Cadillac Repair: cadillac sls 1996 overheating, cadillac sls, radiator hose

Question
QUESTION: Ive got a 96 cadillac sls with the v8 northstar in it.  It gets hot within 5 mins of driving to all the way overheated.  Its got coolant, also first radiator hose has no compression. what should i do to fix this on a low budget

ANSWER: The first thing I would check is the thermostat.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I got the thermostat out, how do i tell if its messed up?


Answer
Put the thermostat in a pot and boil some water to a temperature of approx 230 degrees and watch to see if the thermostat starts to open as the water gets hotter and it should be fully open at 230 degrees.

This IS the most accurate way to tell if it is working correctly.


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