Engine Hot, Radiator Cold

Hey Guys,

I usually post in the grand prix forum, but I'm helping my dad out with this one. He has an 02 Deville (DHS) with around 115K on the clock. The issue he is having is the engine is warming up and turning pretty hot, though the radiator is cold throughout. Pretty sure the radiator is working fine, but for some reason the circulation is not occurring. Therefore, the coolant fan is constantly on high, though it's not even that hot out here yet. Obviously this will be causing constant overheating issues when the temparatures warm even more in the summer months. Anybody have any ideas? He said he did some research and was leaning towards a head gasket problem, does that sound possible? Any advice/info is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I would start with checking for circulation to confirm the thermostat is opening, yes a head gasket can pressurize the cooling sytem and prevent circulation but that is a worst case scenario here, confirm circulation first then check the T' stat. If all seems ok, do a hd gasket leak check, there are kits available for a dyer to do this. Also see if the hoses get hard shortly after starting a cold engine, that is always a hd gasket issue.

You might also want to verify that the tensioner for the water pump belt is working.