2 new problems on new xj

I drove my xj around for awhile today, the first time since i bought it, and i have 2 things i need to address. first the temp gauge while going down the road is reading about 210, then when i go to stop at a stop light or something it goes up to about 240 or so, then when i take off and get going again, it cools back down to about 210. i filled the radiator up and it looked really rusty in there so i plan on flushing it out. dont kow if that will do it or not. second problem is when i drove it about 20 miles and stopped i had smoke comming out of the driver front wheel. i pulled the tire yesterday and the brakes are about 1/2 way down. but it didnt feel like the brakes were sticking or pulling, and the bearings felt good. any ideas????

first issue sounds like your electric fan isn't kicking in for some reason, or your mechanical clutch on the mechanical fan is screwed up. Electric fan could be disconnected, broken, or you might have a temp sensor issue (there are different temp sensors for engine management, in some cases the fan, and dash indicator, so it can be a bit misleading)

Second issue - I say do a brake job on it (both sides, never do brakes on only one side at a time) and see if it gets better.

Definitely flush the radiator. Turn the heat on while you're doing it so you get the heater core clean too.

Make sure the fan shroud is around the mech fan and that it is not broken. If your elec fan is not kicking in try to replace the relay, its the cheap part other then that you need to test the sensor in the radiator on the drivers side to make sure its working properly. Don't let it get so hot or you can blow your head gasket if its not already. Good Luck!

it was doing the same thing when i drove it home but now that you say something i disconnected the electric fan yesterday when i put a steering line on it. i will re connect that now.

Pop the calipers off and see if the piston pushes back in easy enough. If it's sat for a while, you may be able to free it up. You could also get some benefit by fitting new pads, as that pushes the piston to a different working area. Always do both sides at the same time, as kastein suggested.

It would be a good idea to replace the brake fluid. When it gats more than a couple of years old, it retains water and causes metallic parts in the brake system to rust.

Always post year/engine for most accurate replies.

The #1 cause of temp creep at idle is the clutch fan. They are mechanical and they wear out. Inexpensive and pretty easy to replace.

Always a good time to review entire cooling system when overheating symptoms exist. Especially because you notice rusty coolant in the radiator. There is no substitute for frequent, comprehensive cooling system maintenance.

Complete flush/fill with 50-50 conventional (green) antifreeze, new radiator cap, inspect hoses (they can rot from the inside out). New high quality OEM style 195 degree thermostat.

As mentioned, a comprhensive brake inspection is in order. Smoke coming from the wheel is never a good thing!

You have cooling problems that need to be addressed.

IF your cooling system is not plugged up, the coolant mix is 50/50, the thermostat is working properly, and there is nothing mechanically wrong with the engine, then the mechanical fan with it correctly functioning fan clutch should maintain the engine around 205~210 indicated on the gauge. The electric aux fan should NOT have to be used UNLESS the a/c is running, towing, hot weather and extreme stop and go/city driving.

A flush and fresh coolant, 50/50 mix with distilled water, is a great place to start. As you have little, if any, knowledge of the maintenance history of the vehicle, I would also replace the thermostat after the flush. I use and recommend the Stant SuperStat Premium 195 degree thermostat and nothing else.

Physically check the mechanical fan's clutch. When cold it should be a little stiff to turn by hand as the silicone fluid runs out of the reservoir. After starting, and before the engine gets very hot, say five minutes tops, the silicone fluid will have spun back into the reservoir and the fan should turn easier than when it was cold. Finally, the bi-metal spring on the front of the fan clutch will open the reservoir when the air temp passing through the radiator and hitting the spring is about 170 degrees (coolant in the engine will be about 30 degrees higher). Shut off the engine and check the fan clutch. The clutch should be engaged and turn very stiff.

ok will do thanks, by the way it is a 94 4.0ho, auto