Cooling System and Gasket Leaks FAQ...Read this first

[HeyMelo27]

remove the coolant cap. start the car and let it run. turn on heat and fan on full blast. wait like 10-15 mins or until air stops boiling out of the coolant bottle

[jmfbsharp]

Picking up my car today, I purchased a 01 GAGT last year in December with 30,000 miles on it. Currently have about 45,800 miles. Recently, I've been noticing the coolant light coming on and after driving noticed some coolant on the ground. I purchased the car from CarMax with extended warranty (good thing). Vehicle needs LIM gasket, fuel pressure regulator, water pump, belt tensioner pulley, and I have a blown driver side rear deck speaker. All of this work is being covered under the extended warranty with a $50 dollar deductible. I am fortunate, indeed. Hopefully, they did a good job. I want my car back so I can get rid of this freaking Ford Taurus rental, duh.

[jaketuff]

WOOOHOO!!!

Here's my coolant challenge...

I am refilling every 1200 miles or so now. The car runs with the SES permanently now as well (oh yeah haven't checked it, why hurry?) in the past 500 miles. I had to refill the coolant every 600 miles before flushing and filling and adding some gasket magic fantasy sealer stuff from Autozone.

So, my symptom, the car runs really down on power - like 75%. When I start to accelerate past 3200 RPMs the car feels like it is hunting for a gear or I'm getting tranny slippage and it runs like 20%. But I am starting to think it is a coolant leak spraying fluid into the compression mixture somehow. I get no white smoke, none at all, I checked the plugs and only one looked slightly chalky. When the car is under load, going uphill, it tends to hunt also - but it feels more like motor than tranny.

I dunno, she is at 125k. I would replace the LIM gaskets for fun, but that is a LOT of fun. What else might I be looking at aside from a grenaded tranny??? Where does the gasket usually fail - front or rear of the motor???

OUT

[Lilred96gagt]

Is it a V6? Intake manifold gasket comes to mind. Head gasket to a point, that is if tehre is oil in the resivor of teh coolant tank, or air bubbles.

[jaketuff]

Originally Posted by Lilred96gagt

Is it a V6? Intake manifold gasket comes to mind. Head gasket to a point, that is if tehre is oil in the resivor of teh coolant tank, or air bubbles.

3400

No oil really mixing, no blue or white exhaust. But I really baby the car now. So maybe it would really spew smoke if I got on it for a few days. Problem with that is the engine or tranny just doesn't produce power as I increase the throttle. Car starts hunting for gear, and the engine revs doggedly and feels way underpowered rather than slipping.

I'll see what the SES says... (sure it is not going to indicate anything helpful). And prolly change the gaskets if I can get the car into March when I have vacation.

OUT

Originally Posted by wushdishmeen

Not to sound retarded, but how do you bleed the air out? I'm guessing this means i didnt do that, heh. Let me know thanks!

And yes the heater isnt working it takes like 20 minutes for it to heat up and even when it does heat up it randomly turns cold.

under the hood where the big coolant hose comes from your rad and goes through the thermostat there is a little brass coloerd fitting and also on the line that runs along the front of your engien goin over to your water pump theres another fitting..start you engien let is warm up then lossen the fittings just enought to let the air out... but be very cautious not to burn your self or to twist off the fittings they are very slight

[HeyMelo27]

Originally Posted by blundon

under the hood where the big coolant hose comes from your rad and goes through the thermostat there is a little brass coloerd fitting and also on the line that runs along the front of your engien goin over to your water pump theres another fitting..start you engien let is warm up then lossen the fittings just enought to let the air out... but be very cautious not to burn your self or to twist off the fittings they are very slight

you can do it that way...but it doesnt always work...or it takes awhile. best bet is to do both....relieve the valve and remove the reservoir cap. run it to operationng temp with heat on high fan.

[Ceejj]

just had my LIM and water pump changed.

A couple days later my car still smells like antifreeze - - normal?

and when i floor it the guage goes up to 200. - is the 200 normal or is there still something wrong?

[HeyMelo27]

Originally Posted by Ceejj

just had my LIM and water pump changed.

A couple days later my car still smells like antifreeze - - normal?

and when i floor it the guage goes up to 200. - is the 200 normal or is there still something wrong?

my car smelt like antifreeze for about two days. i think it was teh reisudal antifreeze sitting on top of the transmision case...since it doesnt evaporate easily. 200 is the normal operation temperature....right in the middle

[Migs]

I am curious if GM ever fixed the problems with the LIM leaks and if they did which year? I am in the process of purchasing a '03 GAGT and am wondering if this is something to be concerned about. thanks in advance.

[gectek]

well i have an 02 gagt and i never really had any LIM trouble, i just replaced mine as a precaution, but the gasket was still in great condition. i wouldnt worry about the LIM too much.

[99gav6]

ok i have a question about the water pump problem, my car is leaking the coolant but its not all over the passenger side of the engine bay. instead its dripping about under the passenger floorboard. it has the symptoms described in the water pump problem of not leaking until the car is stopped, could this be the water pump but instead the coolant has found a route back to where its at or is there something else it could be?

[drumking1721]

Hey guys to bring this back up......checked my oil,still clean and clear. Now i have coolant ALL over the passenger side from it hitting the serpentine belt and launching it....water pump??????

[drumking1721]

The car isnt over heating,nor lacking performance. Its still quick and sounds great.....so yall think its the gasket?

[drumking1721]

water pump gasket that is

[Sprucegagt]

Wrong thread, old news and worst of all: Trying to get an answer in 5 minutes.

Thread Closed.