2003 Chevrolet Impala 3.8V6 Overheating
Here's the scoop
The car was leaking that orange Dex-Cool stuff. It turns out the gasket around the water pump failed. I replaced the water pump, which was under warranty, along with the gasket. I added some silicon with the new gasket, and put the new water pump on.
I refilled the coolant resevoir with water, started the car, and kept topping it off until the radiator refilled. I did this to ensure there are no more leaks. Its been two weeks now, and no leaks. As the water has boiled off I have been adding Dex Cool.
The problem is the car gets very close to overheating now. It hasnt gotten to the red, but close enough I have shut it down twice. The Check Engine light is on pretty much permanently now, whereas before it was a 25 amp fuse for the auxillary fan. I have noticed that neither fan is coming on when its supposed to now.
I have heard that I should check some line to see if I get the water/Dex Cool solution, and that if I dont, its an air bubble that needs popping. Can someone elaborate please?
Also I have been told that the thermostat may have shit the bed, and that is why the fans arent coming on when they are supposed to.
As always, any help would be appreciated.
Always replace the Thermostat when doing that type of work.
I would replace the thermostat and make sure you have it in right. Some types can be reversed. Also, you can get a little gizmo for around $5 that will tell you if your Dex-Cool has the correct ratio to water.
Other than that you could have a clogged radiator. This used to be a common problem and a radiator repair/rebuild place was located in every town.
Fans are amazingly reliable these days, I would check to make sure they are plugged in correctly.
