Third generation Camaros were manufactured from 1982 to 1992. These cars are highly prone to cooling problems. Some of the most common causes of cooling problems in the third generation Camaro are malfunctioning fans, having a coolant leak or excessive engine modifications. Coolant issues can also be caused by a bad coolant mixture and missing components.
A common coolant problem with third generation Camaros is a broken or malfunctioning fan. This is more common with stock Camaros than cars with built engines. The way to diagnose this problem is to let your car idle until it gets up to 225 degrees, then see if the car overheats. If it does, drive the car on a road that will allow speeds of over 60 miles per hour. If the car cools down while on the highway, your engine is just not getting enough airflow. If your car is not stock and your fans are working, you might need to get a larger fan to properly cool the modified engine properly.
If you are low on coolant or have a coolant leak somewhere, your third generation Camaro can overheat once your car is up to operating temperature and some strain, like driving on the highway, is put on the engine. A good way to diagnose a low coolant level or leak is to watch the temperature gauge once strain has been taken off you engine, as when you stop at a stop light. If the temperature slightly goes down while sitting, but goes back up at highway speeds, there is a good chance that you have a coolant problem.
Replacing your temperature gauge with a lower temperature one can cause your car to overheat. This is because a lower temperature gauge opens faster than a stock temperature gauge, causing coolant to leave the radiator in order for it to cool faster. In the third generation Camaro, there might not be enough airflow to cool the coolant enough for it to recirculate through the radiator, causing the car to overheat. Your third generation Camaro can also overheat if the engine timing is off; or if the radiator air dam, which forces air into the engine from below the car, is missing.
Generally, car manufactures recommend mixing an even amount of radiator fluid with water before it's put in your car. If this mixture has too high a percentage of a radiator fluid concentration, it can cause the coolant to not cool or move fast enough to keep your engine cool. Also, if there is any kind of debris in you coolant, that can clog the radiator on you third generation Camaro and cause it to overheat.
