Coolant goes above max hot line when running...

[persuazion]

Is it normal for the coolant in the the resevoir to go above the max hotline or is it supposed to stay under it? ITs not that far above it...I dont have a temp guage on my car so I have no idea if its overheating or not....i have a 99 lesabre....I just had the plenium replaced and I need to know if it has something to do with that....also after they flush and fill the coolant is it normal for the coolant to go down maybe an inch after you drive it for a month or so.....I noticed that it had dropped a little since first getting it back from the mechanic.....they said they replaced the whole plenium and it include the upper and lower intake manifolds and gaskets.....plz tell me its not still leaking.

[Scrapper]

the coolant is suppose to goin over flow jug then when it needs more it'ssuppose to suck it up in radiater. but if you hear it start gurggling when you shut car off or even before if it's hot and you hear it thats not good. is your fans working?

[persuazion]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

the coolant is suppose to goin over flow jug then when it needs more it'ssuppose to suck it up in radiater. but if you hear it start gurggling when you shut car off or even before if it's hot and you hear it thats not good. is your fans working?

yeah my fans come on....they take a little while but they do. Also I have always heard a gurggling noise when i turn it off but I figured that had something to do with the ac.....this is the first car ive ever seen with no temp guage....I dont understand it.

[brcidd]

It a Buick - not a sports car-- they don't use temp gauges- only idiot lights- no tachometer either in case you haven't noticed... Check for temp light during your "bulb check" when you turn ignition on without starting the car- if light lights, then you can rest assured it is working....that's the way most Buicks are designed- if you want a sporty Buick with all the gauges, then buy a Regal- otherwise be happy with an old man's car.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by persuazion

this is the first car ive ever seen with no temp guage....I dont understand it.

Originally Posted by brcidd

It a Buick - not a sports car-- they don't use temp gauges- only idiot lights- no tachometer either in case you haven't noticed...

Possibly a good point but it depends on what model LeSabre; Custom or Limited. I'm quite sure the Limited came with the sporty analog IP gauge cluster which includes tachometer, temperature gauge, voltage and oil pressure as standard equipment. On the Custom it depends on whether it was installed as an option from the factory.


To the OP it is normal for the coolant in the reservoir to fluctuate between the low and high marks due to temperature. What you don't want is the reservoir to run empty or go below the low line indicating continued internal coolant leaking or even an external leak.

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted by brcidd

It a Buick - not a sports car-- they don't use temp gauges- only idiot lights- no tachometer either in case you haven't noticed... Check for temp light during your "bulb check" when you turn ignition on without starting the car- if light lights, then you can rest assured it is working....that's the way most Buicks are designed- if you want a sporty Buick with all the gauges, then buy a Regal- otherwise be happy with an old man's car.

A little education: I have two leSabres. Both have tachometers and all the gauges and ancillary indicator lights for the gauges for low fuel, low oil pressure, etc. One car has a HUD, which I would love to be able to replace in my next car. Don't believe your Regals had HUDs..., did they?

The question about coolant level..., the reservoir has cold and hot levels marked in the plastic. The rise in volume of the coolant due to expansion when the motor heats it up should raise the level about the same distance if it's overfilled slightly.

After you got the car back, an air bubble or two that were in the heater and motor probably got worked out to the radiator and that is what caused your slight drop in level.

The only suggestion I make is to check the level in the radiator, not just the reservoir, occasionally when the motor is cold. Also good is cleaning off the underside of the radiator cap if it has a goop collected on it from the coolant (and the sealer put into the coolant). That lets the little disk on the underside seal better when the car begins to build pressure.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by imidazol97

Don't believe your Regals had HUDs..., did they?

Nope but they have all the beeps and bells otherwise including the L67 supercharged SII 3800 engine in the '97-'04 GS/GSE models to include an above average GT suspension/handling package. Not to mention tons of aftermarket performance parts available. My GTP has a HUD and DIC.






And add to that the HD version of the 4T65E autotransaxle.

To compare the two different Buick models is really pointless.

[persuazion]

ok I understand that it fluctuates but what if its right on the low line when cold and when hot rises pretty far above the hot line? Does that mean its overheating and can it cause coolant to be burned off and become low when the engine is cold again?

