Problem after 180 degree stat change
09-20-2005, 08:34 PM
#11
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I didn't install anything but a new thermostat, gasket and O ring
I'm not sure if the problem is as serious as everyone is thinking
The car is running perfect, maybe I'm just missing the leak
Is it even possible for the fluid to be going somehwere else if I just changed the thermostat and gaskets
I'm not sure if the problem is as serious as everyone is thinking
The car is running perfect, maybe I'm just missing the leak
Is it even possible for the fluid to be going somehwere else if I just changed the thermostat and gaskets
09-20-2005, 08:42 PM
#12
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Originally Posted by umrdyldo
I didn't install anything but a new thermostat, gasket and O ring
I'm not sure if the problem is as serious as everyone is thinking
The car is running perfect, maybe I'm just missing the leak
Is it even possible for the fluid to be going somehwere else if I just changed the thermostat and gaskets
I'm not sure if the problem is as serious as everyone is thinking
The car is running perfect, maybe I'm just missing the leak
Is it even possible for the fluid to be going somehwere else if I just changed the thermostat and gaskets
Its possible that you have a bad water pump... Its possible that you have bad lower intake gaskets.. Its possible that the upper intake could be shot or leaking... Its possible that the radiator has a leak..
You will have to check everything, hoses, radiator, thermostat housing and the like for leaks... If you keep using coolant like that than you have an issue somewhere that needs to be corrected...
The best thing I could suggest to you is a Cooling system pressure test...
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09-20-2005, 11:24 PM
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I had a similar problem before where every month id have to refill the coolant, check for any green residue in and around where the throttle body connects to the intake plenum at the bottom. If you see any or if you see that its moist after some long driving then you have a bad TB gasket and it needs replacing. I dont think that it is as serious as some people here say it is like upper intake failiure. At your car'* age gaskets are due to fail.
Although its a bid odd on second thought that you would be loosing at a faster rate after you did that procedure, but its a good idea to check it anyway since its been a lingering problem. As for the faster rate of loosing coolant that could just be another problem. You sure you made those 2 bolts screwed into the housing pretty tight? No cracked hoses?
Although its a bid odd on second thought that you would be loosing at a faster rate after you did that procedure, but its a good idea to check it anyway since its been a lingering problem. As for the faster rate of loosing coolant that could just be another problem. You sure you made those 2 bolts screwed into the housing pretty tight? No cracked hoses?
09-21-2005, 12:37 AM
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Let me explain my concern...
1) a 1993 L27 upper intake it a totally diffrent world as compared to a 95 & later L36.. There is no comparision between the two, other than they are made of the same type of plastic...
2) he can't figure out where the coolant is going... He is losing more in a weeks time than most bad waterpumps will loose.. And from what he says he can't find any traces of coolant..
3) the upperintake failure on the 3800 series II L36 is an incredibly common problem.. Everytime I have been to the Pontiac/Buick dealership they have always had an L36 in for an upper intake replacement.. I have seen several of these engines destroyed as people did not heed the warnings... If you were to get this engine installed new at a dealership, you'd most likely spend $5000...
4) as I own an L36 powered Bonneville, and have had the upper intake rupture while driving ingesting the majority of the coolant, causing me to have the car towed to the dealership and them replacing the upper intake.. Not very nice... 2 days later I had to rent an explorer to run away from a hurricane... Imagine if that had happened on the open road leaving me stranded in the middle of a hurricane..
5) I have recently replaced that upper intake before I took my long trip... The degradation of the upper intake which was almost 6 years old was unreal, and I was using coolant once again... I found both a bad water pump and shot upper intake...
6) The upper intake along with the lower intake gaskets are a large concern to me simply being that he has a 95 Bonneville SE with a 3800 series II... I did not say the upper intake is the problem, get it fixed... I simply gave him some reading so that he would have a better understanding of what the issues and problems are.. If the car is consuming coolant and you can't figure out where its going, then there are some problems... If the coolant is being burned in the combustion process and contaminating the oil and is ignored this could lead to serious bottom end damage... If the car is ran low on coolant and runs hot than he can run the risk of burning the engine up..
7) Again, everything related to the cooling system needs to be checked.. I still reccomend a cooling system pressure test..
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1) a 1993 L27 upper intake it a totally diffrent world as compared to a 95 & later L36.. There is no comparision between the two, other than they are made of the same type of plastic...
