kolosos35

[kolosos35]

Gentelmen ...
I bought a 1997 montana with a 3.4, (heaven help me) with 91K..
The use car dealer that I bought it from was located on top of a hill, now I know why...
By the time I got the bottom of the hill the temp. gauge went to the peg, and the red light came on, along with the service engine lite... I stopped the car, cooled it down, and drove it home...
That was about a month ago, car now sits in driveway most of the time..
I use the CD player, and pretend I'm taking a trip.
During the last month I've done every creative, normal, and stupid thing, a man of my 69 IQ could think of, and some things I saw in a w__ dream.....
I solved the problem of the Ck. engine light, with plugs and wires... while your doing that I told the man, put a thermostat in, as well....
It appears that the money he asked me for the whole job didn't cover half of the cost for the plugs and wirs, because it doen't look as if put in the thermostat in, I would say about a 10% chane he did?
The man told me to never come back with that car again and said he would rather shoot himself in the foot then repair a SUV (S.O.B.) again... Thanks GM(Mom).. for helping me win friends and influnce people ?
The problem with over heating continues.. I tryed to read the manual and fill the rad. "by the book?/ I tried to let air out through the "two points" left and right?/
Then I was told it was a lower intake manafold gasket??
A man at a shop put a blue dye in the raditor and then removed a sample and told me the car has a blown head gasket?
The last time the temp went to the wall it pushed the coolant into the plastic res. so....
I loosen the rad. cap. half way, the coolant went back into the rad. and I was able to get home. Now on a cold start the temp goes to abot 3/4( takes about 10 minutes to do this) then back down quickly to about 1/4
and bounces around but not to any danger point,but at least I can take my daughter to the Doc's.
Does someone out here have any ideas for me.. please don't suggest a "brain transplant", as I'm already on a waiting list...
My S.S. ck is $ 890.00 so any help would be deeply appreciated.. Thank you in advance... If I missed something of inportants, sorry...
Chuck

[J-Ri]

Originally Posted by kolosos35

A man at a shop put a blue dye in the raditor and then removed a sample and told me the car has a blown head gasket?

With the overheating you described, it does sound like a head gasket. I've never seen the test liquid change color when it shouldn't, and it takes a good sized leak to make it change sometimes.

[kolosos35]

Sir,
Thank you for taking your precious time to respond to my nightmare....
Question...
If I have a blown head gasket, how long does it take for the temp. light to come on?
a few minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes?
Since I put the rad. cap "half on"(No pressure in rad.) the car doesn't over heat to the point of the light comming on, only to about 3/4 of the gauge then quickly goes back to the 1/4, and that general area? I guess the fan comes on? while I'm driving?
Can I leave the cap off and try to see bubbles?
T.U. Chuck

[kolosos35]

"Half on"

[J-Ri]

You're very welcome

The time it takes to overheat will vary depending on the size of the leak. The reason it overheats is air pockets of exhaust gas forming in the block, preventing coolant flow and creates hot spots. A smaller leak results in less air bubbles.

You can try to watch for bubbles with the cap off, but a spill-free funnel makes it much easier because the level tends to go up and down. The spill-free funnel I have was about $12, and just goes on the radiator in place of the cap.

Depending on your plans for the vehicle, driving it even if you can get it to not overheat by leaving the cap loose, may cause some damage. Exhaust gasses react with the coolant and makes it very acidic. The acid damages aluminum and plastic parts.

If you don't see any air bubbles after you bleed all the air out, you may want to verify that the thermostat was actually replaced. I jusr re-read your original post, and realized I read it wrong the first time. I thought you said the heater starts blowing cold when it overheats (I've read so many posts that they all tend to blend together). Usually a blown head gasket will cause this... so if yours isn't blowing cold, check the thermostat first. The high temperature fluctuations also would suggest thermostat.