Ok so I haven't been on the forums for a while and over the time, my car has accumulated some issues.

First, there's an issue with my lights. I understand these cars have DRLs, but before, I was able to turn them off at night. Now, I can't turn them off at all. Also, during the day, the interior lights (dash, cluster, etc) are extremely dim and I'm not really able to see them unless I really try. I am also getting an SVS light.

Next, I have an issue with my car's acceleration. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it just feels extremely heavy. I read it could be the cat, so I had it removed, still saving to buy the replacement. I am a college student so the funds aren't always there.after removing it, the problem persist. The car has around 160k miles and I purchased it when it had around 115k miles and have changed the spark plugs two or three times. I noticed that the acceleration was pretty good right after switching the spark plugs but will get bad after a week or so.

Next, when I make left turns, sometimes the Adel doesn't pop into place or something because the engine just revs and when it pops in to place, it gives a kick from the tranny. It's only on left turns though and to avoid it, I make pretty slow left turns or let the car coast into the turn if I have momentum to avoid giving it gas while the wheel is turned to the left. When I make right turns, it's perfectly fine.

Moving on, I have a heating issue. The car used to run perfectly fine until one of the coolant elbows busted. I got it replaced and since then, the cooling system has sucked. At higher speeds, the car begins to overheat, causing me to pull over and let the car cool down. I recently flushed it and the water was really dark. It also had some gunk in there. I flushed it, and put a cleaning agent from oreilys and drove it for about a week. I flushed it out again to get the cleaning agent out and refilled with dex coolant and water. It was closer to a 75 coolant/25 water mix. And during a 50 minute drive, the car began to overheat about halfway through the drive. Idk what it could be. I attached the photo of the gunk.

Last, and the one that worries me the most, is an oil leak. It worries me because I think it may be tied with the heating issue. Head gasket? It's leaking from or around the valve cover or upper intake or maybe even the heads, I'm not sure.

Help?

 

Coolant issue and oil issue could very well be the lower intake gaskets as there known to go bad. (Assuming you have a 3800 engine)

If you think you have an axle issue get the car in the air and pull the wheel and inspect, this is horrible on a trans to have it doing this and if left alone you will have bigger issues.

What's the engine light for, could be a number of things making it hesitate on acceleration. As far as the dash lights go, battery weak and alternator weak possibly, or the dash bulbs are burning out and it's getting dim? As far as the drl I've never heard of being able to turn them off unless you trip the sensor on the dash to think it's night time and then just run parking lights or buy the drl delete kit ( I think there made) only other way drl is turned off is when parking brake is set iirc

 

Ok would the lower intake gasket be an expensive fix?

I do have p0420 code but it's because I don't have a cat.

And before, at night, if I had the light switch in the middle, not fully pulled out, the only the parking lights would be on. And I mean dim as in I can't see them at all during the day and they look bright and strong at night. And they don't even turn on when the parking brake is set.I think the.svs light is related to that.

Did you view the attachment of the build that was in my radiator? Pretty nasty stuff

 

Sorry to read about your problems.

Every vehicle needs maintenance & care to stay in decent condition. Your Monte is now 12 or 13 years old & 161 K miles.

I hope that you can find the help you need with the issues that you are having with your Monte.

There many threads/posts on the MCF that may help `if a member can't on certain issues you are having..

Please try using our MCF Search Section at the top of each page.

Wish you good luck on getting your issues resolved.

 

it's a pricy job for a garage to do, if you have room, time, knowledge you can do it yourself and parts only cost around $200. While doing the LIM gaskets also do valve cover gaskets and replace the coolant elbows with new aluminum ones. Make sure the LIM gaskets you get are the aluminum ones as well.

Ok makes sense

that's how the drl lights are suppose to work. Male sure nothing is obstructing the dash sensor, if it's daylight and the car thinks it's night time the dash lights will look very dim.

trust my I know what dex cool does. There is mixed opinions on that stuff but me personally I'll never use that garbage for the simple fact of all the sludge you have just seen

Also the coolant gets slimy if oil mixes with it do to LIM gaskets.

One more thing the overheating issue, you sure the coolant system is bled out and it doesn't have an air pocket in the coolant system? coolant full?

 

So the LIM gasket needs to get fixed for sure cause of the leak. I'll get estimates. And as for the heat, I didn't bleed the air. I have the worse luck and always break the head of the screw. Is it safe to put coolant directly into radiator?

Nothing is in the way of the sensor. But I'm guessing it could have gone bad by now or something cause the lights are dim and I'm guessing that the sensor is giving values to the computer, telling it that its night time

 

Sounds like a lim gasket and that will also cause overheating if bad enough. But again I'm not there to see it so hard to say. Could be a valve cover gasket leaking oil and overheating do to the system not bled.

If it's cold it's fine to pour into the rad but shouldnt need to as the engine will pull coolant from the overflow if it's needed.

Possible the sensor went bad and that's the dim light issue