98 getting hot.

okay. i am getting really frustrated. first the car starts reeking like anti-freeze. Then the temp. starts climbing every time i stopped the car, but cooled as i drove. Then it started climbing as i drove it, and would cool dramatically whether i was driving or not... up then down w/in seconds... so we figured the thermostat was sticking and so we changed and bled it. For the first few hours it was fine, but my man goes to work and it starts smoking and shit... but not getting too hot. Then we found a hose missing a clamp... clamped it off... and again it behaved for a short time. Now the temp climbs again... cools slightly then risies again. I shut the car off for 5 min. top... and it refused to start for 5 min. then it started ... though obviously not happy. Did i mention i am not hearing the fans kick on? well... i bet its the fans... but some ass at the shop says the water pump is bad (replaced about 16 months ago.) now... how do i go about figuring this out? thanx in advance. :banghead: ..... oh yeah... it stinks like antifreeze and the coolant keeps draining.

okay. looks like the upper radiator hose is collapsing ... and i need a relay switch for the fans... i think. oh yeah... and i am going to replace the water pump for shits and giggles:D

or not. replaced the upper hose, water pump, relay, and sensor. now its reading hot but is barely warm. also flushed the system.
anyone?

it sounds like you still have an air pocket trapped in the cooling system. That could cause the symptoms you describe. Is it still leaking anitfreeze?

yes. it is. noticed that when you turn the heat on, it cools down some. some guy at pep boys says it "sounds" like warped heads :(... but he didn't check. i think we're gonna run a pressure test and see if there is a leak. i haven't noticed any coolant/water on the ground... or coming out of the tail pipe. my mother has a 96 lumina, and when she blew the head gasket, it was spitting water out the tailpipe.

Hi!! Mine was doing that too and I had to change the coil packs on my '92 Lumina. Check out that and see if it works- it cost me about $60.00 to do. Hope it helps!

Definately get a coolant system pressure test. It will pinpoint the source of the leak. If your heads were warped you would be having more symptoms than just overheating. Remember too, our engines are notorious for intake gasket failure. If your intake gasket is cracked it is possible to have an unseen leak, but you would definately smell it. Don't forget about your throttle body coolant bypass hose, a good place for a missed leak; from there coolant could easily drop to the exhaust manifold and burn away, leaving you with the smell.

thanx for the info :)

Hi!! Mine was doing that too and I had to change the coil packs on my '92 Lumina. Check out that and see if it works- it cost me about $60.00 to do. Hope it helps!

What the hell?..... :screwy:

What the hell?..... :screwy:
lol. yeah... that was my thought too :biggrin:

You guys crack me up... :rofl:

btw. took it in, and turns out it IS the Intake Manifold Gasket... which... ya know... i should have known it. i guess i was really hoping for something less. but hey... at least it's not a blown head gasket... like my mother, and the moron behind the counter (at pep boys) suggested.
Thanks Manny. I actually already checked the bypass hose, and clamped it (don't know how it got UN clamped... but there was nothing there. :rolleyes:
Anyway. Thanks again.
As a side note...
I really love this car... but DAMN I wish it would quit giving me headaches. Also just found out about a recall.

http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=1998+lumina+recalls&page=1&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3Db 14e28388d47fe77%26clickedItemRank%3D2%26userQuery% 3D1998%2Blumina%2Brecalls%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp% 253A%252F%252Fwww.automotive.com%252F1998%252F12%2 52Fchevrolet%252Flumina%252Frecalls%252F%26invocat ionType%3D-%26fromPage%3DnsBrowserRoll%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.automotive.com%2F1998% 2F12%2Fchevrolet%2Flumina%2Frecalls%2F

Shouldn't I have recieved info about this already? I have kids... and a man that cannot drive as it is :cwm27:

Also... how do I go about finding cold air intake for this car... I have tried with no success.

Glad to help... as far as the recalls, I always heard that certain parts of the country get certain recalls and others don't. I guess we aren't among the lucky.

As far as the cold air intake... If you want a true cold air intake, your going to have to relocate your battery to the trunk to make space for your intake pipe to go into your fender well. If you just want a warm air intake (I know, not as effective) I've seen several people who take the intake pipe from the honda accord 00-02 and cut six inches off the end and fit the other end with a K&N cone filter. I've also seen a K&N intake kit, but I don't know where to get it from.

There was a guy over on either 60Degreev6.com or w-body.com who was making custom CAI for our cars, I don't know how far that went though.

either way, it'll be custom.

thanx for the info. sure am glad for a big trunk... i already have a box back there (12's). if you hear any more about cai... please email me ...