Thread: Help Major problem

I got a major problem. i have a 2002 grand prix se, love the car but havin major problems with the engine. in december i got the head gaskets and all the gaskets up from that changed cause of very overheating and no coolant, i am still over heating and not getting heat in the vehicle, i was told and thought it was the thermastat, water pump, coolant change, changed all of those didnt do anything, cause when i got the head gaskets changed i flushed and put in prestone all makes, models, green coolant. didnt do none, so now i got to thins left radiator or head gaskets again. things i notice..... The upper radiator hose is very hot but the lower is cool, the two heater core lines the one flowing in is hot the one comin out is cool also.... when i first start the vehicle it has a little white smoke out the exhaust then goes away. i need help someone please give some info thanks

sounds like a cloged radiator...or cloged something....you said the lower radiator hose is cool, take the lower one off without the car running and see how fast water drains out...or if it does. this will determin if the radiator is colged


dont let the car get hot though man

yeah. if the top hose is hot, and the bottom one isnt at least warm, that's a good sign that the radiator is clogged. another way to verify this is feeling the radiator itself (if you can get your hand to it... engine OFF obviously) if you find the temp different from top to bottom, rather than left/right, that indicates a clog. the hottest part should be the side by the upper hose. as you move accross the car, the radiator should decrease in temp evenly from top to bottom. if you have a clogged radiator, you'll likely find the whole bottom cooler than the top.

if your heater core is exhibiting similar symptoms, it's possible that it is clogged, too.

i read a very informative article awhile back on troubleshooting this:

http://www.troubleshooters.com/tprom...210/200210.htm

also...before you do that take the upper radiator hose off (from the radiator side-leave the hose conected to the water neck) and the radiator cap. then dry off any antifreez from the hose...put your mouth on it and blow...water should come out of the radiator from where you took the cap off...you may have to take the thermostat out of the water neck...then put the waterneck back on with out the thermostat removed and do what is said above. when you blow and nothing comes out of the radiator then you need to look else where for the problem

i think i said that right...probably a better way though maybe someone will chime in...but as toasty and i said it's probably the radiator

Originally Posted by TDCRacing

sounds like a cloged radiator...or cloged something....you said the lower radiator hose is cool, take the lower one off without the car running and see how fast water drains out...or if it does. this will determin if the radiator is colged


dont let the car get hot though man

Water may still come out depending on where the clog is at...if it is in the middle of the radiator then half of the radiator will drain out.

i really dont think anything is clogged two days ago i took the heater core hoses off and took a air compresser to both of the hoses and blew at 140 psi came out good same with the raiator had the lower hose off and alot came out the question is why do i have the smoke and when the heat turns on inside ot smellslike coolant but not burning really and the heat comes and gose sometimes when the heat fluctuates to 250 to 210 to 180 to 210 to 250 the hose comin out of the heater core i loosen the hose clamp and push on the hose to get air out and alot comes out then the hose heats up really hot then goes cool after a awhile

i also heard that since the radiator is aluminum the if it doesnt leak and is not pugged that nothing would be wrong but how would i know for sure that its not plugged

Originally Posted by Krazicustom

i really dont think anything is clogged two days ago i took the heater core hoses off and took a air compresser to both of the hoses and blew at 140 psi came out good same with the raiator had the lower hose off and alot came out the question is why do i have the smoke and when the heat turns on inside ot smellslike coolant but not burning really and the heat comes and gose sometimes when the heat fluctuates to 250 to 210 to 180 to 210 to 250 the hose comin out of the heater core i loosen the hose clamp and push on the hose to get air out and alot comes out then the hose heats up really hot then goes cool after a awhile

take the lower and upper radiator hose off...drain the coolant and take the upper hose that u dis-connected from the water neck and blow into it with the radiator cap on...you should be able to blow through it with no problem...if so rule the radiator out.


as far as the heater core. same thing both hoses off and blow through one of them and cooland should come out the other...if so rule that out.


If you do the above 2 things and everything is ok then the clog has to be associated somewhere before the heater core and after the water neck entrance.


Thermostat installed correctly?

When temps are above 180 can you open the radiator cap and see the water moving around?

Originally Posted by Krazicustom

i also heard that since the radiator is aluminum the if it doesnt leak and is not pugged that nothing would be wrong but how would i know for sure that its not plugged

by plugged i am assuming you mean clogged?

the above statement goes for any radiator...if it does not leak and is not clogged then it can't go bas as to my knowledge

and this doesent really go with the symptoms you are having but are your fans comming on?


water may have come out of the radiator hose but if the clog is in the middle of the radiator then everything would probably look normal when you did this.


I wish i was there to help ya man.

well i rule the heater core for sure cause i just did that shiit i need to check the radiator but im sick of spending money on coolant lol but whatever ill recycle and yea usually when the car is runnin and eveything is on and that i look in the puke jug and its movin around in there and when the cars runni the cap is cold but i loosen a little alot of pressure gets shot int the puke jug the i cant see the level of coolant when i add coolant alot of bubbles come to the top thenwhen full it doesnt bubble as much it seems like when i bleed it that everytime theres more air in the system especially the exiting heater core alot of air comes out then when airs most out the hose heats up alot the i get heat but then goes away after a lil bit this is just so frustrating

yea the fans come on

have you replaced the radiator cap??

i have got it i got a used radiator and replaced it i felt the old one when it was in the car at a high temp and the top was cold so it must have been plugged im really happy and thanks for the tips

glad you got it worked out

nope not the problem but did help a little me and my friend thinks that because it has run hot alot and some point not coolant that the heads are warped because they are aluminum and thats pretty much all thats left anyways i want to do a 3500 top end swap mine as well upgrade since ill be doin it anyway just need to find parts

dumb question, maybe, but how hard was it changing the radiator?

really easy not alot of things to do use like 4 different tools