Cooling System Gremlins

[Nate's Alero]

ok, i've had enough,

so, i've pretty much replaced everything in my cooling system except the rad and heater core...

it has an issue of, when i'm waiting somewhere, or parked, it likes to heat up and "pee" on the ground... when moving it's A+, NO air in system, hoses are not rock hard, very pliable, not like when my heads were gone, those hoses were so damn hard..

first off, if i immediately drive and cruise while it starts from C, it runs here...



and when i'm in town driving, but not sitting at lights and such for very long, it runs here



now, this is what it does when i sit...

First Five Minutes after i began the test



Seven Minutes



Nine Minutes



Eleven Minutes



Thirteen Minutes



Now things get serious, if i don't drive or crank the heat, even with the fans on (i can hear them) the car will climb visibly

Fifteen Minutes



Mind you, it seems normal for a car, in 100* heat, with non working fans, but my fans are on , low not very fast.. but on nonetheless, and it's 25* out...

should i spring for the rad? it's the only part left, oh yeah, in that test period, here's the pee it made, i CAN NOT TRACE THIS LEAK



i CAN NOT trace that leak, and it only does that when i sit, if i drive it in, and put it on the lift, it's completely dry, i've traced this the best i can, UV dye, in the air with a flashlight, all around, no wet, no marks... WTF!?!?

and this is 3 minutes behind the wheel, so in three minutes it dropped at least 40*, but the fans did nothing, this makes no sense...



like i said, the car has had this issue for ages, since i got it, and like i said also, i'm fixing all the issues... the heads were done 550 miles ago, along with all hoses, i checked all the clamps, nice and tight... brand new surge bottle... this is strange huh?

[AZFire316]

Check the overflow tank, or whatever GM calls it for these cars as it is a pressurized part of the system. My alero was going the same thing with the leak, it would heat up, pressurize, then some water would come out of the small hose connected to the tank, leaking down a small ramp in the bay down to the floor.

Either your thermostat is not opening, or you have an air bubble€ somewhere. Have you burped the cooling system?

Start the car and let it idle with the coolant reservor cap off. Turn on the heater. You will see the coolant level rie in the overflow tank. Hopefully, your thermostat will open around 195 (stock temp) and you'll see the coolant level drop.

[guiguilandry]

My old 3100 Grand-Am was doing this exactely... it was heating when parked or idling a little and coolant was getting out of the pressurized overflow tank by the cap....
But my intake gasket was dead... I did it ant the problem was solved....

Also if you got an air pocket anywhere in the engine it overheats the coolant.....

[Nate's Alero]

well, i burped it, as far as i know... i might just throw in that new rad, like i said, it's done this EVER SINCE I GOT IT, i know the stupid bitch that owned it before me put BARS in it, so maybe i need a new rad after that

[Nate's Alero]

Double Postinz, i'm gonna put in a new thermie today... sick of this crap, it seems to point all to that...

[cherrington17]

you did your limg and headgaskets how many times, and you never replaced your thermo??

i did mine, just because it was already out... no symptoms for it at all

[Nate's Alero]

Originally Posted by cherrington17

you did your limg and headgaskets how many times, and you never replaced your thermo??

i did mine, just because it was already out... no symptoms for it at all

this is the second one, it was replaced after the first LIM gasket, and the reason i think i didn't have catastrophic failure is because there are three holes drilled into the thermo, because of bleeding issues i had before (combustion gases, never knew at the time)

[Gr1m]

wait so you drilled holes into your tstat and you are going to replace the radiator instead of the tstat?

