Dumbledore
Member
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- 2002 Mazda Protege5
So while I was on the highway my car overheated and shut itself off. I was able to get it to a mechanic about a mile from that spot and they checked it out and said it was a faulty radiator cap causing it to leak fluid. They charged me 80 bucks for the diagnostic and part and sent me on my way (they also said they kept it under pressure for an hour and couldn't find any other leaks) . I drove back to town and by the time I was there I could see it was overheating again. I opened the hood and was looking for leaks since I could smell antifreeze and saw it was dripping down off the frame in the front right section of the car. There appears to be no leaks near the head gaskets, the upper or lower radiator hose or the water pump as far as I can tell. The water reservoir tank is pretty brittle and has a few cracks that could definitely cause fluid to come out. My question is would that alone be cause enough for the car to overheat? Is there other places to look for leaks? Other possible causes that could cause overheating problems. The check engine light is on and the car is idling very strangely and not very strong. Sort of sputtery compared to its usual idle. Any help greatly appreciated.