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I need help on a car problem.

  • Thread starter Thread starter froggy33ko
  • Start date Start date
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froggy33ko

We have a 1991 with a 3.1, the car runs great but when the thermostat opens it fills the reservoir with antifreeze and soon the check coolant light comes on. When the engine cools it should suck the antifreeze from the reservoir back into the radiator but it doesn't. We have replaced the thermostat, radiator cap, water pump, and flushed radiator and engine completely. Any other suggestions?
 
Is your lower radiator hose collapsing? Trying to think of reasons how what you describe can happen.

Is the radiator cap the right type, and is the radiator cap port OK with no damage? Is the line to the reservoir clear - that is, no crud in the tank that would get pushed out of the way on inflow, but settles back in to block the port on outflow.

If the radiator were sufficiently plugged, could understand the low coolant light, but doesn't really explain the dump to the reservoir.

Does the car overheat? Thermostat installed the correct way? Air bled out of the cooling system?
 
Head Gasket?
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check your oil... if there is antifreeze in it, you need a head gaskset... 3.1 and 3.4 liter gm engines were notorious for that after 100k, or 60 k miles...
 
froggy33ko said:
We have a 1991 with a 3.1, the car runs great but when the thermostat opens it fills the reservoir with antifreeze and soon the check coolant light comes on. When the engine cools it should suck the antifreeze from the reservoir back into the radiator but it doesn't. We have replaced the thermostat, radiator cap, water pump, and flushed radiator and engine completely. Any other suggestions?
Click to expand...
Another problem with the 3.1 and a more common one is the intake gaskets leaking coolant past the seals on the ends of the gaskets this will cause a "leak" in the cooling syatem that won't allow pressure to build in the system and eventually cause the coolant to leak both internaly and externaly on the engine..
the gasket set has been updated by GM but requires some skill to install correctly and should be done by a competent tech as the gaskets require specific torque specs and system bleeding for best results
also I would only use the GM gaskets (the aftermarket ones dont have the updated features the GM ones do) and are even more prone to failure
 
check your engine oil for that lovely mocha froth... that and look around the sides of the engine for coolant puddles.

when my LIM gasket went on my malibu i felt around when the engine was cold and could feel on the left (drivers) side of the engine that the silicone pushed out under the throttle body.
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