2) he can't figure out where the coolant is going... He is losing more in a weeks time than most bad waterpumps will loose.. And from what he says he can't find any traces of coolant..
3) the upperintake failure on the 3800 series II L36 is an incredibly common problem.. Everytime I have been to the Pontiac/Buick dealership they have always had an L36 in for an upper intake replacement.. I have seen several of these engines destroyed as people did not heed the warnings... If you were to get this engine installed new at a dealership, you'd most likely spend $5000...
4) as I own an L36 powered Bonneville, and have had the upper intake rupture while driving ingesting the majority of the coolant, causing me to have the car towed to the dealership and them replacing the upper intake.. Not very nice... 2 days later I had to rent an explorer to run away from a hurricane... Imagine if that had happened on the open road leaving me stranded in the middle of a hurricane..
5) I have recently replaced that upper intake before I took my long trip... The degradation of the upper intake which was almost 6 years old was unreal, and I was using coolant once again... I found both a bad water pump and shot upper intake...
6) The upper intake along with the lower intake gaskets are a large concern to me simply being that he has a 95 Bonneville SE with a 3800 series II... I did not say the upper intake is the problem, get it fixed... I simply gave him some reading so that he would have a better understanding of what the issues and problems are.. If the car is consuming coolant and you can't figure out where its going, then there are some problems... If the coolant is being burned in the combustion process and contaminating the oil and is ignored this could lead to serious bottom end damage... If the car is ran low on coolant and runs hot than he can run the risk of burning the engine up..
7) Again, everything related to the cooling system needs to be checked.. I still reccomend a cooling system pressure test..
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09-21-2005, 05:33 PM
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On the series II engines there is a bleeder screw on the top of the thermostat housing... This is the bleeder screw...
The 3800'* in the bonneville do not have a large problem with bleeding the air bubbles out of the system as the top of tha radiator physically sits higher than the heads... Out of all the 3800'* I have worked on, I have never had a single issue with bleeding the sir bubbles out of the cooling system..
On a Grand Am with a 3400 this would be an issue as the radiator actually sits lower than the heads making it harder to get the air pockets out of the heads.....
With the engine cold, open the bleeder and and fill the coolant untill you see coolant coming out of the bleeder with minimal or no air bubbles..
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The 3800'* in the bonneville do not have a large problem with bleeding the air bubbles out of the system as the top of tha radiator physically sits higher than the heads... Out of all the 3800'* I have worked on, I have never had a single issue with bleeding the sir bubbles out of the cooling system..
On a Grand Am with a 3400 this would be an issue as the radiator actually sits lower than the heads making it harder to get the air pockets out of the heads.....
With the engine cold, open the bleeder and and fill the coolant untill you see coolant coming out of the bleeder with minimal or no air bubbles..
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09-21-2005, 05:57 PM
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alright I will try to find the bleeder screw
here'* a couple questions though
Why would that be causing my car to be losing coolant?
Do I add coolant to the overlow tank or through radiator cap?
here'* a couple questions though
Why would that be causing my car to be losing coolant?
Do I add coolant to the overlow tank or through radiator cap?
09-21-2005, 06:03 PM
#19
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Originally Posted by umrdyldo
alright I will try to find the bleeder screw
here'* a couple questions though
Why would that be causing my car to be losing coolant?
Do I add coolant to the overlow tank or through radiator cap?
here'* a couple questions though
Why would that be causing my car to be losing coolant?
Do I add coolant to the overlow tank or through radiator cap?
Another tip, if you have a set of ramps, pull the car up the ramps, this also will help bleed the air out of the system...
Once you have the system full, fill the overflow to the Full hot line... If there are any air bubbles left, this should allow some coolant to enter the cooling system as the bubbles bleed out, once the car cools a bit the system will be able to take in the coolant... The coolan't usage should become very stable within a day or so... If the usage continues and you see no coolant anywhere on the ground, or on the engine then its time to look in other areas..
Take a good look at the thermostat housing and see if there is any dried up coolant around that area... Being that you replaced all of the gaskets, I doubt that its leaking much at all if any... Good Luck
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09-21-2005, 06:15 PM
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Originally Posted by jr's3800
The 3800'* in the bonneville do not have a large problem with bleeding the air bubbles out of the system...
Originally Posted by jr's3800
the top of tha radiator physically sits higher than the heads...
Originally Posted by jr's3800
Out of all the 3800'* I have worked on, I have never had a single issue with bleeding the sir bubbles out of the cooling system..
