Any Ideas? Cooling issue

**John4cam** · 11-29-2008, 01:30 PM

I started my 99 buick century this morning and sat in it till I figured it would warm up. I sat there for a while and noticed my temp gauge climbing slowly like usual but I could still see my breath so I felt the air coming out of the def. and it was ice cold.

I wait a while longer and the temp. gauge starts to climb over the halfway mark and still no heat so I shut it down. I pop the hood and feel the upper & lower Rad hoses. The upper was hot and the lower was cold. I checked the coolant level and it's a little low but nothing that would cause this. The coolant does look pretty dark and there was a little sludge build up on the cap/filler neck. I am thinking start cheap with a new t-stat and go from there, after that im thinking a blockage somewhere. Anybody have any other ideas? Thanks.........John.

**bgblockelcamino** · 11-29-2008, 01:55 PM

think you are on the right track.

have seen heater cores plug up but your case sounds like a T stat

**92306gt** · 11-29-2008, 02:00 PM

**John4cam** · 11-29-2008, 04:05 PM

Hmmm

Went out and started it back up and now theres heat but the temp. gauge needle will jump up an 1/8th inch or so then stay there mabey wobble couple times. It's not overheating now.

I am thinking the coolant levels just low enough to create an air pocket. Gonna let it cool down a little then go out and top it off with coolant and see what it does. It uses that garbage dex-cool stuff, says on the bottle good for 150,000 miles. I could only imagine what this shit would look like after that, pudding mabey.

**lib88stang** · 11-29-2008, 04:56 PM

Just had a similar problem with my ZR-2, Heater core was pluged up, I took off the hoses and put the garden hose to it and nasty dexacool stuff came out. I changed the wholer truck over to the green stuff. GM has a class action lawsuit against them because of Dexacool. Drain the whole system and use flush then fill it up with green coolent

**How Much?** · 11-29-2008, 06:41 PM

We used a coolant where i used to work called Prime, good stuff and its green, says its for use in dexcool cars as well........ and that brown sludge crap that is in all the newer style gm stuff pluging it up.....well let me tell ya, i flushed so many cars because of it, they might have a lawsuit brewing, but ive seen what the dealers do. I worked at a gm garage before, and EVERY car that came in the joint for service...brand new... they would add these pellets from gm that was for leaks, dont know why they did they just did it!!!!! So i think that is there may be a problem with the coolant?????, but i would bet that those stupid pellets had alot to do with it!!!! They come i think it was 6 in a pack, and thats what your car got when it came in for service, i actually had alot of free Dexcool from work,,, and ran it in my junk without it gettin all shitty looking

**John4cam** · 11-29-2008, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by lib88stang

Just had a similar problem with my ZR-2, Heater core was pluged up, I took off the hoses and put the garden hose to it and nasty dexacool stuff came out. I changed the wholer truck over to the green stuff. GM has a class action lawsuit against them because of Dexacool. Drain the whole system and use flush then fill it up with green coolent

Thanks for the info. I've been reading about how bad that stuff is and many people seem to be using the regular green coolant in these cars with no probs.

**fastfox91** · 11-29-2008, 07:56 PM

that dexacool is well know for eating gaskets and thats what that sludge build up is u see. get that stuff out and find another coolant that is able to be used in ur system like the stuff stated above.

**John4cam** · 12-03-2008, 10:35 AM

eerrrrr, Headgasket went. It's pulling hydrocarbons into the cooling system creating air pockets, oh well, $1000 down the drain. I love GM vehicles.

**bgblockelcamino** · 12-03-2008, 11:34 AM

are you sure it is head gasket??

the intake gaskets are notorious on those and will act like head gasket.

**John4cam** · 12-03-2008, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by bgblockelcamino

are you sure it is head gasket??

the intake gaskets are notorious on those and will act like head gasket.

not 100%, but intake gaskets were changed once before by the prev. owner. There is a little residue from the gaskets but doesnt look to bad.

I took it to my buddies garage and thats what they think it is, great time of year for this, lol..