my car overheated once completely now it lingers two notches before the H but doesn’t reach it. i bought the car used from someone who replaced the 3.1 with a 3.4 engine and began overheating the second day actually drove it. could it be the intake manifold gasket? if so would that have anything to do with the engine being replaced?
2000 chevy malibu
If the coolant level is low, it will cause it to run hot. The reason the coolant is low could very well be the intake gasket leaking. First i would check the coolant/radiator level with the engine cool. If it is low, keeping it topped off would help keep it from running so hot. If the coolant level is full and you are certain the thermostat is working, the engine cooling fan may not be working. A nice trick is to turn on the air conditioning as it will force the radiator fan to come on so it it is easier to check for operation. Let me know what you find…..
thanks my fan works and your right i have to turn on the ac sometimes to get both to work i already have it hot wired and relayed to come on automatically when i crank up. I have to put water/coolant in before i go anywhere each trip. by the time i ride for 30 mins or so the engine is back hot and water has steamed out. I Changed the Thermostat that was sticking as well. I keep it topped off but i dont know where the water is going lol.
Another thing to consider here is that water boils at 212 degrees. Coolant and water mixed boils at 250-260 degrees. With that in mind, make sure you are adding mixed coolant and water at 50/50.
That being said, you will need to fix the leak and bleed the cooling system. The best way to find a coolant leak is by having a coolant system pressure test performed.
You can do this yourself if you wish to purchase the tool and and then crawl all over and under it looking for leaks.
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