What year? Early enough to have a CVT? Or FD2, which all have CVT? Maybe that's what's overheating, or is it the engine temp gauge opposite the fuel gauge? Also a code reader can be helpful, such as maybe the FIXD brand bluetooth OBD2 plug.

 

2015 2.4L. Automatic 6 spd Hyundai transmission. No OBD codes or Engine lights on. I have a video of it everytime I go above 60 mph for an extended period of time the temp gauge starts to increase. Opposite for city driving temp gauge stays in the middle.

 

Sounds like the engine is trying to do more work without getting enough coolant flow to keep up. My work truck(Peterbilt 386) has the opposite issue. Idling or driving really slow during summer, it'll overheat. Highway driving or anything in winter, it's ok. But that's a problem with the fan. Yours sounds like maybe a clogged radiator or maybe a bad sensor. 6-spd conventional isn't as sensitive to heat though, so you don't have as much to worry about there.

 

I appreciate the tips and guidance. Still waiting for a shop to look at it. I wanted to start working on it but I believe at this point it’s above my basic understanding of car mechanics

 

Although, from your first post, it does to me sound like a thermostat problem, you might also want to check out the radiator fan operation. You would need a bidirectional scan tool, or a sympathetic mechanic who has one. I use the JScan app with a compatible OBDII adapter, although there are several others (searching the forums for bidirectional should give some ideas).

JScan – OBD JScan – Mobile Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge Diagnostic Tool

jscan.net

If the fans are not working correctly, you probably need to look at the relays. Control of the fans is handled in the relay box that is somewhat accessible from the top in the fender on the driver side. What’s in the relay box depends on how the Jeep is configured, but the basic setup seems to be 3 fan control relays and a ‘main’ relay. Repairs pretty much have to be done through the driver side wheel well by removing the splash guard.

I recently took a look at the relay box in my Patriot and found a corroded fan relay. The link below has my post about it which contains several links to information about the relay box.

https://www.jeeppatriot.com/posts/1909682/

A word of caution - In a spasm of idiotic design, Jeep ran the power for the relays from relay pin to relay pin, rather than providing individual power wires to each relay from a central point. In my limited reading on the forums, it seems that the first relay to go is usually the outboard-rear relay (fan low/high), and the power for (at minimum) the ‘Main’ relay is jumped off of that. If corrosion of the low/high fan relay pins get bad enough, the power to the ‘Main’ relay is lost, and the Jeep won’t start.

So - Test to see if the fans are operating correctly. If they are, fine. If they aren’t, you should look at the relays.

 

Although, from your first post, it does to me sound like a thermostat problem, you might also want to check out the radiator fan operation. You would need a bidirectional scan tool, or a sympathetic mechanic who has one. I use the JScan app with a compatible OBDII adapter, although there are several others (searching the forums for bidirectional should give some ideas).

JScan – OBD JScan – Mobile Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge Diagnostic Tool

jscan.net

If the fans are not working correctly, you probably need to look at the relays. Control of the fans is handled in the relay box that is somewhat accessible from the top in the fender on the driver side. What’s in the relay box depends on how the Jeep is configured, but the basic setup seems to be 3 fan control relays and a ‘main’ relay. Repairs pretty much have to be done through the driver side wheel well by removing the splash guard.

I recently took a look at the relay box in my Patriot and found a corroded fan relay. The link below has my post about it which contains several links to information about the relay box.

https://www.jeeppatriot.com/posts/1909682/

A word of caution - In a spasm of idiotic design, Jeep ran the power for the relays from relay pin to relay pin, rather than providing individual power wires to each relay from a central point. In my limited reading on the forums, it seems that the first relay to go is usually the outboard-rear relay (fan low/high), and the power for (at minimum) the ‘Main’ relay is jumped off of that. If corrosion of the low/high fan relay pins get bad enough, the power to the ‘Main’ relay is lost, and the Jeep won’t start.

So - Test to see if the fans are operating correctly. If they are, fine. If they aren’t, you should look at the relays.

I appreciate this advice thank you I will look into it as well!

 

A couple of updates: 1) there are bubbles forming in the coolant reservoir. 2) full blast heater cools down the engine 3) the top radiator cap is cool to touch (top radiator hose is hot/bottom radiator hose is cold to touch). Seems to me like a clogged hose?

 

A couple of updates: 1) there are bubbles forming in the coolant reservoir...

Bubbles in the coolant reservoir can be an indicator of exhaust gases leaking into the coolant (head gasket). Watch for any white exhaust smoke, check the bottom of the oil fill cap for brownish milky goo.

