2005 Overheating

[DLS]

3.4 engine. Fans run when needed, new reservoir bottle, new thermostat. Can drive 6-8 miles and starts to show overheating. Give the motor a rev up to 3000 and let off and temp goes back to normal, drive more happens again. That sounds like air in system. Belt be slipping on the waterpump pulley? I’ve spent hours bleeding air out via bleeder bolt and adding more antifreeze. Next is water pump I guess. Had car in the shop for a miss and they said the head gaskets tested to be fine. Replaced spark plugs, runs fine now besides this overheating. Oil is fine as well. No milky appearance. If water is shooting into the top of the reservoir corner via the 1/2 hose, is that coming from the water pump?
Thanks. I need this car running badly for daughter and her baby to get to work and back.

 

[gkala]

I had this exact same thing. It's going to be head gaskets. It's pushing air into your coolant. Do yourself a favor and do a block test from the coolant reservoir. It'll get you a quick answer.

Block Tester BT-500 Combustion Leak Test Kit - Made in USA https://a.co/d/7YvEEEd

The shop I use missed it because they were looking for oil/coolant mix. It was only allowing air into the coolant from the combustion chamber. Nothing else.

 

[DLS]

I had this exact same thing. It's going to be head gaskets. It's pushing air into your coolant. Do yourself a favor and do a block test from the coolant reservoir. It'll get you a quick answer.

Block Tester BT-500 Combustion Leak Test Kit - Made in USA https://a.co/d/7YvEEEd

The shop I use missed it because they were looking for oil/coolant mix. It was only allowing air into the coolant from the combustion chamber. Nothing else.

Thank you! Makes total sense. I found mechanics comments on receipt that stated intake gasket leak. No coolant in the oil.

 

[gkala]

If the block test comes up negative, I can see it being intake gasket. That would be a much better outcome

 

[cavell]

Well, intake gaskets are 2/3 work required to pull heads. So, there is that. Still have to take lots of crap off top of motor. I’ve done 5 equinox head jobs.

 

[DLS]

Well, intake gaskets are 2/3 work required to pull heads. So, there is that. Still have to take lots of crap off top of motor. I’ve done 5 equinox head jobs.

So do you take heads to machine shop and have them checked and possibly have to get them resurfaced? Do you have to buy new head bolts since these could be stretched? I’ve seen a video on YouTube of what it takes to get it down to do intake manifold gaskets. Didn’t look all that bad but I don’t have any special tool to fit that connector on the fuel line. Thanks for input.

 

[gkala]

In my case, one of the heads was severely eroded. Had to get 2 remanufactured heads. Picture worth 1K words right here. Exhaust gases pushing out to the water passage, but water wasn't going the other way. Odd failure, but pretty clear that's what it was.

 

[cavell]

What was outcome?

 

[gkala]

Replacement heads solved all kinds of issues. Been running great ever since. My son uses it pretty regularly. Good heat and power. Been about 3 years now

 

[bearbait]

That is why it is important to flush and change anti-freeze . Coolant loses it's anti-corrosive properties over time.

 

[95-007]

What was outcome?

Agree with GKALA completely but let the machine shop make the determination. A lot of early 05's had this combustion to water jacket exchange issue. In our case, the heads were resurfacable. Still running great with 210+ K miles on it