1998 Aurora cooling problem

[papadhd]

I need help...............I have cooling problems and went thru the ordeal with the dealer who said that I had blown head gasket. He made repairs and also put in new steel inserts in the block. Car was o.k. for a short time then it started to overheat at speeds in excess of 55mph. I carry it back and he says that it could be another head gasket? Could it be that one of the inserts has either stripped out or broke causing the overheating problem??? (he sas he is not responsible if this is the case)
Before this the thermostat & water pump & radiator recovery cap were replaced. Then the radiator was pressure tested and was A o.k.
Would appreciate any advice.

[Isnibs]

how did the dealer diagnose the blown head gasket?
do you go into ' limp home mode '?
are you cooling fans working?
Is your radiator air blocked?

[papadhd]

pressure test.......yes..........yes.........no

[P11]

I would consider having the Radiator “Rodded” out before I let the Dealer back under the hood. A reputable Radiator Shop will remove the Radiator, remove the tanks and run rods through the Radiator to remove any blockage. A pressure test will not reveal a blocked Radiator, only leaks in the cooling system.

If you remove the Radiator yourself it will cost about $100.00. Add a couple hours labor & coolant if the Shop does all the work.

Just curious how did the Dealer determine you had a “Head Gasket” problem?

Jay

P.S. Something else that will cause overheating in rare cases is exhaust blockage. Usually in the catalytic converter.

[rodtice]

For $200 you could have a new radiator, an option I'd go for if you install it yourself.

I had a cracked passenger side tank, $100 to fix or $200 for new, I got new, car cools better.

[Isnibs]

First the dealer should guarantee his work. I understand that inserts if properly done are better than the original aluminum threads.

When you said pressure test was it a compression test?

Have you noticed any condensation / water coming from your exhaust or loss of coolant?

It seems odd the your Aurora is overheating at speeds over 55 MPH when the air flow through the radiator is far greater than say, for instance in heavy traffic.

Sorry I can't be of more assistance

[P11]

rodtice,

Checked out your Olds via your link, Hot Car, very nice!

Unless you purchased your new radiator from GM it is probably someone’s core return that has been Rodded out with the tanks replaced.

Building a relationship with a local shop can also be an excellent source for helpful information and technical advise. Just my $.02

Jay

[rodtice]

possibly, however the mounting points are a little different also it is a universal type with mounting points for a other cars as well as the core looks new, the coolers are different than OEM.

Either way it was a good deal and works great. The new tanks are the most important to me.

I wonder where they would get the old cores as a lot of shops recycle the aluminum.

I absolutely love the look of my car, the "Area Rule" (coke bottle shape for non pilots) is just accentuated by the Razzi kit. Some times I just sit and look at it, I bought this car for me to appreciate, usually it sits in the garage, only average 8k/mi/yr.

The curves are so sexy, I have heard it described as a gorgeous woman and I can't agree more, with a perfect 36-24-36 figure, (my favorite btw, no waifes (sp) for me.

if you want higher res pics
rice at aero.und.edu

[P11]

Originally Posted by rodtice

The curves are so sexy, I have heard it described as a gorgeous woman and I can't agree more, with a perfect 36-24-36 figure, (my favorite btw, no waifes (sp) for me.

Your right she's a real looker!

Jay

[TheMessenger]

Originally Posted by Isnibs

It seems odd the your Aurora is overheating at speeds over 55 MPH when the air flow through the radiator is far greater than say, for instance in heavy traffic.

Mine does the same thing and is most noticeable if the outside temp is over 80. I think that the reason it overheats even on the highway is that at 55+ the car is running over 2000 RPM. I have noticed that if I keep the RPMs low, the car takes longer to get hot.
Mine never goes over 250, but rises to there quite quickly on the highway. Stop and go traffic on the highway is a killer for me, although I don't think I have ever gotten hot enough for the car to go into limp mode.
I think my problem is because my fans are not coming on. I don't know why they don't, but I have never been able to see them on, even when the car is hot.

[Isnibs]

I read in this forum somwhere that if you turn on your a/c the cooling fans should come on.

It sounds like an air lock or blockage in the cooling system if that is posible.

This is a hot running engine and the fans come on at around 237f degrees.

Maybe try a rad flush and refill.

[dsatt12]

Originally Posted by TheMessenger

I think my problem is because my fans are not coming on. I don't know why they don't, but I have never been able to see them on, even when the car is hot.

I've also read that you can unplug the coolant level sensor and the fans should run all the time- even with the motor off but the key in the start position. It's supposed to be the electrical connection you can feel under the plastic coolant reservoir.

If they don't come on with the AC or other methods, start looking into fuses, wiring shorts, or bad fan motor(s)

[Isnibs]

If it is not one of the fuses.It could be the Relay or the sending unit.
On my 1996 the cooling Fan Motor Relay is to the right of the windshield wiper motor on the Center Rear Of the Engine Compartment. The sending unit is at the front left of the engine.