Really frustrated - fluid sound in dash!

**CSteen85** · 04-19-2010

Okay, since I bought my car, every time I put my foot on the accelerator, I hear this fluid/bubbling sound in the dash. Everyone said it was an air bubble, but my radiator was clogged, so I had the upper and lower radiator hoses replaced, as well as the radiator and thermostat themselves.

The sound remained, but in addition, there's a new problem. My temp gauge says my car isn't heating up past the 140 degree mark (which is below the first big line on the gauge). Someone said to loosen the bleeder valve, so I did that. Then, my low coolant light would go on every once in a while, so I filled the radiator back up.

I ended up overfilling the radiator with coolant, as when it heated up (which is rare), it started coming out of the overflow reservoir (this hole at the top of the neck of this bottle, right under the black cap). I saw a puddle of coolant under my car this morning, but I don't think I'm leaking any - I think it's just coming out because it was overfilled by me.

I tried letting the car run with the radiator cap off, but because of the fact that the car won't heat up to operating temp, the coolant never starts flowing with the cap off.

Then I put the cap back on and tried loosening the bleeder valve. Some air came out, then the car heated up to operating temp. Then, I got straight coolant coming out of the valve, re-tightened it and the fans kicked on.

I took it for a drive and the sound is STILL THERE! With every. single. time. I step on the gas pedal, there's the sound like my car is taking a hit from a bong.

What is going on here?! I'm determined to get to the bottom of this.

Thanks for your help!

**gtpinsc** · 04-19-2010

could heater core clogged and lol @ hit from a bong.

does the heat work? blow out hot?

**IllegalIntentions** · 04-19-2010

My eclipse use to do that, I had to put a hose clamp on the hose in the overflow tank that pulled the fluid back up. It kept slipping off... See if thats the problem, if not the heater core could be the problem like he said.

**QwikGT** · 04-19-2010

funny, my car is making the same sound. i guessed it was the heater core. i really dont know though

**gtpinsc** · 04-19-2010

my buddies Z71 did it when he hit the brakes hard, u could hear it gargle/bubble.... it was the heater core.

**topswap** · 04-19-2010

Do you have any wet spots on the carpet near the firewall? Is your windshield greasy on the right side just above the dash? Is there a sweet smell?

**CSteen85** · 04-19-2010

Thanks for the responses.

Heat works really well, no dampness in the floorboard, no greasiness on the windshield and I don't typically smell any coolant in the air that's blowing.

If it's the heater core and it's going to be a b*tch to replace, I might just leave it, but I don't want to assume that's it if there are other easier things I can try to alleviate the problem.

On another note, I think I have coolant all over the place under the hood. It's sitting on top of the intake mani, which I think is from the time I revved the engine with the radiator cap off (I know, I know). Is there a way of me cleaning that up??

**gtpinsc** · 04-19-2010

i would have figured that would have dried up from under hood temps by now.

**CSteen85** · 04-19-2010

Originally Posted by gtpinsc

i would have figured that would have dried up from under hood temps by now.

I'm beginning to think it's possible it's leaking? Here are two pics I took of where the coolant is pooling up. The right hand side looks darker... almost like oil?

**GAFF** · 04-19-2010

Like my sig lol

**gtpinsc** · 04-19-2010

id prob change UIM. i dunno how many miles are on the car, but those manifolds are plastic and they warp, crack, etc etc.

**gtpinsc** · 04-19-2010

^ edited ... i dunno why i typed manifold gasket.

**CSteen85** · 04-20-2010

Originally Posted by Gafford44

Like my sig lol

LMAO that's hilarious. I feel slightly famous, haha!

**Silver GTP** · 04-20-2010

I agree on looking at the upper intake manifold. They melt inside around the EGR inlet and let coolant fill up the intake manifold. Very common problem on these cars. If you are going to change that, you might want to consider doing the LIM gasket while you have it apart. Also a common problem on the GM V6 engines. I have changed the lim gasket on all the 3 GM V6's we have owned in the last year.

**CSteen85** · 04-21-2010

Originally Posted by Silver GTP

I agree on looking at the upper intake manifold. They melt inside around the EGR inlet and let coolant fill up the intake manifold. Very common problem on these cars. If you are going to change that, you might want to consider doing the LIM gasket while you have it apart. Also a common problem on the GM V6 engines. I have changed the lim gasket on all the 3 GM V6's we have owned in the last year.

