Overheating galore
11-25-2015, 07:02 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: 11-25-2015
Location: Grand Rapids, Mi
Posts: 2
Overheating galore
I've got a 2006 2.2L. This morning I was taking my wife to work and noticed the temp climbing. We'd driven around 5 miles and made it to nearly 240' f. We had started having overheating issues about two months ago, but after I did some work on it, we had driven it for a month with no issues.
Symptoms: overheating, boiling coolant,cooling fan will not kick on until well over 220' f and will not run while ac is on... But tested with 12v and does function, no heat, steam coming from t-cap.
Things I've done: oil/filter change, coolant flush, replaced water pump, replaced thermostat, replaced cooling fan fuse and relay, checked for coolant and oil leaks, purchased but not replaced coolant temp sensor as I don't think that's the cause....
Any other ideas? Lol
Symptoms: overheating, boiling coolant,cooling fan will not kick on until well over 220' f and will not run while ac is on... But tested with 12v and does function, no heat, steam coming from t-cap.
Things I've done: oil/filter change, coolant flush, replaced water pump, replaced thermostat, replaced cooling fan fuse and relay, checked for coolant and oil leaks, purchased but not replaced coolant temp sensor as I don't think that's the cause....
Any other ideas? Lol
11-25-2015, 09:51 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: 12-24-2007
Location: Seville. OH
Posts: 2,873
Welcome to the site 
The first thing that comes to mind is a head gasket problem of you still have air trapped in the cooling system from you last repairs.
An easy way to rule out the head gasket is to rent a block tester from your local part store.
The first thing that comes to mind is a head gasket problem of you still have air trapped in the cooling system from you last repairs.
An easy way to rule out the head gasket is to rent a block tester from your local part store.
11-26-2015, 12:05 AM
#3
Deceased
Join Date: 06-30-2010
Location: Kannapolis NC
Posts: 25,739
X2 to Lucky's comments, at 240° you've entered "The Death Zone" on Ecotec engines, so be prepared for a head gasket failure, or a cracked head.
And despite the less than thrilling circumstances,
to the forum!
And despite the less than thrilling circumstances,
to the forum!
11-26-2015, 08:32 AM
#4
Administrator
Join Date: 10-13-2011
Location: Welland,Ont Canada
Posts: 36,584
Welcome to the site! X3 on Lucky's suggestions, but I have to ask, did you use Dexcool, did you use an AC Delco thermostat? Did you park grille high to burp out the air bubbles?
If the car was overheating prior to the repairs was the thermostat stuck closed?
If the car was overheating prior to the repairs was the thermostat stuck closed?
11-26-2015, 09:22 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: 11-25-2015
Location: Grand Rapids, Mi
Posts: 2
Story
Any ideas on the fan issue?
So, head gaskets all around? That's the verdict? Lol Hurray!
You guys are keeeeellliiinnggg me.
BTW....Happy Thanksgiving, All!
To answer the question about the stuck thermostat, this car is actually my girlfriend's. She's put almost 260k on it. It already had soooo many issues before I started working on it. I was driving it one day and happened to click on the message button in the steering wheel, that's when I noticed the coolant temp was around 210’f. I felt like that was a tad high, so I got out, waited a bit and checked the coolant circulation. It appeared to no be circulating at all. Now, I'm not much of a mechanic, but I did know that in all that mileage she had not replaced damn near anything. So I went ahead and did a flush, put in both a water pump, and thermostat just to be on the safe side. It was driving fine for at least a month. Then I gave it a simple oil change. Again.... No issues for around a week. Then the major issues of overheating, no cooling fan, no heat.
So that's the story. Lol
So, head gaskets all around? That's the verdict? Lol Hurray!
You guys are keeeeellliiinnggg me.
BTW....Happy Thanksgiving, All!
To answer the question about the stuck thermostat, this car is actually my girlfriend's. She's put almost 260k on it. It already had soooo many issues before I started working on it. I was driving it one day and happened to click on the message button in the steering wheel, that's when I noticed the coolant temp was around 210’f. I felt like that was a tad high, so I got out, waited a bit and checked the coolant circulation. It appeared to no be circulating at all. Now, I'm not much of a mechanic, but I did know that in all that mileage she had not replaced damn near anything. So I went ahead and did a flush, put in both a water pump, and thermostat just to be on the safe side. It was driving fine for at least a month. Then I gave it a simple oil change. Again.... No issues for around a week. Then the major issues of overheating, no cooling fan, no heat.
