More cooling issues
03-26-2018, 04:08 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: 03-26-2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 37
More cooling issues
I have a 2006 2.2L with over 218000 miles. I have had previous issues with the cooling system for various reasons:
- Bad radiator fan (replaced in summer ‘15)
- Bad heater core (replaced in August ‘16)
- Preemptivle replaced thermostat (February ‘17)
I had no issues with the car staying cool after replacing the heater core until this month. The coolant temp keeps climbing, and the only way to cool it off slightly is by revving the engine, driving or parked. There is a slight gurgling/gushing sound coming from behind the firewall underneath the dash when I do rev the engine. So this past week I:
- Flushed the cooling system
- Replaced the thermostat, thinking the previous one could have been faulty
- Attempted to burp any air out of the cooling system
The heater works great, the radiator fan works, and there are no signs of coolant leaking anywhere. What is my next step here?
- Bad radiator fan (replaced in summer ‘15)
- Bad heater core (replaced in August ‘16)
- Preemptivle replaced thermostat (February ‘17)
I had no issues with the car staying cool after replacing the heater core until this month. The coolant temp keeps climbing, and the only way to cool it off slightly is by revving the engine, driving or parked. There is a slight gurgling/gushing sound coming from behind the firewall underneath the dash when I do rev the engine. So this past week I:
- Flushed the cooling system
- Replaced the thermostat, thinking the previous one could have been faulty
- Attempted to burp any air out of the cooling system
The heater works great, the radiator fan works, and there are no signs of coolant leaking anywhere. What is my next step here?
03-26-2018, 04:23 PM
#3
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Thread Starter
Join Date: 03-26-2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 37
A few days ago, as I was driving on the highway, it got up to 240. Today, after I tried burping the system, I saw it get up to 219 idle, and stayed consistent around 216 after I tried revving the engine to cool it down.
03-26-2018, 04:38 PM
#4
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Join Date: 01-23-2009
Location: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Posts: 24,694
At 219F the fan should have come on to cool the coolant down to 180F.
My guess, if the fan is coming on, the water pump is not pumping. Without the pump there will be some "heat pumping" going on.
My guess, if the fan is coming on, the water pump is not pumping. Without the pump there will be some "heat pumping" going on.
03-26-2018, 04:45 PM
#5
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Thread Starter
Join Date: 03-26-2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 37
Yeah, the fan was on at 219, but only cooled a few degrees. I was hoping it wasn’t the water pump, but I feel like I’ve eliminated everything else. I searched a couple of topics here regarding water pump replacement, and I see one or two members here have replaced it themselves. Is this something that is best left to the professionals, or could I try to tackle this one on my own (or with another person)?
03-26-2018, 04:57 PM
#6
Technical Moderator
Join Date: 01-23-2009
Location: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Posts: 24,694
There is a very good, if I say so myself, how-to in the how-to library. It took me about 3 hours and 2 beers.
https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...acement-56476/
https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...acement-56476/
03-31-2018, 05:34 PM
#7
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Thread Starter
Join Date: 03-26-2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 37
There is a very good, if I say so myself, how-to in the how-to library. It took me about 3 hours and 2 beers.
https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...acement-56476/
https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...acement-56476/
03-31-2018, 10:04 PM
#8
Technical Moderator
Join Date: 01-23-2009
Location: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Posts: 24,694
I don't know brands. I prefer the ones that have a metal impeller, some have plastic. They usually come with gaskets, use coolant to lubricate the rubber parts, be careful with the packaging for the tool so you can return it.
04-13-2018, 06:43 PM
#9
Member
Join Date: 04-08-2018
Location: Michigan
Posts: 74
I have a 2006 2.2L with over 218000 miles. I have had previous issues with the cooling system for various reasons:
- Bad radiator fan (replaced in summer ‘15)
- Bad heater core (replaced in August ‘16)
- Preemptivle replaced thermostat (February ‘17)
I had no issues with the car staying cool after replacing the heater core until this month. The coolant temp keeps climbing, and the only way to cool it off slightly is by revving the engine, driving or parked. There is a slight gurgling/gushing sound coming from behind the firewall underneath the dash when I do rev the engine. So this past week I:
- Flushed the cooling system
- Replaced the thermostat, thinking the previous one could have been faulty
- Attempted to burp any air out of the cooling system
The heater works great, the radiator fan works, and there are no signs of coolant leaking anywhere. What is my next step here?
- Bad radiator fan (replaced in summer ‘15)
- Bad heater core (replaced in August ‘16)
- Preemptivle replaced thermostat (February ‘17)
I had no issues with the car staying cool after replacing the heater core until this month. The coolant temp keeps climbing, and the only way to cool it off slightly is by revving the engine, driving or parked. There is a slight gurgling/gushing sound coming from behind the firewall underneath the dash when I do rev the engine. So this past week I:
- Flushed the cooling system
- Replaced the thermostat, thinking the previous one could have been faulty
- Attempted to burp any air out of the cooling system
The heater works great, the radiator fan works, and there are no signs of coolant leaking anywhere. What is my next step here?
04-17-2018, 01:26 PM
#10
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Thread Starter
Join Date: 03-26-2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 37
I had my local dealership replace the water pump (I provided the part), and...well, it’s sort of better. I drove the car over an hour to the mountains last weekend, and while it didn’t overheat or come anywhere close to it, it still won’t cool down unless it drives above 2000rpm. The highest it got was 221. It cooled off especially well when I drove in low gear coming back down the mountains (cooled down to 187 while in low gear) The radiator fan still kicks in when it’s supposed to, but it doesn’t seem to help cool anything off. I am still hearing a very subtle gurgling/gushing sound from behind the dash when I press the gas pedal, but only sometimes. What do I look for next?