I was wondering if maybe ya'll could help a fella out with a problem. My girlfriends car sucks, and is having problems. And I'll just throw this out there too - Im a thru & thru Saab guy - I basically know nothing about this car, or motor. Im a decent mechanic, but anything terribly extensive, will be handled by an indy.

It's a '99 Monte Carlo with the 3.1 - 6 cyl. - 96k - It's gold... just in case you were wondering.

Problem(s) arising:

1) On cold starts (especially sitting overnight), it gets a pretty bad case of ticking lifters. Usually, it goes away after the car is warmed up - but SOMETIMES, it lingers for 20 mins, maybe longer. But on average, goes away after 3-5 mins. I have heard from a friend or two, that the 3.1/3.4 were notorious for lifter tick, and it wasnt necessarily a big problem. But its pretty bad... so I dunno if this would be considered 'normal' - or if their common lifter tick assumption is correct.

2) I have added coolant to her car on more than one occasion in the past month - only refilling the overflow tank - but it seems to be disappearing?!? I notice no leaks, as she parks in the same spot everyday. On that note - I havent noticed any irregular smoke/exhaust, but I dont watch it like a hawk... As far as I can tell, there is plenty of coolant in the car. Anyway - her 'low coolant' light likes to come on and tease you, and make a mockery of your coolant adding efforts. Sometimes it stays on, its a bitch like that. (oh, and not just disappearing out of the overflow when its hot)

3) The past 3 days, the car has started running hotter. 3 days ago, it ran around 3/4's the way up the gauge, but stayed in the that general area. I dont think it's stuck open. But then yesterday, it started to overheat, needle going to the top of the gauge - and I dont know how long she ran it like that - she said for mayyybe 1-2 mins before she could get off the highway. But 1-2 min's 'girl time' means she ran thru wal-mart/gas station/dairy queen before she actually got on the highway in the first place Just kidding ladies..

Ok, so maybe the thing needs a thermostat, and a good tune-up. Maybe a headgasket?!?

However - do you think that the ticking lifters (that are getting worse), and mysterious coolant loss, has anything to do with the engine overheating, etc...?? Im just worried we're dealing with a serious problem here, and not just a measley thermostat. Engine oil levels are fine too (oil is not at all frothy), forgot to mention that. Anyway - I thought maybe ya'll could be some help, and wanted to see what ya thought. Any help is greatly appreciated, and if it helps aid in your response - it'll help me get laid if I fix her car. So... just putting that out there. Help a brotha out???

 

Sounds like a headgasket to me...these engine are notorious for headgaskets or intake gaskets.

Maybe the loud sound of the lifter tick is because you have coolant mixing with your oil, and the oil is not doing its job the way its supposed to, therefore your getting more noise because the oil is not 100% oil.

First problem is getting the coolant fixed ASAP before the car is ruined. Then make sure to do an oil change, and see where your at.

Hope that helps a bit. BTW, the newer Saabs were made by GM, and share the same Ecotec engine line that Chevy uses.

 

Thanks for the response - on the ecotech note - all my Saabs are pre-ecotech engines (though I believe the block is the same b204/b234). One of them (my '95 900i) was made by GM, but is not the ecotech motor - the rest of my cars are Classic 900s (pre '94), not touched by GM - THANK GOD!!!

I agree with you about the headgasket - glad to know its a common problem in this car. Im doing an oil change tomorrow and see what the oil looks like - on the dipstick, it looks to be somewhat healthy. Not at all frothy, or 'milkshake' consistency.

 

sorry to double post - but if this (head gasket) was such a common problem - is there a tutorial somewhere in this forum? I searched, but couldnt find one.

 

search the web, there are a few out there, sorry don;t have them at my fingers at the moment... saved on my other computer

 

if it turns out to be a head gasket, which is fairly common on 3.1 cars, it would be about the same amount of work as any other head gasket job.... tear off the top of the engine & replace... probolem is, usually any car that looses a head gasket could also have a cracked head, causing more problems. plus the engine in question is higher miles, & kinda worn out..... alot of people find it easer to replace with a rebuilt enigne ( jasper) , or a lower miles junkyard unit.... 3.1 engines are EVERYWHERE, used through pretty much the entire ninties on 90% of GM cars....

but i would start with the thermostat, check out the water pump, check out all the coolant lines.... also you may not notice a slow coolant leak if the car is parked in a damp aerea.....

whatever happens, good luck with the fix

 

Go to a shop and get it properly pressure tested, that should help your diagnosis.

 

ive had a problem with my car overheating about a year ago and i needed my head gasket repaired. until u get it fix u or ya lady shouldnt drive it. if u continue to drive the car and the engine gets hot your gonna end up needing a new engine. i would also get the radiator checked out as well and/or the hoses. check the hoses after running the car for a while. if one hose is hotter or warming then the other then the thermastat may be bad. hope i helped

 

i saw this on motorweek a week or two ago. theres a chemical you can use to check the head gasket. here you go. goodluck
http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/goss/2835.shtml

 

^^^that's the best way to check for leak. don't go to the shop tho they will rape you just to diagnosis it you can rent that same tool at auto zone for cheap. coolant more likely spool out from where ever it was leaking when you are driving that why when you are park you don't see any puddle on the ground.