Chrysler Repair: coolant system, coolant system, radiator cap

Question
Hello,
   I have a 95 chysler concorde and a few days a go I was driving and all of sudden the temp gauge went to hot and the temp light came on, I was a few blocks from home so I just keep going. When I got home I could see smoke coming from the hood so I let it cool off anf put water and antifreeze in it and now I can drive it about 5-10 mins before it gets past half way mark. I have not let it go more than 3/4 hot. I had the water pump and timing chain replaced in Feb of this year. I am just wondering what could make it keep overheating and die and how I can fix this problem. Thank you very much!

Answer
Hi Michelle,
If the temp gauge is rising more rapidly than you have experienced in the past, then there is definitely something that has changed to cause this, particularly with the steam blow off that corroborates that the system overheated. If you have not been loosing coolant from the system (is the level holding steady in the overflow bottle after the engine has cooled down)? if so that is fine; if not and you haven't seen steam coming from under the hood (blow off thru the radiator cap or overflow bottle) then the loss of coolant needs to be determined. Do you see more (any) white smoke coming out of the tailpipe when you start the car from cold (put it in Park and go and look after you start it)? and does it (white smoke) seem to be more persistant than you might have noticed in the past? Do you see any coolant under the car after you park it (if so see where it seems to be dripping down from so that we might identify a leaky connection or hose)? Is the radiator cap relatively new or have you looked at the rubber gasket of the cap to verify it isn't cracked or missing (only remove this cap when the engine is cold)?
When you start the engine, open the hood, remove the radiator cap, and use a flashlight to look down the filler neck to see if the coolant seems to be moving (verifying thus that the pump is pumping).
If none of those checks produces any suspicious behavior, then the remaining possibilities are that the thermostat is off-value and is opening at too high a temperature or that the radiator has begun to plug up and needs to be cleaned out. Any history on radiator or thermostat maintenance you can share with me? The thermostat is pretty easy to remove and check/replace, while a radiator flush is a bit more of a challenge to do yourself. A radiator shop will be able to do a better job if that is necessary.
So give those questions some thought and write me back. It is very wise not to drive it once the warning light comes on and steam is coming out. You don't want to run the risk of damage to the engine. Also tell me which engine you have in the car. Just look at the underhood sticker where in the upper right corner the engine will be listed.
Roland