[Nate's Alero]

No, jesus, i was told by BEN, to drill 1 1/32'th hole in my Tstat... and so i did... and now i'm going to replace the 5 month old Tstat....since the 195 i put in when i got the car's LIM done, failed and stuck, and i pout this 180 in, it's always been wonky, i'm gonna put a 195 back in, might work better

[Gr1m]

i dont see why you would alter the tstat on a stock engine? a few words of advice, fix what you know is wrong and then move on, sometimes things get fixed from other things you fix and it saves you a lot of money and headaches

[Nate's Alero]

Originally Posted by Gr1m

i dont see why you would alter the tstat on a stock engine? a few words of advice, fix what you know is wrong and then move on, sometimes things get fixed from other things you fix and it saves you a lot of money and headaches

stock my ass... 3500topswap, Tuned PCM, fullback exhaust (sorta, ported exhaust manifolds, lol) WAI in winter and CAI in summer.... stock my ass

[Gr1m]

first of all, if your leaking fluid theres a good chance that air is getting in your lines. second of all you havent replaced anything major or ported anything to notice any difference, you got rid of a air box and put a filter and you did a catback exhaust, none of which has to do with your coolant/tstat, and you said that it has been doing it since you got the car, and im guessing you tuned the PCM after you bought it so obviously that isnt the culprit either

...so you either effed up a gasket on your "3500 swap" or you ruined your thermostat when you decided to drill holes in it. when you replace your theromstat this time put some RTV sealant around the tstat housing where it meets with the LIM and see if the leaking still occurs. if that doesnt help then your leak is somewhere else and your definitely getting air pockets in your lines

dont get so defensive when someone is trying to help you.

[Nate's Alero]

Originally Posted by Gr1m

first of all, if your leaking fluid theres a good chance that air is getting in your lines. second of all you havent replaced anything major or ported anything to notice any difference, you got rid of a air box and put a filter and you did a catback exhaust, none of which has to do with your coolant/tstat, and you said that it has been doing it since you got the car, and im guessing you tuned the PCM after you bought it so obviously that isnt the culprit either

...so you either effed up a gasket on your "3500 swap" or you ruined your thermostat when you decided to drill holes in it. when you replace your theromstat this time put some RTV sealant around the tstat housing where it meets with the LIM and see if the leaking still occurs. if that doesnt help then your leak is somewhere else and your definitely getting air pockets in your lines

dont get so defensive when someone is trying to help you.

seems like someone is getting angry, i know my car well, i can NOT FIND ANY air pockets in my lines, i open the bleeder, nothing but coolant comes out, level does not change or fluctuate, and what, you accusing me of mwesing up my topswap? i highly doubt that, i'll figure this out....

[Gr1m]

well it took you what? 4 times to get your headgasket swap right? i guess you could say history does repeat itself

have you gotten under the car while its idling without putting it up on a lift to see where the fluid is coming from?

[Nate's Alero]

Originally Posted by Gr1m

well it took you what? 4 times to get your headgasket swap right? i guess you could say history does repeat itself

Twice, and the first time i had the heads milled to the incorrect RA, so in entirety, it was my fault but a knowledge fault not a mech fault... so don't insult my ability to work on cars, that rubs me in the wrong spot..

Twice, and the first time i had the heads milled to the incorrect RA, so in entirety, it was my fault but a knowledge fault not a mech fault... so don't insult my ability to work on cars, that rubs me in the wrong spot..

Originally Posted by Gr1m

have you gotten under the car while its idling without putting it up on a lift to see where the fluid is coming from?

either one of the heater core hoses, or the overflow neck

[Ttop191]

Originally Posted by Gr1m

have you gotten under the car while its idling without putting it up on a lift to see where the fluid is coming from?

of course not...you know he cant fit under there

[Nate's Alero]

Originally Posted by Ttop191

of course not...you know he cant fit under there

stay out of here unless you can help, i'm not in the mood to deal with the fat jokes

[Vic28]

Only place to leak while everything else being RIGHT is the overflow tank. If you think is one the heater core line I would think it would be doing it constantly.

Remember if you replace your Radiator while having other issue, its gonna do it again.

What coolant you use??

[zzyzzx]

Which type of Gremlin were you referring to: