Where's the coolant?

I have a 96 Lumina with the 3.1L engine. My low coolant light came on yesterday. I filled the reservoir with 50/50 coolant and went on with my day. This morning the light came on again and by the time I got to work the temp gage was almost hot. The reservoir was empty and there were no puddles or signs of leakage anywhere. On my way home today the hot light came on and my low coolant light would come on while idling and go away during acceleration. I got home and the reservoir was empty and (I am cringing just thinking about this) I checked my oil dipstick and it was thin and awfully high. I removed the filler cap and steam came out. My questions are:
1. Did my coolant leak into my block?
2. Is there an inexpensive way out of this?
3. Anybody want a 96 Lumina, cheap? Just kidding
Any advice/ideas are appreciated.

Ralph

You have the infamous 3.1 intake gasket failure. Fix it soon or the coolant in the oil will dilute it and destroy the crank bearings. With the right tools and some mechanical ability, it's not beyond a DIY weekend project. Fel-Pro makes an improved design gasket kit that addresses this issue, part number is MS98004T.

Well, at least it is identified. I wish I had a shady tree here, but I don't. Any guess on how much this would be to get someone to fix it?

It ranges between $600 and $800 depending on where you are.

i had the same problem :eek: