Overheating 2001

[CMFan]

Rad cap is good, we traded the same PSI cap from another that is working good with the one on the car the other vehical didn't overheat and the car still did.

We did see steam from around the T-stat area, so we removed the T-stat put it back together and started it there was still steam.

neither time did the hose collasp as I said on that it doesn't do it all the time just here and there. It didn't do it today at all.

Looking like it could be either the Head gasket or intake, or my luck both.
Any other suggestions or thoughts?

[tblake]

What brand t-stat is in there? you had a known defective one? is this "new" one the same brand? is it devective also?

you could dunk the t-stat into boiling water to see if it opens.

[Ralph123]

Use this >>> http://www.barsproducts.com/1111.htm

I've used this with great success (so far anyway). This is some of Bars newer stuff and you don't need to flush afterwards. Don't use any other.Make sure to turn your heater on high when you use it. My heater still works fine.
I would do this first before buying a new engine. It cost about $30.00 for 24oz bottle. I got mine on sale for $24.00 at Advanced.

[CMFan]

Originally Posted by tblake

What brand t-stat is in there? you had a known defective one? is this "new" one the same brand? is it devective also?

you could dunk the t-stat into boiling water to see if it opens.

The first new t-stat we had in there was from Auto Zone (but when that didn't do it) but we heard that those from there were defective, brand through them was "Duralast" which cost us (rounded off) $14.00
After hearing that and not working, we figured go to another auto parts store, we have one called marshalls auto supply, normally very reliable with parts They go through appartly "Auto Value Auto parts store". There we got T-stat #2 logo is MotoRad.
If it is the T-stat the next store would be Advanced Auto.

Originally Posted by Ralph123

Use this >>> http://www.barsproducts.com/1111.htm

I've used this with great success (so far anyway). This is some of Bars newer stuff and you don't need to flush afterwards. Don't use any other.Make sure to turn your heater on high when you use it. My heater still works fine.
I would do this first before buying a new engine. It cost about $30.00 for 24oz bottle. I got mine on sale for $24.00 at Advanced.

Well Sears claims that they put something in the Rad after they flushed it to go along with the anti-freeze, then they said with the "leaks" they found (though didn't specify where exactly other then the head gasket) they had us get stop leak Coolant Tablets (from a local GM dealership) where you crush them up and then put them in the Rad and it is suppost to act like a sealant. Well that clearly didn't work, actually it got worse after that was put in.

Before the flushing at sears we did put in I believe it was Bars or it could have been "Stop Leak" you put it in and cycle for five minutes, etc. That didn't work either.
As to a new engine, I don't have the money for another one, if it comes down to either a new engine or a expensive job on the car I would have to Junk it. Which I don't want to do, this is my car and I like it alot.

Here is the thing, we didn't have steam that we "seen" before yesterday, we started the car yesterday and after running for about 15 mins we turned it off because (we were testing the Rad cap as I explained yesterday) the temp still went up and there was steam around the T-stat area, (but on the vehical we put the cap from the car on the temp never went up).

So we took the car apart, then we removed the T-stat, put it back together and still had steam when you started it and it idled. From the same spot as before.

I don't know if either answer helps.

[Ralph123]

Go back and reread post #2 by HOTZ28. I believe he hits the nail on the head as to what your problem is.

As far as the sealer pellets you got from the dealer they are pretty much worthless. They were being used by the manufactures and dealers to prevent a pinhole leak on aluminum radiators while cars were waiting to be sold.

I waited a long time before I decided to use the heavy duty stop leak. My problem was slightly different than yours. I was putting in a little more than a quart of coolant a month. I couldn't tell where it was leaking. No puddles under the car ever. No coolant in the oil. I did see a little white smoke (steam) in the exhaust from time to time so I thought I had a head gasket or intake gasket leak. Finally I did a radiator pressure test. After the test I had a ton of white smoke in the exhaust for a little while so now I was sure I had a head gasket leak. My car's got some serious rust problems going on underneath from living near the beach so I wasn't going to put big money into this car and decided to roll the dice an try the Bars block and head stop leak. My car never had an overheating problem.
The Bars leak is the last resort but at this point what do you have to lose?

[CMFan]

I got to thinking when testing something we got some stuff on the motor yesterday. SO today we started it, no steam (keep in mind no T-stat in it either) took it up the road then around the block basically the same milage it went before when it would go and peg. It stayed within normal range. Even tried it with the heat on full (well it would have to be full 1-4 doesn't work). No steam, right temp. The thing is like I said no T-stat in it.

We did the boil in a pan of water on that t-stat we just pulled from the car (the second one) and going all the way up to 190 and above on the therm and that t-stat wouldn't open, so apparently it too is defective.

Get this though, most of the time when running a car without a t-stat you will get cold air out of your heater, guess what I didn't get, instead it was blowing like it should if there were not problems, warm/hot.

I am thinking about getting another t-stat but at the rate they are or my luck is....

[tblake]

Try a superstant thermostat or else get a delco one. Keep in mind if the pan of boiling water was only 190, running temp on stock thermostats is 195, so you are not quite at the opening point.

14.00 for a t-stat is pretty steep, for that price you could order a 180 degree one for ZZP. I got one for my g/f's 3100 GP from them for about 8.00 shipped. Works good and helps keep the temp down especially in stop and go traffic.

[CMFan]

According to our manual the t-stat is 180, thats what we bought. As to the temp on the therm, thats as high as it would go on there I thought it would blow the top off of it. trust me it was hot enough water lol.

We tried it again without the t-stat and that gauge sat perfectly where it should be didn't peg or anything normal temp and the heater still throwing heat when on. I don't pretend to get it, without a t-stat in it. my car like my luck is

[richtazz]

If your car runs at normal temps with the t-stat removed, then you have either a cooling system restriction or an air bubble. This could include a partially blocked radiator, worn water pump, or you have air trapped behind the t-stat when it is installed. I'm being lazy and don't want to read 3 pages of posts so I'll ask (possibly again), did you properly bleed the cooling system of air after each t-stat replacement?

[CMFan]

Actually you would have found it in my first post lol. But to answer the question, yep we bled the system after each T-stat change, and several times while this last one was in. The garages swear they also bled it just to be safe. That things been bled so much that it could be mistaken for a donor lol.

Sears was suppost to have flushed the radiator I say it that way cause I have been told by alot of people and one that is a former employee that their idea of flushing is drain it and then put fresh anti-freeze in it with something that helps it last longer. Thats their flushing. Not what Sears told me they did but...

I was also told the water pump was good, again these were the garages..
from what we can see it looks okay. Hate to get one just to have to remove it if that isn't it and we have to junk it. GRR. Something to think about.

As to getting another T-stat I know we are going to Advanced Auto, hoping the third times the charm.

[tblake]

Originally Posted by CMFan

According to our manual the t-stat is 180, thats what we bought....

Interesting because when I was looking for a 180 stat for her car, I checked all over the place, auto value, oreilley's, advance, even the dealer. None of them had a 180 stat for that car. Mr. dealer guy found an "alternative temp" stat for it and said it should be a 180 degree, but actually it made the car run hotter, so needless to say it got trashed pretty quick.

[CMFan]

Well Marshalls is apart of Auto Value That should show you the 180. if not "Parts Store, look up part, input info, and see options" mine is a 2001 pontiac Grand prix 3.1

Auto zone also has the 180.

Now both those stores I went to and they were defective.

Advanced autos website shows only 195 but I called the local store and they said they do carry the 180.

[rkvons]

Originally Posted by CMFan

We tried it again without the t-stat and that gauge sat perfectly where it should be didn't peg or anything normal temp and the heater still throwing heat when on. I don't pretend to get it, without a t-stat in it. my car like my luck is

Did the temp gauge vary at all? I mean, you sit still, it goes up, you drive it, it goes down? If you have a restriction in your radiator, you might be able to tell. When the car gets hot and the fans kick on to cool it, is there blazing hot air being blown by the fans? This would be the heat being exchanged by your radiator. If the air is not blazing hot, your radiator might be shot.

[CMFan]

Originally Posted by rkvons

Did the temp gauge vary at all? I mean, you sit still, it goes up, you drive it, it goes down? If you have a restriction in your radiator, you might be able to tell. When the car gets hot and the fans kick on to cool it, is there blazing hot air being blown by the fans? This would be the heat being exchanged by your radiator. If the air is not blazing hot, your radiator might be shot.

Nope stayed in normal range the only varying it does at all sitting and driving, is that it moves slightly you have the little notches after 160, I think the highest its gone is 180, and stays that way. The heat is the same as before the problem started. The oil still looks good and normal, we check the antifreeze constant level normal.

The only difference is we still haven't put a t-stat back in it. We wanted to see if anything would happen, or would continue happening. Nope. We know that one we pulled out was defective, and I still have to buy a new one which 1. doesn't make me happy this is number three on buying, 2. at the rate my luck is going that will be bad to lol.

Not sure if any of that helped.

[CMFan]

Well we decided to try and change the Water pump, and we got another t-stat (super stant brand), went to advanced auto. These are the ones we got. Stant Superstat Thermostat (Price was more in the store), and ASC New Water Pump (That was the price we paid)

This whole time we were driving it the gauge never went past the normal range, wierd. But we decided that before we give up, and we didn't want to drive it that way all the time. I mean you could but didn't really want to. Especially the long distances we will be driving soon.

When we removed the old pump and compared it to the new one there weren't as many fins on it, they weren't wore down or broke, they just weren't there as if made that way, which I am guessing it was.

But we decided to try something more that didn't require pulling the motor out. The problem we ran into is that the Belt Tensioner broke (OY) so I have to get another one of those which isn't cheap lol.

But thought I would keep you up to date, and incase the answer above was not seen.