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neilp: Jersey Village is metro Houston.

Russell: If you are starting a new job, I'd say get a newer unit just as soon as you can.
The new boss will not be impressed if you can't make it to work trying to get a few more miles out
of the Mazda. You could try to milk it for a while, or this thing could go belly up tomorrow.

The new Mazda 3's are a great value. They have a lot of equipment for a very good price.

But if you can't buy brand new, think about spending $5k-$7K and moving WAY NEWER in years,
with a lot more serviceable miles.

Just my 2 cents.

SIA

neilp mentioned the pressurization of the system, which made me think of another
possibility.

Check the rubber seal on your radiator cap. If it's old and cracked it won't have
a tight seal with which to pressurize the system.

If it looks bad, buy the proper cap for your radiator. That might be the best $5 you will
have ever spent.

SIA

Russell:

1. I had some radiator work done on a car I had. But then overheating was random and
a few mechanics could not figure it out.

The winning mechanic took paper and checked the air flow on the dual fans near the
radiator. Come to find out, one of the fans had been mounted backwards. Instead of pulling
the heat FROM the radiator TO the rear, it was pushing the heat FORWARD to the radiator.

Once the reversed fan was oriented properly, the heating problem went away immediately!

2. For another item to check: Your car may have 2 smallish hoses as part of the cooling system that
both attach to the firewall. They are an intake and outtake hose to feed the heater core, which keeps
your interior warm. The heater core is a low part of the cooling system and sometimes collects sediment
over time.

Remove the two hoses from the firewall, point a garden hose into the one or both of the hose outlets on
the firewall, and flush your heater core until you see clear water consistently coming out. The sediment
may be preventing your coolant from making the full trip. I consider this a long shot since we are just finishing
summer, so you would not have been using your heater.

Good luck. Let us know what it was when ID'd.

MAZDA = Must Always Zoom Down Asphalt! SIA