[brcidd]

I'd try a new radiator cap - yours maybe weak in the seal area......letting too much out too soon....

[persuazion]

would the gurgling sound after the engine is turned off have anything to do with it?

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted by brcidd

I'd try a new radiator cap - yours maybe weak in the seal area......letting too much out too soon....

I'd suggest taking off the current radiator cap when the engine is cool. See if the coolant level is full.

Then take a toothbrush and Dawn or a strong degreasing cleaner to the underside in the middle where there's a little disc that goes up against the seal and keeps the pressure in the radiator. With DexCool and other coolants that can collect a lot of crud. That little disc seals the pressure in. When the pressure drops it releases and allows a path for the cooling, shrinking radiator volume to suck back coolant from the reservoir, overflow, tank.

When the car has been driven and it is shut off, is the upper radiator hard when you squeeze it because there's pressure in it?

When I squeeze my radiator hose when it's cold, I can hear the little disc click up and down sealing the radiator. A little coolant moves into the coolant tank before it closes. Is that what you're seeing.

My suspicion is there's a leak somewhere in the system that's letting a little coolant seep out after the UIM was repaired recently. The water pump may have gone. The two elbows that are plastic that coolant flows through from the metal lower intake manifold to go to the heater hoses may be seeping and the coolant is burning off or not showing a drip on the garage floor when the car is shut off.

Inspect the motor complete with a good flashlight. If there's orange DexCool in it you may see a brown trail where coolant flows or has dripped. Put you finger up inside the water pump pulley on the rear to see if coolant is seeping out the weep hole which lets coolant out that gets past the seal. Do this with the engine off, of course. Look for a brownish powder around that area of the pulley thrown onto the belt.

[persuazion]

I took off the radiator cap and its full up to the cap.....I tried to burp the system and let it run for about 20 mins with heater on and no bubbles came out......shouldnt my fans kick on any time the coolant reaches the max level or especially if it goes past the max level?? IT usually takes a very long time for them to kick on and the coolant is usually past the max level when they do.....my car goes from min to max level very fast....is that normal?

[brcidd]

It has always been my thought that the "min" and "max" (or use "cold" and "hot") levels on the coolant reservoir were there just for reference- as to how much coolant can be safely in the bottle without it running over or going empty under normal hot and cooling cycles,-- I don't believe the reference is there to assume the amount of coolant moving in and out (during a particular hot and cool cycle) should fall exactly at these levels or reside at these levels. The intent as I believe is to check your coolant and adding coolant -if the engine is hot- the level should not exceed the hot (or "max") level- if the engine is cool- bring it up to the cool (or "min") level- but don't necessarily expect the change in coolant level to exactly match the reservoir min and max...There has to be some allowance (or tolerance) for loss of coolant- that is why the reservoir is bigger than the amount of coolant moving in and out- and it allows for a safety factor of time between coolant checks or top-offs.
Same thing with your engine oil- there is an acceptable "zone" indicated by the words "operating range" which provides a tolerance to oil level specification. The coolant level has its level specification with the "operating range" being the area between hot and cold.....

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by persuazion

.....shouldnt my fans kick on any time the coolant reaches the max level or especially if it goes past the max level?? IT usually takes a very long time for them to kick on and the coolant is usually past the max level when they do.....my car goes from min to max level very fast....is that normal?

Whether your cooling fans turn on is not dependent on the coolant reservoir levels. It is based on engine coolant temperature via the ECT sensor and when the PCM module commands cooling fan turn on. Fans in low speed around 220 degrees F and both cooling fans in high around 230 degrees F. Also, the cooling fans should turn on when you run the A/C but that may depend on ambient temperature and A/C system pressure.

Since you do not have a temperature gauge you should consider running a diagnostics with a full function odb-ii scanner/scan tool since many monitor engine temperature and see what it really is.

[persuazion]

ok..thanks for the help guys...well my temp light comes on when I turn the key so I suppose its working right and I have never had any steam come up or anything from the engine...no whistlling or anything....and the coolant is never boiling so I guess maybe it has never overheated.Ill just keep and eye on the cold level and see if it continues to go down...like i said...it has only gone down maybe an inch in the past 3 months