Will1861

2007 2.2

Father in law gifted us the car on 9/3/22. He bought it used about a year ago. No records of maintenance history.

Sometimes the temp gauge bottoms out, blanked out digital reading, ac shuts down. He changed the stat and temp sensor. No idea if he used the actual gm product or something different. No idea if he flushed system and changed coolant at the same time. He's just been pulling fuse at battery to reset the system. I have burped the system though because I doubt he did. I'll have to check on the stat he used. If it's not the right one I'll change it and flush system. No engine light though, so no codes.

Turn signals don't reset, but saw that referenced in another thread earlier, so I'll have to look that one up. Not a big deal though.

Lift gate only works sporadically. When he bought the car,there was a hitch on it. He took that off. Now if the third brake is plugged in, hitting the brakes causes the back wiper to come on. Not sure if the person who installed the hitch caused that, or if he did when he took the hitch off. Is there a wiring diagram somewhere so I can start running that down lol.

I'm really enjoying the vehicle though. Wasn't sure how I'd like it when he gave it to us, but it's definitely growing on me. Just want to get it back in proper order.

Also, is there anything else I should be be placing on the priority list since it's a recently acquired vehicle?

Thanks for the help Will

donbrew

The temp read out is probably accompanied by a CheckEngineLight, it means the t-stat is bad (replace with ACDelco 131-158 ONLY) or the temp sensor is bad.
The brake light problem is from the remnants of the trailer wiring. Who knows what they did? I couldn't tell you what to do from here. A wiring diagram is useless in this case. Undo whatever was done.
Turn signal stalks wear out, new ones are not that expensive or difficult to replace.

I would take a close look at the front suspension. Listen for clacking sounds when the engine is cold, signs of bad timing chain. Tighten the bolts holding the underhood fuse box; the bolts need to get tightened way more than you might think. Check that all of the fuses in both fuse boxes are seated all the way, they get loose. Pay attention to the CEL, it is there for a reason.

Use DexCool, it has a shelf life of 5 years regardless of mileage. Don't use chemicals to flush, they are bad for aluminum alloy engine blocks.

Will1861

I haven't seen a CEL except on initial start up when all lights come on. That was the confusing part. So no chemical flush. Just a complete drain and refill then? Should I run just plain water through, or that just not necessary here?

I'm suring the wiring is jacked up lol. But at least two people have been in there before me, so no way of knowing what they did. Hard to undo what you don't know.

Already checked both fuse boxes. Wasn't aware they needed tightening though. I'll check that here shortly. I haven't heard any noises on start up, but wasn't really listening for them either. Thanks for the tips.

Oldblue

Remove the water pump drain plug to get as much coolant out.

Will1861

Will do. Thanks

Oldblue

It’s a 13 mm head on the plug

PulpFriction

Welcome!

Could the lift gate problem be the switch? Mine sometimes takes a couple of tries.

donbrew

Lift gate problem might be misunderstanding door lock; If you lock all then only unlock the driver door the gate remains locked. Also, make sure position #11 underhood fuse box is EMPTY.

I suspect that the CHMSL and wiper problem has to do with a combination LED and grounding problem They both ground under the Right tail light. I.m not sure what "plugged in" means in relation to the CHMSL. It is illegal in most states to drive without it. I found out that even when it is obscured by a P/U cap that has one it must be working. Depending on the method/equipment used for the trailer wiring the tail lights and grounds may have been tapped

Will1861

Could be. It's a minor inconvenience, so the temp gauge has the higher priority at the moment lol
it's not the locks lol, though could see that being the issue. Sometimes you can hear the switch engaging, sometimes it does absolutely nothing. Not sure if it's part of the wiring issue or the switch itself.

As for the brake light, there's a plug the disconnect the light completely. If you connect it, the wiper motor engage with the brake pedal. I'm sure it's in the wiring from the hitch. Previous owner installed the hitch, father in law took it off. So I'm left sorting out the work of two different people, and most likely, neither of the two knew what they doing lol.


The CEL did come on yesterday, so I'll go get the codes pulled today, but watching the digital readout on the temp, it never got above 174, so I'm pretty confident it'll be a stat issue. Easy fix really.

I appreciate everyone's help so far

donbrew

There is no plug for the CHMSL that is easily accessible. Apparently, something is mixed up.
Yep, if the temp doesn't get above 180F the t-stat is the issue. Don't get any ACDelco, ONLY part #131-158 !!!!!!!!!!! There are others that "fit".