Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Oldsmobile Intrigue Coolant System Problems

2

Comments

  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    Hey Mike, I saw you help some other people in this forum with their overheating problems and was hoping you could possibly help me too. Well, I'm Andrew, owner of a 2000 Oldsmobile intrigue. Let me give you a quick background so you can have an idea of the situation. So at around 142k miles or so my car started overheating. I took it in the shop and they said I needed a coolant flush. It was quite obvious I did since there was lots of corrode inside the reservoir tank that somehow I didn't notice until it started overheating. So once I did that the overheating problem was pretty much gone. It would overheat when idle but some air bubbles that were left had eventually released out and problem was fixed. So a couple of months later it started overheating again. First guess was that since all the corrode had initially there, the leftover was causing the thermostat to stick. Strangely tho, eventually it stopped overheating. It would sporatically get hot from time to time but nothing ever that big. So one day I let my dad borrow it. Usually I'm only driving the car for rides that last less than 15 minutes. When my dad borrowed it he had to drive 45 minutes on it.
    So on the way to work he noticed it starting to get alittle hot. On the way back is when this whole ordeal had offically STARTED. It got pretty hot but with my dad thinking that the thermostat was just sticking kept driving it...and driving it... and driving it until it went past critical and eventually shut off by itself. This is where he really messed up. He did this TWO more times! I couldn't believe it...but anyway he managed to get home although everytime it would shut off there would be no coolant left and he'd have to refill it.
    So I take it in the shop figuring something small was wrong to find out they tell me I need to buy a new engine! They said the radiator was leaking, it probably needed new radiator hoses and either theres a cracked block or blown head gasket and that buying a new engine would be cheaper.
    Luckly, I had my friend that was a mechanic and would do it alot cheaper. So first he replaced the radiator. And then bought the gasket kit and replaced all of those. It still overheated. So they replaced the thermostat. STILL overheated. Then even replaced the water pump, STILL overheated. They then even put this radiator sealer stuff in there thinking that there was a small leak somewhere that couldnt be seen. This still didn't help. So I took it somewhere else. A note worth mentioning is that after I put the sealer in and it kept overheating I drove it for a couple weeks just from school and back which is about 10-15 minutes, babying it the whole time. It only got to critical about 3 times over that span and I shut it off as soon as it did unlike my dad who kept driving it still. But so once I took it to another mechanic they said after taking off the radiator hoses that discovered that they were EMPTY. Apparently the people who put in the thermostat never primed it, so that meant there was no water in the block to get hot, meaning the thermostat could never kick in. After doing this it STILL overheated. So then they knocked the engine and after seeing no water shoot out from the above the spark plugs they said that the head gasket was probably fine although my water in my reservior tank had a slight shine to it. OH, also worth mentioning is that in that span that I drove it for a couple weeks I would only use water since it kept losing water everytime I drove it. Like I would drive it for only 5 minutes or so and when I'd check the reservoir tank it'd be dry. So I figured what's the use of wasting gallons and gallons of coolant. Also what I havn't said is that I'd only overheat after driving it for about 10 to 15 minutes and strangely sometimes it'd get to 3/4th's and then drop back down to 1/2 suddenly. This is what made me believe there was a air bubble somewhere. But then the place I went to even bled out the system and STILL overheated. :( Also what was strange is that when I'd drive it, sometimes the water wouldn't go dry and would maintain it's level.

    But after all this, the last people I went to said that from process of elimination and after all that corrode in the beginning that there may be a clog in the block and that I should try flushing the radiator again and if that doesnt work i'll have to buy a new block. BUT then I talked to the first people who fixed it and they said that flushing it wouldn't help it since he had back flushed it with a water hose and that would have removed any clogs and that there must be a crack in the engine block. I disagree since when you use radiator flush its like a acid and should get alot more rust and stuff off then just normal water. Am i correct??

    So in conclusion I'm hoping that flushing it might actually help or that maybe the 2nd place I went to didnt bleed the bubble out right since they didnt use the y adaptor procedure like I had seen on here but then someone told me the bubble would have escaped already anyway.

