Crazy K Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 look under the bumper. drivers side corner. look up! below where the battery is. the check valve is usually black plastic, and is simply a junction between a couple vac lines. it is placed on the body's structural rail, below the master cylinder. And make sure the hoses between the components are attached. below the coil packs is where the lines distribute to the rest of the car. bummer on the overheat. are you sure the car was actually overheating and not just a false gauge reading? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassvial Posted June 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 look under the bumper. drivers side corner. look up! below where the battery is. the check valve is usually black plastic, and is simply a junction between a couple vac lines. it is placed on the body's structural rail, below the master cylinder. And make sure the hoses between the components are attached. below the coil packs is where the lines distribute to the rest of the car. Ok I'll check it out, mabye cross-reference with my parts car and see where its vac lines go. bummer on the overheat. are you sure the car was actually overheating and not just a false gauge reading? Quite sure Coolant was backed up so bad it pushed the reservoir's cap off. Water pump's only a $20 item, think I'll try that, and if that doesn't solve it, I basically give up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo Posted June 2, 2007 Report Share Posted June 2, 2007 Damn! I am having the same issue with this 94 GP I bought. Today I actually have time to install both a new sensor and thermostat. Hope it works. I dont want to have to drill holes though. When I drive it on the highway the temp guage rises all the way up to the top and the temp light comes on. No low coolant light and then the heater belts out a high temperature and the temp guage needle drops. Feels like some air in the system because when get to where I am going you can hear air/coolant pumping out into the overflow box (thup thup thup thup thup...). FACK! Oh well ... here I go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted June 2, 2007 Report Share Posted June 2, 2007 Damn! I am having the same issue with this 94 GP I bought. Today I actually have time to install both a new sensor and thermostat. Hope it works. I dont want to have to drill holes though. When I drive it on the highway the temp guage rises all the way up to the top and the temp light comes on. No low coolant light and then the heater belts out a high temperature and the temp guage needle drops. Feels like some air in the system because when get to where I am going you can hear air/coolant pumping out into the overflow box (thup thup thup thup thup...). FACK! Oh well ... here I go. make a small hole, like 1/16th, in the tstat flange, and orient it towards the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo Posted June 2, 2007 Report Share Posted June 2, 2007 I gave up trying to get at the tstat. TB is just too much in the way and the sensor requires a deep socket that I dont have. More than a week has passed and today was the only day I have to do it. I may just try to bleed the system via the bleed screws for now. Why GM builds engines with what used to be easy to work on components is beyond me... this gives me more appreciation for the 2.8 and 3.1 motors which seem to be easier on the patience factor. Bleed you bastard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 I tried the bleed method and goddamn... it was spitting a lot of air. Not only that but the friggin hoses seemed like they had nothing in them. Something is blocking the flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassvial Posted June 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Hm, guess it's not the water pump. Did it last night, filled it, bled it, ran it, didn't overheat, but when I got home the coolant level in the overfill was way high again (a good few inches over the hot mark which is as high as it should be getting). Let it sit overnight, sucked it all back in and was just over the cold mark this morning. Gave it some more coolant this morning, ran it, didn't overheat, but again, got home, very full reservoir. Been sitting a couple of hours now and it's still about 2" over the hot mark. Unless someone has another idea, then I give up, and it's time to dump this car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassvial Posted June 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I tried the bleed method and goddamn... it was spitting a lot of air. Not only that but the friggin hoses seemed like they had nothing in them. Something is blocking the flow. That's the interesting thing about mine, I can put fluid in almost any spot it takes fluid (bypass hose, heater core hose, upper/lower radiator hose, etc), and it will come out somewhere else, I would think if there's a blockage somewhere it wouldn't flow as freely then?my buddy keeps telling me we should dump the entire system and try again, using 2 complete gallons of straight A/F and then adding water from there, but at this point, I've added SO MUCH fluid (A/F and water) it's just crazy. That much A/F and water definitely should have pushed any air pockets out by now with the amount of bleeding we've done (over and over). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Strangely enough I get the same problem with the thermostat reading up to 3/4 level, although it usually happens under heavy driving. If I rev the engine to about 3500 rpm for a few seconds it seems to go down a bit. I might be having the same problem you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 So far this has been the worst w-body motor experience I have ever had. At least the LQ1 in my Cutlass was no mystery motor packed with ghosts and gremlins like this stupid GP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassvial Posted June 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Hmm the plot thickens...started it up earlier, put some more coolant in it, started to get some smoke coming from the back side of the motor (??) couldn't tell where the heck it was coming from, though. Does this perhaps help or is it just another ghost in the machine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassvial Posted June 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 Sorry to keep replying to my own thread here, but I asked this same question online and someone replied with this: --- A bad head gasket can pressurize the system blocking circulation but not leak back into the cylinders, unusual type of failure but it can happen. If it is air bound, try jacking up the car in the front and letting it sit o/n with the cap off, also try bleeding it this way hot also. --- Hm sounds like what's happening isn't it? Even though all the "tests" I've done so far haven't indicated any sort of head gasket problem. If I do go for this (which I really DON'T want to do but I may have no choice) should I also go for "shaving" the heads at a machine shop (an expense I don't want to incur for a vehicle I'm not planning on keeping) or just do the gasket job and hope for the best? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron350 Posted June 5, 2007 Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 Sounds like you need to have the cooling system sniffed for O2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassvial Posted June 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 Sounds like it's time for a complete water back flush and K&W block seal job to me (and maybe a can of engine restore while I'm at it!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo Posted June 5, 2007 Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 I walked over to the local grease monkey business and asked them about it. He told me usually it's the back head gasket. All clues, especially the one about the one pressurizing the system sounds about right considering the fact that many have replaced just about every damn gasket, recepticle and moving piece yet still have the same problem. If this is the case for me ... I may just drive it till it drops. I have a 93' that despite the fact it's smashed, I'd rather put money in it than this car even though it's in perhaps the best condition I have seen a used W in for the year and 'mileage'. Again... funny how much you baby a car and treasure it only for it to have a shit load of issues and disappointment. You just get in one you dont give a crap about and go, putting the standard maintenance and nothing else, and the damn thing won't die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassvial Posted June 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 I walked over to the local grease monkey business and asked them about it. He told me usually it's the back head gasket. All clues, especially the one about the one pressurizing the system sounds about right considering the fact that many have replaced just about every damn gasket, recepticle and moving piece yet still have the same problem. Sounds like we've got the same issue then. Done a lot of google searching on this K&W block seal stuff, I figure for $8 for a can (plus the $2 prestone back flush kit from wal-mart,) a few bucks for 2 pcs. of 5/8" heater hose, my garden hose, and a few more gallons of coolant, why not give it a shot? If it last long enough for me to sell it, fine. If it lasts 5 years for the next person, that's fine too. I figure it's worth a shot if nothing else, got nothing to lose (just be sure to bypass your heater core). Read quite a few stories of this stuff lasting anywhere from 6 months to 2 years, that's more than enough time for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassvial Posted June 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 Ok here I go replying to my own thread again, but I learned something about this K&W stuff already, when the can says shake well, I think they mean, shake the living crap out of it! I didn't realize till after I put it in the car (oops) there was still QUITE a bit left in the bottom of the can. I think the best thing to do is either shake the crap out of it to make sure you got it all, or, in the step that says mix it with 3 qts of hot water, use the hot water from the tap to get the remaining bits from the bottom of the can. Bought myself a second can tonight (because I messed up the first time) I'll do another back flush and fill tomorrow and try again (and hopefully get it right this time) and see if anything changes. Hopefully I'll post back in a couple days with good news Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 Engine and tranny additives are never good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 Mods change this guys username to Crackvial immediately.... Maybe I should have applied for that mod position!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassvial Posted June 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 Mods change this guys username to Crackvial immediately.... Maybe I should have applied for that mod position!! LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Dubya Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 have you considered the fact that a faulty radiator cap can cause a surge of overflow into the reservoir tank? On extremely hot days it will boil out. It's worth a try for $8. My buddies 3.8 SII did this a week or two ago, he was driving and thought something burst under the hood, but the top radiator hose was collapsed and we changed the cap, all good now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassvial Posted June 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 have you considered the fact that a faulty radiator cap can cause a surge of overflow into the reservoir tank? On extremely hot days it will boil out. It's worth a try for $8. My buddies 3.8 SII did this a week or two ago, he was driving and thought something burst under the hood, but the top radiator hose was collapsed and we changed the cap, all good now. One step ahead of you, already replaced the cap a couple weeks ago. Brand new Stant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassvial Posted July 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 Wow has it been this long already? Man time flies when you're busy (and punk kids egg your luminas, but that's drifting off topic here...little bastards ) Anywho, after taking the car to the car wash to (attempt) to get the egg off of it, when I got home, I could smell the exhaust fumes plain as day, popped open the overfill cap, and phew did that stink...it's definitely a head gasket leaking exhaust into the cooling system. We're going to try to torque/re-torque/overtorque/et al the head bolts and try the K&W block seal again, (and whether it works or not!) I'm going to get RID of this nightmare and focus on my 98 Lumina (which at the moment is running like a 4 cyl, I'm thinking plugged cat, already did a complete tune-up, but that'll be a thread for later if I can't figure it out ) Thanks again everyone who posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 Strange thing ... on rainy days my car runs like shit ... overheats like mad and has copious amounts of air in the system (Thursday-Friday morning). All day Saturday and Sunday the car ran fine and the weather was hot and dry. The temp setting stayed under 100*C and the Lowcoolant light came on and went off numerous times despite the fact that the rad was full. Shelling out a few hundred bucks on gaskets or 1000 or work for this to not be a headgasket or even an intake gasket is just not my idea of good money going for good. I seriously think there is an electrical issue here. Also who ever thought it was a good idea to place the computer and related wiring near an overflow box and the rad cap (filling sometimes drops water right onto the box and wiring) should never be involved in designing anything ever again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 15 Step instructions to fixing problem 1. Increase insurance coverage 2. Locate cliff 3. Drop idle to 600 rpm 4. locate formidable brick 5. Drive car to end off cliff 6. Leave Car In D 7. Step carefully out of car 8. Place brick on accelerator 9. Watch car descend to it's death 10. Let car burn 11. Walk down cliff to wreckage site 12. Take sleeping pills and sit in the middle of the wreckage 13. Have friend call 9-1-1 14. When the paramedics arrive get up and say "Whooooa Whaaaaaat Happened?!?!?!" 15. Cash check Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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