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SS gets hot

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Old Jul 24, 2018 | 09:18 PM
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BlackSS200k's Avatar
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From: Arz
SS gets hot

Hi y’all, what about the over heating / getting hot? My 2008 HHR SS has the same issue, gets hot under a load in warm weather. I have new water pump, thermostat, timing chain, pump chain, radiator, fan. The coolant isn’t low, doesn’t get low, and has been changed.
Old Jul 24, 2018 | 10:10 PM
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Originally Posted by BlackSS200k
Hi y’all, what about the over heating / getting hot? My 2008 HHR SS has the same issue, gets hot under a load in warm weather. I have new water pump, thermostat, timing chain, pump chain, radiator, fan. The coolant isn’t low, doesn’t get low, and has been changed.
Define "getting hot".


Moved to a new thread, it got swamped in the 44 post thread it was tacked onto.
Old Jul 24, 2018 | 10:38 PM
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Normally the car runs 180°-200°, a little lower than my old thermostat normal was around 202°. I changed the thermostat and everything else, because it was time, or they we failing. The car has 213,420k. I thought it might take care of the getting hot but it didn’t. Getting hot 230°-250°, under a load when temps are in the 90’s or higher. I think it will get hotter 250°+ , but I back off and go 20 mph. I use this car as a commuter to work and back and that causes no issues. It’s only when I head out to Lake Havasu City and it’s in the 100’s or when I’m coming back up the mountain from Palm Desert into Temecula Ca.
Old Jul 25, 2018 | 07:53 AM
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What thermostat did you use?
What coolant did you use?
Did you burp the coolant system?
Old Jul 25, 2018 | 08:18 AM
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Look at the fan and the controller. The SS has a variable speed fan, the controller is a PWM device.
Old Jul 26, 2018 | 12:49 AM
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It’s a stat that is supposed to work for this car, and the previous original couldn’t keep up either.
GM coolant
yes, but I’m open to other ideas of burping? It doesn’t matter when I take the cap off it’s always full.

I hear the fan run, it sounds like it has two speeds. Should it have more?what about the PWM device?
Old Jul 26, 2018 | 09:16 AM
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PulseWidthModulation, it should have infinite speeds, between 10% and 94% duty cycle.

I should never get above 225F. At 250F damage is being done and the engine will shut down soon. 230F is overheating and may be causing damage. Normal cruising should be 181F-210F.

Do yourself a big favor and get a GM 131-158 t-stat instead of "that is supposed to work for this car". When we recommend this particular part it is from experience, not trying to help GM. It might not help this specific problem, however it sounds like it used to have a 190F t-stat in it, and you don't seem to know for sure what yours is rated at.

We have heard stories of GM parts departments selling 190F t-stats.

I don't know if "GM coolant" is DEXCOOL.

Just baseline suggestions.

I guess it is possible that the only thing you haven't replaced (heater core) is the culprit or something was not installed right or malfunctioned.

Maybe a transmission cooler would help, since it is mainly under load.

Other things I can think of are the oil cooler and the turbo.
Old Jul 26, 2018 | 09:28 AM
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Just curiosity. What color is the coolant?
When you said it got hot under load, first thing I thought was pump and then radiator, but both were changed.
Old Jul 26, 2018 | 10:23 AM
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The temperature sensor might be giving a false reading (have seen that before).
Old Jul 26, 2018 | 09:31 PM
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I need to confirm the temp with a reader. I have Orange perfectly orange DEXCOOL. I’m stumped, I guess I need to test for head gasket, but there are no visual signs. I have an issue with my truck where the DEXCOOL clogs my heater core, I wonder if I could have an issue like that?



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