Noticed the past week that my CL Type-S had started overheating. When moving, the vehicle will stay cool. Once at a stop, the temperature rapidly increases. The A/C also gets lukewarm. I have yet to hit the top of the meter, however it gets damn close. At first, I believed it was due to my fans not working - Once I stopped at my destination, I popped my hood, and the fans were not on. However, after some more digging, my coolant reservoir was bone dry. So, obviously I have leak. I topped off the reservoir and added some coolant to the radiator, and gave it a test run tonight. Again, once at a stop, the car began to rapidly increase in temperature. I checked the coolant reservoir, and it was still completely full even after operating for a 30-mile drive. I have read online that it can be something as simple as a radiator cap, or something as severe as a head gasket issue. There is no oil in the coolant, there is no sign of corrosion either. I will replace the radiator cap tomorrow, but if that does not work, where should I look to next?

 

Make sure the fans work, then check / change the thermostat. It may be faulty after 16+ years.

 

If the radiator cap was faulty, there would be fluid spewing and evidence of coolant spray all around that area.

The missing coolant must be going somewhere. Check your engine oil for coolant dilution. If that's the case, you have a blown head gasket or some other serious problem.

The reservoir might be dry but is the radiator itself holding fluid? After the car has been running for a bit, check the upper and lower radiator hoses to see if there's flow (they should be hot to the touch and about the same temp). If one hose is hot and the other is not, the radiator is blocked from age and corrosion.

Check for leaks. Even a very small leak can quickly drain all your coolant because of the pressures that build up.

 

Sorry for taking awhile to update this posting. It turns out after digging around, that there was a very slight leak and loss of pressure from the radiator cap. I replaced the radiator cap, and so far, no problems whatsoever. Thanks for the suggestions, though!