    So can you or anyone else that reads this PLEASEEEEE, pleaseeee tell me what could be wrong with my car? Is the only possibility that I have a cracked block?? I've already spent a thousand fixing it and don't wanna have to spend another 1000-1500 on it :((( Any advice would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks

    Andrew
  • fasstlnfasstln Member Posts: 8
    It sounds like you've repaced most everything related to the cooling system except the engine. You could try spraying a water hose into the engine system (do it from both the entry and exit ports just to ensure there isn't some kind of blockage. Also, did you replace the water pump with a GM piece or some other aftermarket piece? I've heard that some aftermarket pieces don't do a good job at spinning the water pump propller, or that the propeller is too small, thus the coolant isn't circulated quickly enough.

    If you're loosing coolant, then you have a leak somewhere. If you don't have coolant dripping from under your car, then I would guess you must be losing it in the engine.

    Also, if the car is overheating, you shouldn't drive it until the computer shuts it down. Turn it off much sooner than that. Also, you should probably change your oil if you let the engine run that hot (very high heat kills your oil). You could use that time to inspect your oil to see if you have any coolant leaking in there.
  • mike251mike251 Member Posts: 19
    wow. That is amazing you went through way more crap than I did. I agree with the first guy if you have coolant leaking into your engine then it will show in the pistons or your oil should be getting full. Remember that this system takes pressure in its system at all times to keep the engine cool. Maybe your holding tank needs to replaced. It is also possible they did not bleed the system like I wrote down. You have to do it just as what is put in my notes otherwise it probably will not work right. The other thing is you can not get the pump or thermostat from autozone they will not work right. There is no bleeding port on the engine so it is very important to bleed the engine correctly. not true with bubble escaping. it will stay in there because air will stay at the highest point which the engine block is pretty much the highest point.
  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    The guy that originally fixed it said he back flushed it with 15 pounds of pressure with the water hose, is that the same thing as what you said? "You could try spraying a water hose into the engine system (do it from both the entry and exit ports just to ensure there isn't some kind of blockage."

    The water pump was a OEM remanufactured water pump from O'Reily's. Their products always seems to be pretty good so I don't think that could be it. And well the strange thing is, is that i pulled the dipstick out and checked the oil and it looked fine, no milky look to it at all. But what should the oil look like and what would it look like if the high heat messed it up?
  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    The holding tank? I've never heard of that term, what exactly is that?

    And hmmm I was thinking the same about the bleed procedure. I never saw them use the y-adaptor and all that so i'm gonna bring them the procedure on thursday and see it helps. Man I'm trying everything possible to not have to replace that damn block lol I appreciate the help though. You sure about the bubble escaping tho? Cause I've had two or three mechanics said any bubble would of escaped by now, maybe they were saying that based on other model of cars and the intrigue is just especially different so it cant just escape out?
  • mike251mike251 Member Posts: 19
    Holding tank is just the reservoir for the coolant. Remove the upper coolant hose from engine. Open drain to radiator. Drain fluid out radiator. Connect the water hose to the y fitting. Turn the hose on and you should get a nice steady stream of water coming out with no bubbles out of the engine. Open the bleed valve on the radiator fill radiator with coolant and not the already mixed coolant. Then connect top radiator hose. Then bring reservoir level to full using the hose connected to the y fitting careful not go to fast. Take the hose off it will be under pressure so hurry to put the cap on it. Bleeding it properly should get rid of the problem. I had a shop bleed mine and before I got it home it was already overheating. You might want replace the reservoir it is only 100 dollars or cheaper. The system can not have any air leaks on the reservoir otherwise it tends to want to overheat. Bleeding it this way is pretty important there are no bleed valves on the engine and that makes it pretty impossible to get the air out of the block. This engine is one of a kind and they don't give you much support. Also be careful not to overheat the engine it is aluminum block and not cast iron like the rest of gm cars.
  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    Ahhhhhh I see. I never knew the reservoir tank affected the coolant system. Is there any way you can test the reservoir tank to see if it's actually leaking any air out? And so which of these 3 solutions should I try first, putting in radiator flush to remove any clogs, bleeding the system for any air bubbles or replacing the tank?

    You've turned me pretty optimistic now, I think one of these might do it.
  • mike251mike251 Member Posts: 19
    I really think you should try doing the bleeding first. It really sucks doing the bleeding process. If you stick to the instructions it should fix your problem. There is just no other way that works good. I found the instructions from some other car forum and others have used it and had no problems after they had changed all the parts like you did. I changed all my parts on the coolant system and bled it this way and it is going on 2 years now and no overheating problems. I do have to add coolant every once and a while. Don't know where it is going and don't really want to find out either. My car has 136,000 miles on it and I plan on driving it until it dies. Then I would really like put it in one of those crash derbies for all the pain I endured working on this car.
  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    I noticed you had a 2001 intrigue. The procedure isnt gonna be any different for my 2000 will it? And is the "surge tank" the same as the reservior tank? And is the "peecock" the same as a drain plug? And where's the bleed valve on the radiator at exactly?