So that's the story. Lol
11-26-2015, 09:34 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: 12-05-2014
Location: Northern Ohio
Posts: 2,375
The cooling system is most often the cause of overheating but sometimes it's exhaust restriction, in which case the tendency is to overheat under load but cool down surprisingly quickly at idle. (Non-HHR) examples: a friend kinked his exhaust by backing into a snowbank, and I bought a cheap muffler that clogged with corrosion in no time. My '03 Malibu kept giving be trouble, but a nice Walker Stainless OEM replacement now means the temp needle never climbs ever, even when putting the like-new horsepower to good use. Life is happy again. No cheap mufflers ever again.
Catalytic converters can also clog.
Sometime people think more is better and use straight antifreeze instead of the recommending mix, but that's a terrible coolant. Too much antifreeze in the mix is usually worse than not enough. A precise mix is important.
The water pump can fail gradually with no obvious symptoms other than an increasing tendency to overheat.
I've learn to be a bit skeptical of manufacturers' instructions for purging air from the system. Air pockets can be trivial to catastrophic depending on size and location.
It's my understanding that the HHR fan should be running at all times when the AC is on. Otherwise, I seem to remember the set point being high, 220F could be OK. [edit - because the pressurized coolant mix doesn't boil until something like 270F]
Catalytic converters can also clog.
Sometime people think more is better and use straight antifreeze instead of the recommending mix, but that's a terrible coolant. Too much antifreeze in the mix is usually worse than not enough. A precise mix is important.
The water pump can fail gradually with no obvious symptoms other than an increasing tendency to overheat.
I've learn to be a bit skeptical of manufacturers' instructions for purging air from the system. Air pockets can be trivial to catastrophic depending on size and location.
It's my understanding that the HHR fan should be running at all times when the AC is on. Otherwise, I seem to remember the set point being high, 220F could be OK. [edit - because the pressurized coolant mix doesn't boil until something like 270F]
11-26-2015, 09:52 AM
#8
Platinum Member
Join Date: 12-06-2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 11,111
Any ideas on the fan issue?
To answer the question about the stuck thermostat, this car is actually my girlfriend's. She's put almost 260k on it. It already had soooo many issues before I started working on it. I was driving it one day and happened to click on the message button in the steering wheel, that's when I noticed the coolant temp was around 210’f. I felt like that was a tad high, so I got out, waited a bit and checked the coolant circulation. It appeared to no be circulating at all. Now, I'm not much of a mechanic, but I did know that in all that mileage she had not replaced damn near anything. So I went ahead and did a flush, put in both a water pump, and thermostat just to be on the safe side. It was driving fine for at least a month. Then I gave it a simple oil change. Again.... No issues for around a week. Then the major issues of overheating, no cooling fan, no heat.
So that's the story. Lol
To answer the question about the stuck thermostat, this car is actually my girlfriend's. She's put almost 260k on it. It already had soooo many issues before I started working on it. I was driving it one day and happened to click on the message button in the steering wheel, that's when I noticed the coolant temp was around 210’f. I felt like that was a tad high, so I got out, waited a bit and checked the coolant circulation. It appeared to no be circulating at all. Now, I'm not much of a mechanic, but I did know that in all that mileage she had not replaced damn near anything. So I went ahead and did a flush, put in both a water pump, and thermostat just to be on the safe side. It was driving fine for at least a month. Then I gave it a simple oil change. Again.... No issues for around a week. Then the major issues of overheating, no cooling fan, no heat.
So that's the story. Lol
Now. Putting in a water pump on an Ecotec engine is not a simple job. Since it's considered an internal pump (resides under the front engine timing cover) is this actually what you replaced ?
Plus, with that mileage, a new timing chain,guides and tensioner should have been installed since you would have had it torn down.
Also, as Oldblue asked. Did you use Dexcool that is the recommended coolant for the HHR ?
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