My car's doin strange stuff...Help!

[1stcar240sx]

My car seems to,when i get off the freeway,have the needle point very near the H.  If i have the heater on it doesn't seem hotter than usual and the heat gauge goes down very quickly soon after.  Also just today i pulled into a parking space and when i stopped moving my car made a low groaning noise and my steering seemed to get a lot tougher to turn. The groaning goes away if i turn off the car and restart it, then eventually comes back.  Please help!  

[gh6o6]

if possible dont driver the car to you fix it - check the coolant in the radiator, the last time you changed the oil, the thermostat, if its an older car possibly the fan clutch, any other things i forgot? oh and it goes down when you turn on the heat because it takes the hot air out of the engine bay as for the turning, yor powersteering fluid is getting hot - i think

[1stcar240sx]

It's a '91 and the heat doesn't go down when I turn on the heater.... I said the heater  temp doesn't change.  It's not all the time i drive it.

[gh6o6]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Quote: from 1stcar240sx on 7:47 pm on Jan. 24, 2002
If i have the heater on it doesn't seem hotter than usual and the heat gauge goes down very quickly soon after. </td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
i thought you meant that the gauge went down to normal when you turned on the heater
everything else still applies though - you going towards overheating and if im correct you can blow the head gasget

[1stcar240sx]

I have an idea why the power steering unit isn't working right. &nbsp;I knew that when I bought the car a few months ago the mechanic said that i needed new hoses and belts. &nbsp;It has been really cold lately...Frost everywhere....I think the hose might have cracked. &nbsp;I was wondering if the engine temp was maybe an electrical prob? &nbsp;I only have to drive 1/2 mile to have it happen and while on the freeway it isn't hot...it's in the middle of the gauge. Only when I get off the freeway it goes up....then after 30 sec. it falls right back to normal....even if i'm stopped at a stop light.

[gh6o6]

because at high speeds, the air moves very quickly and draws out the hot air. &nbsp;at slow speeds, the heat just sits in the bay and gets hot
change the hoses and belts, its cheeper than an engine

[fadenb]

i had the same problem in my 95. i was told everything from its your clutch fan,radiator needs to be flushed, hoses clogged and even told it can be electrical. all it turned out to be was my stupid radiator cap. it needs to hold about 13 lbs. of pressure mine was at 5lbs. &nbsp;freeway was fine get off &nbsp;and it would over heat real fast. step on the throttle and &nbsp;it would drop a bit. traffic? forget it, hot verry hot. had to turn offand on just to get home. anyways try replaceing your radiator cap but still pay for a diognostics about $65 just to make shure nothing major is wrong. good luck!