    And lets say for some reason the bleeding doesnt work, well i could try the radiator flush but then that would mean after doing that i would have to bleed it again right?
  • mike251mike251 Member Posts: 19
    I really don't think you need to use the flush stuff. Mine is a 2000 intrigue. Drain plug peecock same thing. Reservoir, surge tank same thing. The bleeder for the radiator is on the upper radiator corner near the battery. Bleed it by the instructions and then I would go from there. I had the same crap in my surge tank and never used any cleaning fluid to get rid of it.
  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    Ahhh. Well I'm gonna give it a get go tomorrow. Oh by the way, what'd you mean by "I ground 4 driving slots in a socket so I could use a ratchet wrench ) " Is there any other way of doing it besides that?

    But thanks for all the help, i appreciate it! I'll let you know what happens tomorrow
  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    It still didnt fix it. It got to about half way and started boiling over and then eventually it got to 3/4ths and I finally shut it off :(( I'm pretty sure I did everything right so I guess it's just a cracked block. I'm gonna put this K&W Nanotechnology Permanent Head Gasket & Block Repair stuff and hopefully that'll at least seal it up temporarily so in the mean time I can save up money for another engine. Thanks for the help though.
  • mike251mike251 Member Posts: 19
    There is something you can try to see if it is a cracked block. Try the 1, 2, 3 gears while driving. This helps keep the rpms up which will drive the pump faster and should keep the engine temp down. If this does not work then you have a cracked block.
  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    Ahh ok, I'll try that. So if that does work, is that saying that maybe I had a defective pump?
  • mike251mike251 Member Posts: 19
    It would be the pump or the thermostat.
  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    I was thinking about when I bleeded the air bubbles how I may have messed up? When you said Regulate the flow so the water in the surge tank is about 3/4 full and just let the hose run keeping an eye on it so it does not over flow, now turn your attention to the engine outflow. And go until it comes out in a continuous flow. Well when I did that I didn't wait until the water got to 3/4ths full, it might have been only 1/4 and then i looked at the engine outlet and saw it come out continuously after a little bit and shut it off. Well may I have not had the water pressure high enough to bleed out all the bubbles since it never got to 3/4th's or would that have not mattered?
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    I re-read your original post. you didn't mention if a pressure test was done on the cooling system? I asking because you also mention that you've had to re-fill the system a few times. A pressure test should reveal any leaks, external or internal. Plus you've replaced just about all the parts.

    Also try a new cap for the expansion tank. I read a few people whose overheating problem was due to a bad seal with the cap on the expansion tank.

    Good luck. Thanks posting your ordeal. It will definitely help others who are facing the same issue.
  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    Well the guys said they didnt have to pressure test it since it was obvious I had a crack somewhere since I was losing coolant constantly. And I don't think the cap could be it cause mine seems to fit in pretty tightly and theres no visible cross threads or anything.

    I guess I just have a cracked block...but I am gonna try some sealant stuff. Do you have any experience with any of them?
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    No experience with the sealant. I've read many people warning it could mess with the engine but given your situation, it's probably worth a shot. your dad allowing the car to overheat twice may have done it.
  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    Wow. The stuff actually worked. Yes really. It barely loses any coolant and doesnt boil over anymore. Although when really pushed alot, it overheats, it at least can get me from here to school which is a 15-20 minute drive, at only getting to the half way mark so I'm happy :] *knock on wood* hopefully it lasts long enough where I can save up for an engine now but anyone else on their last prayers with their car like mine, i'd suggest giving this K&W nanotechnology stuff a shot before giving up.
  • intrigueguy37intrigueguy37 Member Posts: 12
    I take what I said back. Yes it fixed the problem...for only a day.
  • danman99danman99 Member Posts: 6
    Just joined with this group. Just curious, has anyone pulled a 3.5L out of an Intrigue? I'm
    having difficulty separating the engine from the tranny!
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Never done it but here's a discussion on pulling the 3.5L out of the engine bay:

    http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=940543&highlight=engi- ne+replacement
  • danman99danman99 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks.
  • danman99danman99 Member Posts: 6
    Mike, you said you pulled your tranny a while back. Did you pull the engine/tranny together? Did you pull it from the top or bottom of the vehicle? I'm trying to get my son's engine out, it's a '99 Intrigue, and I'm scatching my head as to why I cannot separate the engine from the tranny!! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
  • irishkatirishkat Member Posts: 1
    Help having the same problem with my 2000 Olds Intrigue. It just started overheating, replaced Thermostat, it made it way worse, turning on heater trick does not work anymore. Driving fast helps. Now hearing a knocking noise under hood. Mechanic replaced water pump, no help at other other than costing me everything I had. Mechanic thinks it may be gasket issue, something leaking ect.. (not losing coolant by the way) and wants to put some blue devil sealant in it.I Printed all of this great info out from these posts and took it to my mechanic who just kinda looked at me. Guess being girl bringing this in makes me less creditable :( Anyone know any good mechanics in Delaware that will take me seriously ??????? thanks!!!!
  • billcarsonbillcarson Member Posts: 23
    ms. kat there is nothing more incomprehensible than an auto mechanic parts changer/guesser.you say there are no leaks yet they want to put a sealer in.(?).the engine in your car is somewhat unusual and if i were you i would try and find a specialist in coolant repair.i have one but i'm from long island and that won't work for you.best of luck and step one for you is to dump that clown pretending to be a mechanic.
  • proverb1412proverb1412 Member Posts: 1
    I am one of many who have overheating issues with my Intrigue. I have a 98 and I pulled the thermostat out put it in some boiling water and it opened. Is it safe to assume the thermostat is fine. Second, I have read everything on here about bleeding the system and I have a question in that regard. I have the 3.8 and it has a bleed screw above the thermostat. Should it be good enough to open that up and bleed the system rather than do the lenghty bleeding process I have been reading? IF so what could be the problem since it appears the thermostat is good and I bled the system but it still overheats. I should add the motor has 240,000 miles on it and I live in south Texas which makes it difficult to keep anything cool.
  • dave73060dave73060 Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 98 Olds in February and ever since I bought it the engine heat has always flucuated. When it started getting warmer outside this really became an issue. Also I notice that if I go up a hill the temp goes up. I have tried replacing the thermostat and the radiator but still the problem persists. Lately I can only drive it a few miles and it overheats. I contantly check the oil for coolant signs and coolant for oil signs but the both seem fine. The pressure builds up so much from the heat that it blows the lid off of the reserve tank.
    Has anyone else out there had this happen? I was talking to a buddy of mine and he said that the head may be cracked and that this may be what is causing the problem with the water pressure.
    Any advice out there?
  • phillskiphillski Member Posts: 3
    I've been reading through these posts, and before I get to my current issue, I want to comment on a couple things for anyone else. Mike is absolutely right about the air bubbles and bleeding procedure. I've replaced my tstat a couple times. I have a 2000 Intrigue with 260,000 miles on it. The first time, I remember the struggles but once bled it was fine. This time, I got the aftermarket one, and although it looks different, that's because it doesn't come with the body on it. The problem is, to fit it into the body you have a pretty hefty spring you must compress. I bent the stupid thing before I figured out how it's done. I straightened it out and threw it in for a couple weeks (cash issues) then got the oem one and threw it in. I still had the issues with overheating, yanked the radiator and flushed it, replaced the cheap little drain valve and bleed valve, put it back together and then the air troubles started. I did get it after a couple weeks, and finally am not overheating.

    My current problem is I'm losing coolant. I read the post Mike put up about the intake, but when I searched those Dorman manifolds they all seem to be for the 3.8 98-99 models. Mike, if you read this, could you post whether this is an issue on the 3.5? I was just out trying to look for any leaks, and noticed a slight wisp of smoke coming from the back side (of course) of the engine, and looking down with a mirror, it appears there is a gasket? back there, under the spark plug cover by about two inches. I really don't want to tear the whole thing out of there...it doesn't appear to be the intake manifold as that is up above and mounts on top. Would a gasket set and setting aside several days be worthwhile at this point? Opinions please...I do love this car and was determined to get it to 300K, but if I am at the point where I just drive it til it quits then so be it. It's served this family well for 8 years. Don't really want to do the stop leak stuff.
    Thanks for the great discussion, guys. Especially your input, Mike.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    It may be at the start of a head gasket failure. Before I traded my 2000 Intrigue last year, I was losing coolant and my mechanic thought the head gasket was going.

