn't start being loud until the check engine light started flasing

the_duke

Still can't do much without codes. Definitely don't drive it.

Shellz1927

I live 2 minutes from autozone would it be okay drive it to read codes then drive back home?

the_duke

I wouldn't but it's your car.

georgeb944

The reason that your CEL is flashing is that your engine is trying to destroy itself. That last two miles could complete the process. "The question is, "Do ya feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya!?"

wms004

I had the engine vibration w/ blinking check engine light on the freeway, knew immediately it was a coil / spark plug issue, and drove it about 7 miles directly to my independent shop. 10k miles later, my engine is running fine.

johnkk

Find the coolant leak and get the fan running first. When there is even a small leak, the coolant will boil...loose cap on coolant tank. An overheating engine will sputter and shake. Does the AC fan run when you turn AC on? Could be bad fan control module or bad fan motors.

If you can't diagnose with VCDS at home and fix yourself, have car flatbedded to repair shop.

stein3

Sounds like it could be a bad thermostat that's not letting hot coolant out of the engine to the radiator. That would explain why the radiator fans don't come on (they're triggered off a temp sensor by the radiator, which wouldn't be getting hot water). I don't think this explains why your gauge doesn't read hot though.

If there's a leak, it won't hold pressure and won't increase in temperature past whatever the mixture boils at, which might be below the temp that the fans turn on at.