• The site migration is complete! Hopefully everything transferred properly from the multiple decades old software we were using before. If you notice any issues please let me know, thanks! Also, I'm still working on things like chatbox, etc so hopefully those will be working in the next week or two.

Heat issue grandprix 2008 3.8

I

ibra0078

New member
I was wondering if anybody can help me out here, in November I was getting heat no issues but then I started to feel warm air and not hot air coming out the last few days here in canada where temperature got around -30C. I brought the car in to the garage and the mechanic touched the two rubber hose and said they were fine but to me one was hotter then the other, However they said I need a heating core and thermostat and a flush, I just felt they just said that and wanted to take my money. Today I felt the heater core lines the in and out rubber tubes and one was hotter then the other so I went ahead and flush the heating core with a garden hose and then air pressure the water out, stuff did come out but I would not say a lot of debris came out. I put everything back together and warmed the car up and felt the heater core rubber pipes and one still seems cooler then other however they are both warm so it's not like there is a big temperature change. I turned the heat full blast and it seemed there was warm air blowing again not hot but warm, I would say its warmer then what it was, now my question is do you think I need a new thermostat or heater core? On any giving day my temp gauge on the car does not reach to the half mark when idling or when driving it only reaches to the first line on the gauge even if has been idling for 20mins. Is there a way to verify if the thermostat needs to be replaced? If so is there any instructions on how to do this? Thanks
 


ow6b.jpg


The temp gauge should stay right in this area, or maybe 1 or two notches lower. That's the 195-200°/F area. I understand you're in Canada so yours may be in °C. I think the area is the same temp range though.
 
Okay so mine is about the same so if its not hot air then can it be the heating core?

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
Well did you flush the heater hose with full garden hose pressure? Back and forth? If so that's all it needs. Is the cooling system clean? no brown gunk? If the engine is up to temp and both hoses are too hot to touch and still not good enough heat, a blend door may not be working right.
 
One hose is hotter then the other but not a huge different in temp. Yes I did flush it with full garden hose pressure back and forth and both side came out smooth flow.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 


Sorry I was trying to find it for you but chilton isnt working. Someone else will have to chip in for that, its different for the previous generation of GP.
 
When i flushed then blow the water out I just out the hose back on, your saying to fill the hose with coolant and then attache it back?

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
ibra0078 said:
When i flushed then blow the water out I just out the hose back on, your saying to fill the hose with coolant and then attache it back?

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


big time!.

flush the core again you'll be fine, im sure of it. this time leave the hose water in the core and hoses.

the heater core is located low inside the car. so for the engine to pump it full and back up and out dont always happen.
 
When I flushed it I didnt remove the hose from the heater core I remove it from under the hood, okay so flush it again both directions and don't blow out the water wouldn't water get frozen in these kind of tempature?

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 


take the hoses off the alt bracket, you dont even need to flush it, just fill it up, garden hose to one hose till water pours out the other hose, put them back on.

once you run the car the water will mix with the coolant. if the rad is low, top it off with some new antifreeze.

if you think you need more coolant, dump the rad out and then put new antifreeze in. or suck it out 1/2 way and top it off with coolant.

they do sell testers to tell you how cold your current coolant is good for. 50/50 mix is generally good for -20
 
So as you mentioned my issue was I blew the both hose after with air and now the heater core and the tubes has air pockets. Take out both hose and run water through one and when water comes out the other side attach it back. If the coolant reservoir is low top it off with 50/50 mix, you mentioned I'f the Rad is low how can I tell if the rad is low or are you referring to the coolant reservoir container? I know they sell testers not sure what I'm looking at when I test then I guess the needle will tell me

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
yes. but open the radiator cap, top it off from there. if the coolant reservoir is low top it off as well.


this is the tester. you open the rad cap stick the hose in the coolant, pump the ball on the top it sucks coolant up into the tube, those balls will float and where they float tell you how cold your coolant is good for.


antifreeze_tester.jpg
 
Okay will give that a try and what level should I expect the coolant to be at? If the rad cap is full when I open it should I drain some out?

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
let the water mix in, then go test it. how cold should it be good for? well that depends an where you live, you know how cold it can get where you live. if you need it to be safer ant colder temps, drain the rad some, add new full strength coolant, not the 50/50 pre mix crap.

im safe at the -20. it dont really get close to that to often here. its just hit deg degrees this week for the first time this year, but only like -1.

if you want to flush it and start over all new.


how to flush the coolant.


remove the t stat, put the t stat housing back on, take the upper hose off the radiator, then push it down to the ground to a bucket or let it fly.


get your garden hose out, put it in the rad turn it on, then fire up the car, let it run till clear water pumps out the top hose.


then turn the hose off, run the car till no more water comes out the upper hose. then turn it off.


put your t stat back in, with new gasket, the upper hose back on.


now take 1 gallon of full strength green antifreeze, not the 50/50 crap. ( parts store cheap green is fine to use) dump the whole gallon in the radiator, fire up the car, fill the rad with hose water till its full. top as needed till its ready to be bled of air. it will burp and take coolant as the water in the block warms up the t stat opens up for a few seconds till cold coolant hits it and it shuts again.


now to bleed the air out, let it idle rad cap off till the fans turn on, (when the fans are on the temp is over 195 deg, the t stat is wide open) then open the bleeder screw on top the t stat housing a few turns till a steady stream of coolant comes out the hole, shut the screw, top off the rad. cap it.


done.


the one gallon of coolant is safe for that -20. if it gets colder by you add more full strength coolant to the mix. the antifreeze jug has a chart on the back of how much to mix to get to your safe zone.

your engine and cooling system only holds about 3 gallons of coolant.
 


Okay will try to fill the it up with water and top it off if low if it's low what coolant should I get up to -20 is good don't thing need anything stronger

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
the coolant you want depends on the color of your current coolant. if its brown or orange, its dex coolant, use only dex then or one that mixes with other coolants.

if its green add any green coolant of your choice. if you flush it one day, change it to green, its easier to find and cheaper. i use store brand cheap ass coolant, it works just fine at 12 bucks a gallon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top