    I haven't heard of any leaks in the manifold on this engine. Try searching on this forum: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=49
  • phillskiphillski Member Posts: 3
    Thanks, dtownfb, I'll check that out.
  • trcjmtrcjm Member Posts: 1
    edited September 2010
    I have 2 intrigues, one with a 3.5 and one with a 3.8. If you saw something below your spark plugs, you are most likely looking at a head gasket issue. The 3.8's are known for having intake issues. On mine I was using a little anti-freeze every month and my temp gauge was running a little higher. Then I started to have starting issues. It would always start but you would have to crank it a little longer than I used to have to. I ended up having to replace the intake gaskets and Intake Manifold. When I pulled the old intake off, I found anti-freeze between the top and the lower intake. The car has never run better. The temp gauge is right where it was when I bought the car new. My 3.5 I did have to replace the head gaskets around 200k on the engine. I did use some Bars Stop Leak and that did give me about another 35k before having to fix it right.
  • phillskiphillski Member Posts: 3
    Well with 260K on it, I'm thinking head gasket, so will go that route. Thanks.
  • callmekodaakkcallmekodaakk Member Posts: 1
    I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING ALL OVER MY 2001 INTRIGUE 3.5 MOTOR TO REPLACE THE ENGINE COOLANT TEMP SENSOR AND CANT SEEM TO FIND IT...PLEASE HELP ME SOLVE THIS PROBLEM
  • chemistrywhizchemistrywhiz Member Posts: 1
    Hi, someone please tell me the name of the part that is located above the water pump. My mechanic says that I have a leak coming from it so it has to be replaced, but I can't locate the part because I don't know the name. Also, do you know whether this part snaps into place when it is repaired or would I need to buy something else for it. Thank you so much!
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    This discussion describes the location of the engine coolant temperature sensor:

    http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=285608&highlight=cool- ant+temperature+sensor+location

    good luck.
  • oldcardaveoldcardave Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2010
    Car doesn't overheat - runs good. However shortly after reaching normal operating temperature it will drip coolant from the passenger side, near the front. Problem then diappears after driving a short distance. No overheating and doesn't seem to be losing any significant volume of coolant. Also, does anyone know why the radiator will overflow when removing the cap even when the car is stone cold?
    1999 with 3800 V6. I bought this car used about 3 years ago from the original owner, has about 120000 on the clock. Good car, my wife even took it off the highway into a ditch at speed. Except for a ruined wheel and tire we were able to drive away! It needs new brakes and a set of tires...don't want to put the money in if I can't diagnose this coolant proble,
  • juliezeccajuliezecca Member Posts: 1
    there is a plastic elbow shaped tube above the water pump....it's part of the in take system ....after the car is hot... fluid will bubble out...but only when the car is hot. discovered this leak after replacing EVERYTHING....
  • woodycoddwoodycodd Member Posts: 1
    same problem here,
    what is with all the tightlipped mechanics.
    what is it and how do i fix it?
  • edwnek3edwnek3 Member Posts: 1
    close to the same problem, My coolant light stay on on the dash, I have smelled coolant before shortly after starting but I dont loose any visible level of fluid. Christmas time I drove 700 miles round trip and didnt loose any fluid but still would occasionaly smell antifreeze and my light would still come on. I've been told the sensor in the overflow might be bad and causing the light to come on but that doesnt explain the coolant smell
  • ctdunnaganctdunnagan Member Posts: 8
    check the oil in the car .. look for moisture if so you may need an intake the 3800 is bad for burning a hole at the egr valve and sucking the antifreeze out or into the intake ... other than that look at the airdam undeer the car the springs break or wear out and fold the airdam back causing overheating.. but when filling with antifreeze turn heat on high and open bleed valve but one thing helps is to have a funnel that sits higher than the car ... once full and hot ... put cap on and check it in the morn... if the water is low in radiator but not in reservoir change cap.. a bad cap will also let water back into reservoir cause it is not holding pressure...
  • andy_vandy_v Member Posts: 1
    Don't know the name of it, but it does snap into place. I removed
    and took to dealer. Cost was approx $15.
  • loosenutloosenut Member Posts: 165
    mom's -01 intriuge ,w 180k on th clock,has been a good car.. trans started acting goofy..
    noticed fluid level was OVER full.. may have been water beads on dipstick,and a oily film in th reserve tank..
    mabee trans cooler in the radiator??? and can i save it by flusing and refilling trans? and coolant? anyone else encounter similar problems? thanks! :sick:
  • wfo72wfo72 Member Posts: 1
    I just got a 2000 3.5 Intrigue with 155.000 miles, very clean well maintained car. The timing jumped due to a mechanic not torqueing the balancer correctly on the old motor and the timing chain jumped bending the valve train. Anyhow I had a very good shop install a 2001 3.5 Alero motor with 78.000 miles in it. This engine appears very well maintained after removing the valve covers and inspecting visually. My problem is only at 70 mph and up with the AC system on the engine overheats into the red. I can turn off the AC and the tempature gauge drops 1/4 way down. I have pulled over and had no coolant leaking from the car or it even smelling like it overheats. Idles fine and doesn't stumble at all. As soon as I get back up to hwy speeds and turn the ac on the temp rises again. I live in Florida and the outside is about 98 degree's now. I have noticed the air deflector under the radiator support is missing and am wondering if it's a lack of air flow into the radiator causing the issue as there's no air ports in the front bumper fascia to assist in cooling, it just comes from under the car. It has a new Discount thermostat in it as well. Could this be a PCM/BCM issue. I heard something about a Engine Tempature sending unit but can't find it as it maybe in the PCM? I also heard the coolant sensor sends a signal to the PCM the the BCM and to the instrument cluster gauge. I did just use a hand held digital temp gauge and the outside radiator read 244 degree's, with I assume is too hot. Any thoughts on this matter?
  • narsimha0350narsimha0350 Member Posts: 1
    hey buddy!
    i have the same problem with my oldsmobile intrigue 2000,
    it overheats and i pull over the car for couple of minutes and start all over again.

