over heating

[jhaber3]

I have a 1982 Fiat 2000 it is getting hot, not to where it over heats on the guage, but enough were the plastic coolant tank looks like a tea kettle. I blows hot air through the vents as you drive down the road. The fan comes on and the thermostat seems to be working. Does anyone one have an suggestion. mechanically this is the only thing wrong with this car.

[rlux4]

It could be caused by any number of issues, so there's no way to say which one could be the trouble. Have you checked for leaks in the coolant system? Also check that your stat is opening by feeling the bottom radiator hose. Once the stat opens this hose will get hot. Feel (carefully) around the bottom section of the radiator after the car warms up, it should be hot also. Check across the width of the bottom of the radiator to see if you're getting even flow. Have you made sure there is no air in the system? It is also possible that air is being pulled into the system at the suction side of the water pump, caused either by a loose hose connection or a leaky gasket at the pipe that goes to the heater core. This happened to me on a trip to Oregon and can be very hard to diagnose. The tell tale on this problem was tiny bubbles coming up at the radiator filler neck (sort of like carbonization) as opposed to big "burps", which indicates a leak at the head gasket.
We're not sure how familiar you are with your car, so there are tutorials for filling the coolant system. Let us know if you need this.
Ron

[So Cal Mark]

your first step should be to verify the temp since your gauge may not be reflecting the truth