Bad thermostat or coolant temp sensor?

[3echo9]

Got the word from the dealer. They now suspect the head gasket but feel really bad about the original mis-diagnosis that they are going to credit me the nine hours labor they charged for the LIM toward the 15 hours of labor to replace the head gasket. After discounts I'm looking at another $1200.

Just for fun I had the wife call three other Dealers to get quotes on replacing the head gasket. Dealer one quoted $1300, Dealer two quoted $1400, Dealer three quoted $2500. Why the discrepancy? Dealer three says he uses all GM parts. All three Dealers quoted 15 hours of labor. An additional $150 if the heads needed to be sent out for resurfacing.

I went to talk to them today after work but missed the service department by 5 minutes. I will try again tomorrow.

As to the cap...don't know if they tested it. The service writer only said that the reason they diagnosed the LIM was due to an empty overflow tank. And that the LIM failure was common for the 3.4L motor.

[3echo9]

Originally Posted by Ruley73

Did you ever try this? Changing the water pump should be pretty easy. However, I noticed they don't use the exact same cheap water pump as the older 3.1/3.4/3100/3400 engines. It is pretty much the same except the impeller has a different pattern with more fins and appears to be more shallow as well. A brand new AC Delco (p/n 252721) water pump can be shipped to your door from www.rockauto.com for under $30. Expect to pay at least double that from your local parts store and it probably won't be an AC Delco. The brand of your water pump isn't big deal though.

Did you ever try replacing the coolant temp sensor? That is another cheap & easy fix. This part can really wreak havoc if it is bad.

One last thing that might cause the cooling system to boil over is a bad coolant lid that isn't holding pressure. Hint: your "overflow tank" is actually a pressurized reservoir.

Ruley...

All good suggestions.

I did have suspicions regarding the coolant temp sensor but figured a $99 diagnostics would look at the sensor and cap first before jumping to UIM or LIM.

As a side note...I recall the hose leading away from the water pump and back into the radiator never firmed after the car heated up. Wouldn't a functioning water pump cause pressure in the system and the return hose to be firm?

[Ruley73]

Originally Posted by 3echo9

Ruley...

All good suggestions.

I did have suspicions regarding the coolant temp sensor but figured a $99 diagnostics would look at the sensor and cap first before jumping to UIM or LIM.

As a side note...I recall the hose leading away from the water pump and back into the radiator never firmed after the car heated up. Wouldn't a functioning water pump cause pressure in the system and the return hose to be firm?

Not necessarily. The lower hose is the coolant inlet (to the engine) hose. the water pump pumps coolant through the engine and out the top through the thermostat. This makes the lower hose the last link in the cooling system, where pressure is least likely to be concentrated.

[3echo9]

Originally Posted by Ruley73

Not necessarily. The lower hose is the coolant inlet (to the engine) hose. the water pump pumps coolant through the engine and out the top through the thermostat. This makes the lower hose the last link in the cooling system, where pressure is least likely to be concentrated.

Thanks, for the clarification. The dealer wants to replace the head gasket. Would a failing head gasket leave any evidence? Would spark plugs have any wear due to burning coolant?

Should a bad temp sensor be ruled out? And would that be an expected piece of diagnosing an overheating problem?

[3echo9]

Service Manager just called to offer to fix the problem for half the estimate. No doubt after the GSM and he had a little chat. It's still more than I would have liked but I don't fault folks for making honest mistakes.

Did some checking from TSBs and complaints and the 2005 Equinox has a history of blowing head gaskets at around 70,000 mi. The average cost to repair was around $1400. I will have shelled out $1800 after all is said and done which is less than the highest quoted amount. Too bad it had to come to this since they were just a few steps from doing the head gaskets in the first place.

We should get the car back Monday...so the next post will be around Tuesday night.

[inafogg]

Did some checking from TSBs and complaints and the 2005 Equinox has a history of blowing head gaskets at around 70,000 mi. The average cost to repair was around $1400. I will have shelled out $1800 after all is said and done which is less than the highest quoted amount. Too bad it had to come to this since they were just a few steps from doing the head gaskets in the first place.

what was the bullitin #

[3echo9]

Originally Posted by inafogg

Did some checking from TSBs and complaints and the 2005 Equinox has a history of blowing head gaskets at around 70,000 mi. The average cost to repair was around $1400. I will have shelled out $1800 after all is said and done which is less than the highest quoted amount. Too bad it had to come to this since they were just a few steps from doing the head gaskets in the first place.

what was the bullitin #

http://www.faqs.org/car/chevrolet-eq.../#complaints_0

http://www.aboutautomobile.com/TSB/2...vrolet/Equinox

[3echo9]

Got car back yesterday and $600 turned into $700 after heads were sent out to remove a hot spot. Temp guage no stays relatively constant. Still smell coolant but that could be spilled coolant that should burn off soon. Gurggling noise still present this morning but may have worked itself out with the drive from work to home. We'll see.
Hopefully, this should close this one out.

[GMCustomerService]

I am glad to hear that the issue has been resolved. If you have any further questions or concerns in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you.

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

[3echo9]

Originally Posted by GMCustomerService

I am glad to hear that the issue has been resolved. If you have any further questions or concerns in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you.

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

Do you know if a TSB or a recall has been issued for this problem? It looks like a common issue amongst Equinox owners. I think if the issue would have been shared with the dealer community then the problem would have been fixed the first time and saved me the aggrivation of dealing with a bad situation. I'm sure the dealer was stressed as well. Not to mention the potential loss of a repeat GM customer.

[inafogg]

not that i've seen yet,but with all the problems w/cooling systems
over 10 years you would hope to see one soon.

[GMCustomerService]

Originally Posted by 3echo9

Do you know if a TSB or a recall has been issued for this problem? It looks like a common issue amongst Equinox owners. I think if the issue would have been shared with the dealer community then the problem would have been fixed the first time and saved me the aggrivation of dealing with a bad situation. I'm sure the dealer was stressed as well. Not to mention the potential loss of a repeat GM customer.

I would be happy to look into this for you. In order to do so, I will need the VIN for the vehicle. Please feel free to either post here on the thread or contact me via private message. I look forward to hearing from you.

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

[johnholl]

Blown head gasket. These 3.4l engines suck. By some ,Kseal and cross your fingers. You can overhaul it if you want..but I wouldn't