    any solution upto know?

    response would be appreciated.

    thanks
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,148
    edited December 2011
    Well, what have you checked? Are the belts intact and in working order? Do you have the proper level of coolant? It could also be a fan belt or fan motor that's broken.

    If you can't check these things yourself, you really need to have a mechanic take a look at the car and figure out what's causing the overheating. As much as you may not want to spend money on a diagnosis, if you continue driving a vehicle that's regularly overheating, you will soon not have an engine and you'll have to replace it, or get a new vehicle altogether - either of which is more expensive than a diagnosis.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • chuck24mchuck24m Member Posts: 6
    Had the same overheating problem on my 2002 Intrigue, Final 500 #474, 49,000 miles.
    Changed thermostat, no help, still running hot, cooling after bringing engine over 2000 rpm's.
    Took it to local mechanic who reversed flushed the heater core by reversing the heater hoses, never had to remove any parts from the engine, no cutting hoses, etc. Don't know how he did this, as I think the heater hoses are two different diameters? He said that using the hot water from the engine would work much better than flushing with a tee using cold garden hose water.
    Afer driving over 2000 miles since he did this the temp. needle goes to a little below the half way mark and stays there! Also don't know what happens to the junk that's broken loose by doing it this way, all I know is that it worked !!
  • keyonnakeyonna Member Posts: 1
    I just bought an oldsmobile intrigue a 2000 and I drove it for about two weeks before I noticed it started to overheat I have not driven it to overheat to the red but it has gotten close. I have not went through all of what you ahve either but do you think it could be a manufaturer's mistake because this is not the only website or time I have put in this problem and a lot of people have the same problem with the same car? I will do what I can to save my car or I also feel like I have been robbed as well! I need help finding a solution and I have ttried some of the things you have and I know that it is not something we are doing if it has happened to a number if the same model cars!
  • chuck24mchuck24m Member Posts: 6
    Keyonna, this problem can be solved by reversing the heater hoses.
    Go to Auto Zone and get two heater hose connectors 5/8 x 3/4, two short pieces of heater hose,one 5/8 and one 3/4 diameter, and four hose clamps.
    Remove the heater hoses from the top of the engine, you will lose about a pint of coolant, no need to drain the radiator.
    Cut the short pieces of hose to fit and attach the hose connectors with the hose clamps.
    Connect the hose connectors to the existing hoses, reversing them from the original positions. Add a little coolant to the fill line and your good to go.
    Drive the car like this for a thousand miles or so and put the hoses back in their original positions and you should not have any more problems.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles