Hope you can help!!

I have a 95 monte w/ stock 3.1

My problem is this:
The yesterday I saw my temp guage climb a bit higher than normal, checked out my rad level and saw it was a bit low. Filled it up and topped off the overflow.
Today driving into work my low fluid level light came on, so I let it cool down and opened the rad and it was down again along with the overflow empty.

There are no drips or puddles either at home or at work. I pulled the oil dip to look and see if it was leaking in there, but looks good.

Tonight I'll pull out the thermostat and make sure it's not stuck (I'll replace it anyway)

Any ideas??

 

uh ohhhhh.

That engine is notorious for a head gasket issue. I hope this isn't the case for you.

You've bled your system of air? You may need to take it to a shop to get some pressure testing done to make sure you aren't losing it in other places

 

Oh crap...sounds like a head gasket issue to me already. That or an intake gasket. Sorry to hear that man, hope its not, but as Chibi said, that engine along with a few other V6's from GM between 1995 and 2005 have been known to get cracked head gaskets, or intake gaskets...

 

That sure does sound like a head gasket. Even if its only the LIM leaking, i would tear the heads off and put in new gaskets.

Question, how many miles are on the engine?

 

If you can do it yourself and it IS the headgasket it won't be expensive...

but if you can't do the work yourself, start trying to find someone that can, because you won't like that $1200 mechanic bill....

 

I only paid that much for the car!!

So driving home today things were alright. I topped it up and bled the rad, but when I stopped in the driveway I saw fluid.
That made me excited after reading your first posts, thinking it's better to drip outside than inside. But I'll be damned if I could find the leak. All my hoses are good, all my connections are good. At first it looked like the thermal stat housing or gasket cause that's were it was wet, but I ran the car for 1/2 and hour and then took it for a drive for another 1/2 hour and no leak!!!!

Unfortunately I cannot do the head gasket myself. Just don't have the space or proper tools. I'm actually thinking now it might be the intake gasket, just from where I think it's leaking that makes the most sense. Will a "qualifed" mechanic be able to spot that right away? I don't want to take it in and have them charge me an arm and a leg to troubleshoot this.

 

It has 270k on the engine, and I have no idea what work was done to the car. It had a recent insurance inspection done, the oil was clean, the tranny fluid wasn't burnt. I don't think they tried to cover anything up, cause the serp belt and air filter had to be replaced.

If it is the head gasket wouldn't I see the antifreeze in the oil? I must have pulled that dip out 20 times tonight and it's not frothy, or chocolate milk looking.

 

A simple pressure test from any mechanic will let you know where the leak is.

 

water pump water pump water pump water pump.....
i put one on mine when i got it, less than $40 for the part, 15 minutes in the driveway with a couple of wrenches..... i would check that out, man, its a good place to start. also make sure all of your hoses are tight, get some better hoseclamps that you can tightin with a screwdriver if the hoses leak....

if the problem persists after a water pump, i would say it might be time for an early oil change... diy if possible, so then YOU can see for yourself what comes out....

 

Yea, if its leking on the driveway, then it could be the water pump...

270K!!!! Holy crap, is that the original engine and trans?