Non LS1 question plz help!
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From: Charlotte, NC / Ansonia,CT
Non LS1 question plz help! Ok so im having bad luck apparently, first my 10 bolt goes now the DD is acting up. The car is a 06 grand prix 3.8L, in traffic the car beeped at me and said to turn off the AC to prevent engine damage and the car was trying to over heat while idling. when you are moving it returns to normal op temp. i check the coolant level and it is very low, so i fill it up at autozone which is about 1mi from my house, by the time i get home its allready down about 1 inch in the resi. i cannot see any leaks, i checked the hoses, the fans are working i can hear them turn on and off. i dont see any fluid coming out of the tail pipes, i dont know what to do. the heat is blowing really hot then ambient back and fourth and does not stay consistant. thanks
jay
jay
Well I have an 01 GP with the same engine. I know that engine is supposed to have possible problems with leaking intake gaskets, which could cause the coolant loss you're seeing. Mine's never had the problem, and not sure which years are prone to it, I would think they would have re-designed it by 06. You should have a dealer look at it, might be a free fix.
I doubt you lost an inch in one mile. It may be the angle the car is sitting.
Small leaks can evaporate on a hot engine and leave stains with no dripping. But if you are losing it quickly without leaks, the engine is consuming it.
How does the oil look?
Small leaks can evaporate on a hot engine and leave stains with no dripping. But if you are losing it quickly without leaks, the engine is consuming it.
How does the oil look?
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ok so i just changed the oil, nothing in the oil. with it sitting over night the resi is down to about 1/4 when it was completely topped off when i went to bed. i topped off the resi and the needle never moved above 190 this morning when i took it out to run around. so it cant be the engine is consuming it if its goin away while the car is off right? i laid cardboard under the car when i parked it, not a drop on the cardboard at all. im gonna wait until later in the day and take it out to warm it up then idle in the garage and see how its going then and keep an eye on the fluid. maybe the rad was just low since i have never checked it? im not sure just thinking lol.
edit: o and i checked the upper/lower hoses they are good no dry rot, cracking, they are not soft they are still very stiff. but i did notice if u fill the resi all the way to the top it drops out fluid until it is at the 3/4 mark. is it designed to do this or should i be yanking the resi out and replacing it?
edit: o and i checked the upper/lower hoses they are good no dry rot, cracking, they are not soft they are still very stiff. but i did notice if u fill the resi all the way to the top it drops out fluid until it is at the 3/4 mark. is it designed to do this or should i be yanking the resi out and replacing it?
do you have a plastic intake manifold on that? my buddy had a Bonneville with a 3.8 and the plastic intake warped and it went right into the engine and burned it off. if it gets real bad though it will hyrdo lock the motor. i think the intake was like 118 bucks but maybe it was more and we replaced it in about 2 hours.
we just guessed it was the problem its pretty hard to see if they warp. we happend to be right. the only other thing i can think of is the head gaskets.
are you seeing steam or white smoke from the exhaust?
we just guessed it was the problem its pretty hard to see if they warp. we happend to be right. the only other thing i can think of is the head gaskets.
are you seeing steam or white smoke from the exhaust?
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no steam or white smoke from the exhaust at all, there is a water "swishing" sound in the dashboard when i back out of the driveway at an angle, not sure if this is a heater core? but ive checked it over and over again. i do not see any leaks from the bottom, i do not see any leaks from the top. i changed the upper and lower rad hoses now, filled up the resi and went out for a few hours. drove about 10 miles or so and the resi is down about a 1/2 inch or so. so im not sure, but i am hearing a slight squeel from one of the pullies now also. still trying to figure this out. ill take the cover off again tomarrow and check the intake
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no steam or white smoke from the exhaust at all, there is a water "swishing" sound in the dashboard when i back out of the driveway at an angle, not sure if this is a heater core? but ive checked it over and over again. i do not see any leaks from the bottom, i do not see any leaks from the top. i changed the upper and lower rad hoses now, filled up the resi and went out for a few hours. drove about 10 miles or so and the resi is down about a 1/2 inch or so. so im not sure, but i am hearing a slight squeel from one of the pullies now also. still trying to figure this out. ill take the cover off again tomarrow and check the intake
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