Help! 1995 vet overheating

[ras]

Hello i have recently purchased a 1995 torch red vet. I have put about 2000 miles on it and twice the temp has gotten up to 250 and low coolant light comes on. Overfill bottle is full and leaking out cap. Previous owner had dealer install new radiator and water pump i have replaced thermostat (180) and cap (16lb). Took it up north last weekend and ran air on 85 degree day with no problems (about 350 miles round trip). Yesterday it bubbled over into overfill tank and low coolant light came on after 25 miles on 65 degree day. Exhaust is dry, oil is clean, antifreeze is clean (no oil in it). Any suggestions or advice on where or what to check first would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Welcome to the CAC "ras"

1) Make sure your front air dam is in place and functional. It is required to channel air up, into the cooling stack.
2) Inspect the front of the HVAC for debris stuck on the cooling stack. To do this, get down on the ground a look up, into the cooling air underneath the front fascia.
3) Remove the top of the cooling stack and clean out any debris you find between the HVAC and the radiator
4) Test the cooling fans per the Factory Service Manual. If one or both are faulty, diagnose and repair per the FSM


Let us know what happens.

 

[John Robinson]

Check the pressure cap to be sure it is holding pressure. Pressure test the cooling system.( around here I go to the advance auto parts store and use their pressure tester free)look for evidence of leaks by looking for streaks that have the color of antifreeze on the inside of engine compartment. As Hib mentioned the front tends to scoup up dirt and debree so pull the top shroud and clean the debre from the radiator it should run lower but remember the aux fans are not even supposed to kick in until the temp get to 228 F. Most people get scared and try to make them run cooler but in reality GM designed them to run that hot for a number of reasons. The problem is we all want to think about the good old days when you ran a 160 T. todays modern cars run normally at temps that wouild have destroyed the cars of yesteryear. The manufactures get away with this in most cars because the new metals in the engines. Think about this when they started to run the temps up higher that's when the consumer started getting 200k or more on there cars.

 

[ras]

Thanks for the advice i cleaned the radiator today but could not test drive due to weather (rain and t storms). When running in my shop it stayed cool but seemed to be using antifreeze as i added close to a gallon trying to bleed out all air. Oil is still clean. I checked my antifreeze and it only had a boiling point of 230. I am going to try adding strait antifreeze to bring that up in the mourning but am scared i have a cracked head or gasket leaking. Does anyone know what the best way to tell if i have a cracked head or blown gasket is?

 

[BigJimZ16]

Thanks for the advice i cleaned the radiator today but could not test drive due to weather (rain and t storms). When running in my shop it stayed cool but seemed to be using antifreeze as i added close to a gallon trying to bleed out all air. Oil is still clean. I checked my antifreeze and it only had a boiling point of 230. I am going to try adding strait antifreeze to bring that up in the mourning but am scared i have a cracked head or gasket leaking. Does anyone know what the best way to tell if i have a cracked head or blown gasket is?

I'm thinking that a simple compression check should isolate any head or headgasket problems.

 

[ras]

I'm thinking that a simple compression check should isolate any head or headgasket problems.

Thats the answer i was expecting but this is my first vet and pulling all the plugs didnt look quick and easy. Guess i will get new ones and replace them since i have to take them out.

 

[air1jpg]

Hello i have recently purchased a 1995 torch red vet. I have put about 2000 miles on it and twice the temp has gotten up to 250 and low coolant light comes on. Overfill bottle is full and leaking out cap. Previous owner had dealer install new radiator and water pump i have replaced thermostat (180) and cap (16lb). Took it up north last weekend and ran air on 85 degree day with no problems (about 350 miles round trip). Yesterday it bubbled over into overfill tank and low coolant light came on after 25 miles on 65 degree day. Exhaust is dry, oil is clean, antifreeze is clean (no oil in it). Any suggestions or advice on where or what to check first would be greatly appreciated.