I have all the materials to do this (except the tools) and I reeeeally want to but I'm petrified of messing something up. I've watched that DuBob video three times and I'm still just not confident enough to do it. Can I drive up to MA? LOL

**thewaitinggame** · 04-21-2010

If it is you lower intake manifold and upper intake manifold, I just had the same problem and changed the LIM and UIM. First time I every had to do something like that too but I did it and everything seems fine. Just did it Saturday. My dad and I did it. We both watched the video a few times. You only need sockets, wrenches, a torque wrench, a gasket scraper, nothing major. One of the guys that was posting to me about having super glue in case you break a vaccume line, which I did. Glued I back up and is fine now. Another good idea is to label everything, it takes time to do it but you don't want to forget what connects to what. My dad brought a small book of A-Z labels and they are maybe 1/8" wide x 1" strips and you can wrap them around the parts. Heres my thread, I was given good info on parts and some procedures to do this job.

http://www.grandprixforums.net/f81/c...ine-29376.html

Took us about 8 hrs to do, almost 2 of them was running around to parts stores because we messed up an o-ring. If you decide to do it, message me if you need any help. Its still fresh in my head. The guys in my thread seem to know a lot too so they may be more helpful. Sliver GTP in the above post was one who gave me good info.

Oh and make sure the coolant sound isn't coming from the overflow tank if its low. Because I was loosing coolant my overflow tank would get low and I would hear a gurgling too, as it was trying to suck more out and couldnt. After I put more coolant in the overflow tank it would stop til it got low again. I was thinking it was my heater core too but never saw any signs of it being bad. That what I found on mine but I guess I still could have a heater core problem too.

**QwikGT** · 04-21-2010

how far are you out on the island? i can change the gaskets pm me for a price if youre interested

**CSteen85** · 04-22-2010

Originally Posted by thewaitinggame

If it is you lower intake manifold and upper intake manifold, I just had the same problem and changed the LIM and UIM. First time I every had to do something like that too but I did it and everything seems fine. Just did it Saturday. My dad and I did it. We both watched the video a few times. You only need sockets, wrenches, a torque wrench, a gasket scraper, nothing major. One of the guys that was posting to me about having super glue in case you break a vaccume line, which I did. Glued I back up and is fine now. Another good idea is to label everything, it takes time to do it but you don't want to forget what connects to what. My dad brought a small book of A-Z labels and they are maybe 1/8" wide x 1" strips and you can wrap them around the parts. Heres my thread, I was given good info on parts and some procedures to do this job.

http://www.grandprixforums.net/f81/c...ine-29376.html

Took us about 8 hrs to do, almost 2 of them was running around to parts stores because we messed up an o-ring. If you decide to do it, message me if you need any help. Its still fresh in my head. The guys in my thread seem to know a lot too so they may be more helpful. Sliver GTP in the above post was one who gave me good info.

Oh and make sure the coolant sound isn't coming from the overflow tank if its low. Because I was loosing coolant my overflow tank would get low and I would hear a gurgling too, as it was trying to suck more out and couldnt. After I put more coolant in the overflow tank it would stop til it got low again. I was thinking it was my heater core too but never saw any signs of it being bad. That what I found on mine but I guess I still could have a heater core problem too.

Wow, thanks so much for your response. I definitely feel better knowing others have done it. I would just need to get my hands on the appropriate tools to do it.

The think about the overflow tank is weird. My overflow tank is full. But RADIATOR is where I seem to be low on coolant, but I think its because it all went into the overflow tank. I'm very confused, because I basically overflowed my radiator, so much so, that it was coming out of the little hole in the overflow tank. But now the radiator is low. I'm going to have to check and make sure the t-stat is okay and maybe ill try to flush out the heater core. Those seem like easy enough tasks.

I'm going to try to sop up those pools of coolant and see if they come back. I feel like I have coolant everywhere, but I think its from the time I created a geyser by revving the engine with the rad cap off.

**Silver GTP** · 04-22-2010

Did you use the bleeder screw do vent the air out of the coolant system after you refilled the radiator? The coolant overflow can be full and still have a lot of air in the system.