My son just purchased a 1992 Chevy Corsica LT 3.1 F1 6 cylinder 4-door sedan with 114,000 on odometer. It had just been smogged and registered in Feb 07. Yesterday he insured it and registered it in his name at the California DMV. It was owned by a mechanic and seems to be working well, except that the temperature gage spikes up to high after a very short errand run around town. Then, it cools down to normal after a short straight run. Yesterday the radiator was hot but not yet overflowing. He thinks it might be the fan or the water pump. Any ideas would be appreciated. He does not have his own e-mail or computer. Thank you.

 

Could be a few things:

Thermostat

Air locked (coolant system needs flushing)

Water pump

Fan - does this turn on when overheating?

Bad head gasket ( antifreeze mixing with oil)

These are in order from most likely to less likely.

 

You said it gets hot on small trips around town but cools down on long trips. Sounds to me that is because of more air blowing through radiator helps cooling it when driving faster. I would suspect the fan. Is it an electric fan or one with a clutch?