Did you replace your cap with an OEM cap or a cap from autozone or other non-oem? If not, get a OEM cap from a chevy dealer, it makes a huge difference, the gaskets are much larger in the OEM cap!

 

[ras]

Thank You

Thanks everyone for the advice. I was unable to work or drive vet due to medical issues but have recovered now and after cleaning radiator i still had problems with over heating. Took my new aftermarket cap and threw it in garbage replaced with oem napa cap from dealer and problem solved.

 

[muddywaters]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I was unable to work or drive vet due to medical issues but have recovered now and after cleaning radiator i still had problems with over heating. Took my new aftermarket cap and threw it in garbage replaced with oem napa cap from dealer and problem solved.

As far as cleaning the radiator goes, I had to remove my radiator to clean it properly. Engine heat dried out the leaves, lottery tickets and cig. wrappers and was packed into the radiator. I could not believe all the crap between the rad. and cond. in a car that was squeaky clean when I bought it. Hope your doing better.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Thanks for the advice i cleaned the radiator today but could not test drive due to weather (rain and t storms). When running in my shop it stayed cool but seemed to be using antifreeze as i added close to a gallon trying to bleed out all air. Oil is still clean. I checked my antifreeze and it only had a boiling point of 230. I am going to try adding strait antifreeze to bring that up in the mourning but am scared i have a cracked head or gasket leaking. Does anyone know what the best way to tell if i have a cracked head or blown gasket is?

I hadn't been back to this thread until today.

DO NOT use 100% antifreeze in your engine. 100% antifreeze is a less efficient coolant that both straight water or a 50/50 mix.

Best freeze protection comes with a 50/50 mix. Boil over protection does not increase nearly as much as freeze protection.

As long as your pressure cap is working properly and the system holds that pressure, 50/50 mix is only good for a few degrees more boil-over protection compared to straight water.

You didn't say what device and method you are using to measure boiling point but remember, when the system is under pressure boiling point goes up.

To find out of you have a failed head gasket or a cracked block or head you need to take the car to a service facility which can pressure-check the cooling system.

Is the system "using" coolant? ie: you keep adding coolant but there are no visible leaks?

 

[Binkybubba]

Tons of Radiator Issues!

ad I had issues with high temp as well on a hot day until cleaned both rad's and made sure the intake area was clear. My wife got a bit pissed with me when I modified the vacuum with a 2 foot long piece of 3/4" Pex pipe with a salami cut on one end and the other end duct taped into the vacuum hose. Works great and you can access the rad from the passenger side and gently run the flexible piping along the rad and clean out most of the debris. I was surprised what a difference it made. Also by gently removing debris from the very top of the oil cooler with a coat hanger. At least I am assuming it is the oil cooler since I have an LT4 not and auto. I was overwhelmed by the amount of schmegma in there. I also understand you can get an aftermarket scoop to augment the existing cool air intake which should also help the engine breath a bit better. Learning as I go. Also I might add that using RO or DI water to mix coolant with is the prefered way to go. It's what the factories use to make the juice with and is the cleanest solution you can use. No contaminents such as calcium or magnesium or even high amounts of sodium which can be very corrosive and scaling. However not always easy to come by. I know I have seem vendors sell DI set up's for rinsing your car to avoid spotting. Well the same water will work best to dilute your coolant.
Cheers,

I hadn't been back to this thread until today.

DO NOT use 100% antifreeze in your engine. 100% antifreeze is a less efficient coolant that both straight water or a 50/50 mix.

Best freeze protection comes with a 50/50 mix. Boil over protection does not increase nearly as much as freeze protection.

As long as your pressure cap is working properly and the system holds that pressure, 50/50 mix is only good for a few degrees more boil-over protection compared to straight water.

You didn't say what device and method you are using to measure boiling point but remember, when the system is under pressure boiling point goes up.

To find out of you have a failed head gasket or a cracked block or head you need to take the car to a service facility which can pressure-check the cooling system.

Is the system "using" coolant? ie: you keep adding coolant but there are no visible leaks?