Thread: 2001 overheating when idle in hot temperates

The temp doesnt start getting hotter unless i am idleing or driving slow speeds in stop and go traffic. This is only happening in the summer. I have had my radiator flushed and the proper amount of coolant and water have been added. Also i have had the thermostat and water pump and radiator cap replaced. I know one of the fans is running for sure, just learned there are two and plan on having my dad check the other in the am. My dad also said he didnt think there were any leaks in the houses. What could this possibly be? There is no smoke when it overheats. Over the winter when i would first start my car there would be a tick tick tick tick tick sound coming from somewhere under the hood and until the car warmed up it felt like it didnt have as much (im a girl so i dont know how to really explain it) power or wasnt running like it normally would. I havent had the clicking noise or power problem since it has gotten hot. Also after driving the car when i get out sometimes it smells like something is burnt. ASking about those incase they have anything to do with the overheating. What is wrong? PLEASE HELP

my 3.1 ticks like a bloody clock when i first start it. after it reaches operating temp the tick is soooo much quieter. both my fans kick in around 210*. the tick doesn't seem to hamper my performance too much. as far as milage? i'm not sure as the tick was there when i bought the car. now for getting hotter at idle and stop and go driving, perfectly normal. the cooling system relys alot on forced air, and fans secondary.

welcome to the world of the GM piston slap motor. there is a ton of info on it over the net if u search for GM PISTON SLAP ENGINES. mine does it. i have a friend thats a GM mechanic and he said that its really no issue. sometimes synthetic oil quiets it. i did in mine. the Teflon coating wears off the short piston skirt and thats why you have the noise at cold starts. after the engine is warm and expands the piston to cylinder clearances tighten up. he said that he has changed many of them under warranty but it will do that same thing again after a while. he told me NOT to worry about it and NOT to have the pistons changed since the job is only as good as the mechanic doing it. he also stated that he has seen these engine run for over 200,000 miles with no ill effects from the piston slap. as for the over heat it almost sounds like a plugged rad. but like someone stated above make sure the system was bleed right first .

ULTRA weak metal ? i would like to read more about this . do you have any info or facts on this statement ? it has nothing to do with metal fatigue but more to do with the lack of piston skirt and clearances of the cool metals before they warm up. the fix is to replace the piston or pistons with coated ones not different sized pistons but just a coating on the skirt that in time wears off and your back to the same problem. is it normal ? chevy says YES . is it RIGHT? hell no.is it annoying? hell yes. i have a piston slap engine with over 160,000 on it and have had no internal problems other then the normal lower intake gaskets going bad (another law suite that will never be). instead of having it fixed chevy gave me 100,000 mile warranty on the car for free. within that time frame i could have had it fixed but chose not to. i myself an an ASE mechanic and feel its not an issue i have hear many of them and with my friend being an EX chevy dealer mechanic i am not to worried about the noise. there is a class action law suite on the piston slap engines but i am sure your car will be long gone before you get the 25 ish buxs from that LOL. here is the web site this one is pretty negative since it has alot to do with the law suite thats in place for these engines . GM Piston Slap -- Like a Knock . there are more sites out there with info on what is really going on with the engines. its not just the 3.1 its in the 3.4, 4.3, 4.6 (Northstar), 4.8, 5.3, 5.7(LS1), 6.0 or 8.1, i dont keep up on it for all i know the law suite might already be settled.

Originally Posted by Swash

^^I've never heard of that being an issue with stock pistons - but I wouldn't say that you "don't have to worry" about piston slap - especially with the ultra weak metal that is used in OEM pistons.

RareGM has it nailed - you have a very common problem resulting from sludge in the bottom of the lifter galley - which doesn't allow the lifter to fully pump up until it gets warm and the oil thins out and can flow better. Your options are - run an internal engine "flush" - like Seafoam - you may have to do this a couple of times. Your car will smoke like a 90's Chrysler or DSM - but that's normal. After that run a couple of oil changes through it - with non-synthetic oil and a quality filter. Not saying it will cure it - but it will help.

-Swash

i think the piston slap is actually the rods moving side to side on the crank, not the actual piston slapping the cylinder walls, not sure but if it doesnt make this slap noise, then there is something wrong.