Pontiac Repair: 98 Oldsmobile Silhouette, oldsmobile silhouette, electric cooling fan

Question
My van has 167 k. It is a 6 cylinder. Yesterday on the way back from looking at used vehicles as obviously it is time, by van heated up, check engine light came on about a mile from the house and also engine temperature warning light. Pulled in driveway and checked under the hood. Coolant level fine. Oil looks fine (no apparent coolant in oil) and transmission oil looks fine. Went to start it back up to try to bleed coolant for air and it totally will not turn over. Not even a sound. I have lights...what could have happened. Are the problems related???

Answer
Hi Mary:

The overheat issue may have something to do with a no start But I doubt it. If you get nothing when you turn the key then you have an issue with the starter motor or power going down to the starter.If it got hot enough it may have done in the starter motor assembly. As for the overheat It can be a lot of things. If the coolant is full and it it over heating. It can be either a thermostat that stuck closed or an electric cooling fan that is not working. It hard to tell you what is going on here without seeing it. I think this van knows you want to replace it and it's not happy :(

Good luck :)