I got a 91 daytona 2.5L that is overheating. The coolant is full and i cant see any leaks but the guage will show it overheating within about 10 mins of driving. It will drop when the blower fan is turned on high. The rad fan doesnt seem to want to come on even when it is on defrost and on high. If i turn the fan manually it will kick in. Does this sound like it will just be a fan or could the head gasket be bad too?
Thanks

Fan relay

when cold,make sure the coolant is full, then start it up and let it run...look in the coolant bottle as it warms up and look for bubbles...bubbles will be a sign of a head gasket...10 minutes is fast...does the oil look tan and muddy like also?

The oil doesnt look like it haz coolant in it nor does it taste like it either. The only other thing is the resevoir bottle is overfull. The fan relay could cause it too work when spun by hand?

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resevoir bottle is overfull

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Thats another good sign of a failing head gasket.

well it was overfilled by a friend of mine

An overfull resevoir shouldn't cause the overheating problem should it? How else can i check to see if its a head gasket problem or not? Also it has just started to warm up here in Winnipeg and it just started doing this 2 days ago

If the fan isn't coming on it will cause the engine to overheat. Fix that before you do blow a headgasket if you haven't already..

Ok im thinking the motor for the fan might be seizing up and i told my friend that she shouldnt drive it and its only about 0 degrees celsius here right now

yes it does

Alright, if the fan being on takes care of things then we just need to get it to come on either by testing the stat that sends fire to the relay the relay itself or the related wiring to & from. You could wire it manually if the relay and stat are OK but if she is not a dedicated car guy then to get it back to kicking on automatically at the right temp the way it originally worked would be the best plan other wise if she doesn't catch it in time & switch it on it could be disaster.

if u put the a/c on the fan should turn on...it goes into a different circuit...

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An overfull resevoir shouldn't cause the overheating problem should it?

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No it wont cause overheating. If it is overfilling on its own its a very good sign of a failed head gasket. At this cold of an ambient temperature the fan should not be needed at all.

So if i understand correctly i should check my powers and grounds at the fan and if they are good then the motor would be no good?

ok i had her check a few things. The fan will turn on when the a/c is on but it will only stay on for a few seconds and turn off and then turn on again then off. If the blower is on defrost the fan will do the same thing. is this normal? Also she says that it looks like there are a few bubbles in the resevoir too. So is this sounding like a head gasket?

Fix the fan.

what is a few bubbles?
if a air pocket hits the fan sensor it will make it go on and off also..a/c on the fan should stay steady...