 

From what I've seen on past similar posts, overheating at highway speeds but not around town usually points to a bad secondary thermostat. Our jeeps have two, a 173 deg F primary stat and a 203 deg F secondary. The secondary is to provide additional coolant flow through the head at higher load and temps. They're not real expensive and pretty easy to change. I would just replace both since they reside in the same housing that has to be removed to replace the secondary.

 

I noticed there was a similar post on here with a super similar story. The owner ended up replacing the top radiator hose and it seems to have fixed his issue. However, I am also leaning towards just replacing both thermostats. So that you know: the radiator cap is cool to touch. Driving leads to a build of pressure on the top radiator hose- turning the radiator cap releases this pressure. Bubbles forming in the coolant tank. No visible leaks on the bottom. Once I get to the bottom of this ill update everyone. It appears to be an extremely common issue with patriots.

 

The bubbles could be from the coolant boiling. You could be low on coolant and a bad radiator cap can cause an issue where the coolant fails to siphon back into the engine when it cools, leading to a low coolant issue. Remove the cap when it's all cooled down and check the level. It should be full to the cap opening.

 

Hi, I want to update the group as well as future onlookers. Jeep Patriot 2015 2.4I High Altitude with 86,000. Symptoms of overheating on highway speeds only. A full-blast heater will help cool the engine down. Bubbling is seen in the coolant tank. Replaced #15 radiator fan fuse (40) and radiator cap with no symptoms of change. Finally brought it to have it serviced. I was hoping for a thermostat or a radiator hose crack but unfortunately, my Jeep Patriot of 86,000 miles got hit with a blown head gasket. I am defeated because this car was my baby but not sure what will I do after I fix. The jeep service dealer is charging me 4k to fix it. I Will probably take the car and try to find a better price. Question can I drive it like this until I find a suitable person to work on it?

 

That really stinks. I drove a car with a blown head gasket from California to New York, and then for about 6 months in NY until I had it repaired. It didn't do any further damage, but that was a Ford 3.8 V6 back in the 90's.

 

Yeah bummer...thank you to everyone who chipped in and helped me in this process nothing went unnoticed.

 

Dang! I was going to suggest that sometimes a failing water pump can cause some of your symptoms, but not the water/oil goo in the coolant. Headgasket failure in these engines is extremely rare, especially at that very low mileage. My condolences.

I hesitate to even bring this up, because "mechanic in a can" rarely, if ever fixes mechanical issues. If at the final straw and the car might go to the junk yard unrepaired, I have had engine coolant stop leak stop a very light head gasket leak long enough to "get by". Bar's leak has an excellent reputation and it is rumored here in Michigan that GM used to add a bit of it at the factory brand new to address any quality control issues (not confirmed).

Years ago, Subaru had so many head gasket issues that they recommended a coolant type and/or additive to assist their poor engineering design.
"If you look at the Maintenance Schedule in your Warranty & Maintenance booklet that should have come with your car, you'll see that Subaru recommends the coolant conditioner. " https://www.subaruforester.org/threads/2016-coolant-additive-solved.812589/

These products supposedly won't clog internal passages. They only coagulate when exposed to air around the leak. Again, this would be a last ditch effort before going to the junk yard.

 

These products supposedly won't clog internal passages. They only coagulate when exposed to air around the leak. Again, this would be a last ditch effort before going to the junk yard.

I bought a second-hand 2000 Ford Explorer that had a head gasket leak (apparently common on one cylinder of the engine). Leaking coolant into the cylinder. I couldn’t afford much at time (barn fire - lost both vehicles, tractor, tools, some livestock, damage to the house, etc). I added Bars Leaks Head Gasket Fix once and drove it another 160K miles before I giving up on it just shy of 300k miles. Several things, including a new or repeat head gasket leak and rusted out exhaust manifold pipe. So, under some conditions, at least, that sort of stuff can be a satisfactory remedy.

I’m also trying out Bars Leaks One Seal Stop Leak on my 1983 Jacobsen GT12G, which I use for hauling stuff like firewood and as a driveway snow plow. It’s had significant oil loss over the ~15 years that I’ve had it, and probably needs work on the rings. Since I added the Bars Leaks, it is using noticeably less oil.

Every situation is different, but…

 

It definitely sounds like your thermostat could be the problem, especially with the top hose getting hot and the bottom one staying cool. I had a similar issue with my old Jeep, and replacing the thermostat fixed it. As for driving with the issue, I wouldn't risk it for too long. Overheating can cause some serious damage to the engine, so if you can, try to get it checked sooner. If all the shops are booked up, maybe a mobile mechanic or someone with availability could help in the meantime.