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Buick Rendezvous Overheating

pertusetpertuset Member Posts: 3
My wife has told me that the heat gauge is going way up and last night it went clear to the red line. I check all of the fuses, they were good, and then I looked at the relays for the cooling fan and could not tell if they were burnt or not.
The cooling fan comes on and runs for about 10 seconds and shuts off..... Is this how it is supposed to run, or should I replace the 3 relays that I cannot check....
Thanks for any help possible.
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Comments

  • ray80ray80 Member Posts: 1,655
    Does it only heat way up while idling in traffic on a hot day? If so I would not be suprised if it got real close to redline before fans kicked in. Have you been adding coolant at all lately and did it get pretty low at any point? Does it stay high for quite a while or does it get high and go right back done again?
  • pertusetpertuset Member Posts: 3
    She also said the she can never recall that the fan have kicked on in a while. I took the relays out, put them back in and the fan kicked on, and then back off after about 10 to 12 seconds....
    We recently had the cooling system flushed, because it had gunk inside of the radiator, maybe they may have not put enough coolant back in it. Because when I was checking the realays I also, put some dex-cool in the overflow tank.
    If I am having to add it, what could be the problem.....I dont see any leaking on the ground, or do I see any of it in the oil.
    I hope there is nothing seriously wrong with her car.....She loves it.....
  • ray80ray80 Member Posts: 1,655
    Hhmm being a 2002 I would have to wonder about lower intake manifold gaskets (very common problem). If the radiator was gunked up, it may well have been because of air in system (due to low coolant level) plus if you still are adding some, quite likely you may have the gasket troubles (coolant leaks around gasket but evaporates so you don't see puddles). If it is the gasket you may be able to see it by looking at engine from drivers side front corner. Look past a fat radiator hose and the black metal thing they use to tilt engine, you should see a thin black line (or sometimes blue) plastic going from upper left to lower right. If you see the line but it is a fat looking oily mark, it is most likely the gasket leak (dealor has a test to confirm).
  • smastermansmasterman Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 CX (86,000 mi) that has a temp gauge that has gone out of control. On an 11 mile trip it went from C to H with the overheat light going off, back toward C and back again 4 times within the trip. No radiator / coolant leaks, but I know it's not good for the engine. I figured bad thermostat, and had that replaced. It didn't fix the problem. Will the thermostat take a little time to "seat" or something? Also, no heat coming into the car when this stuff happens. Just great for the upcoming Cleveland winter. Have any of you had this happen, and what did you do to fix it?

    Thanks,
    SM
  • ray80ray80 Member Posts: 1,655
    From what you discribe it sounds like air in the system and it needs to be purged via bleed screws. The thermostat should not take any time to work properly.
  • margieb3margieb3 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Rendevous CX and I had a new transmittion put in in June 2006, when I collected the vehicle and paid the $2600 bill I noticed that the service light was on....after more 3 visits to the dealership I was told it was the BMO....my interior lights don't work or flash on and off, and periodically all the dashboard lights and indicators fail.....also my heater/blower only works now on high....are these things anyone else has had issues with? and are they things I can fix myself?
    I would appreciate any feedback....
  • rmck641rmck641 Member Posts: 3
    can you please tell the outcome to your problem, i am going through the same thing right now.
  • pertusetpertuset Member Posts: 3
    Well, we took it to a shop and had it flushed and filled with new anti freeze, and a new thermostat. Something else we had done was when we had it flushed and refilled, we did not use the Dex-Cool anti-freeze. We had if refilled with regular anti-freeze. The Dex-Cool has some faults to it. It will eat the seals out of the engine and then you will see leaks.
    I hope this helps out in any way.
  • nidgenidge Member Posts: 18
    Sounds like an air problem to me to. Have recently changed your air filter by chance? If the air mass system isn't set up and everything all lined up perfectly, the car does have a tendency to run warmer. At least that is what took my a long time to find out. From the day that I replaced the stock air filter with a new K&N air filter, I had problems until I took the time to really be careful putting everything back together. By the way, the K&N filter will give you a lot more boost to.
  • exhaustedexhausted Member Posts: 21
    OK- I now have the same problem- What was your fix?
  • exhaustedexhausted Member Posts: 21
    OK- I now have the same problem- What was your fix?
  • mrfsramrfsra Member Posts: 3
    My 2005 just blew a head gasket @ 58,000 miles. I don't tow or any other unusual conditions. Isn't a $2,000 engine repair unusual for this mileage? Does GM ever pay for unusual repairs out of warranty?
  • rmck641rmck641 Member Posts: 3
    i have an 2002 and i struggled with various problems until it was very obvious that i had 2 blown head gaskets. this is a very sensitve motor or a poor design....look for another motor, it'll be cheaper.
  • handymantomhandymantom Member Posts: 1
    What would cause a 2005 buick rendezvous to over heat, not go over 10 to 40 mph and shake
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Handymantom,
    I am from GM Customer Service. I apologize that you are experiencing a concern on your vehicle. Can you please email me more information about your situation, so I can look into it further? You can get my email by clicking on my name. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • jpiercejpierce Member Posts: 49
    When things happen on this vehicle they happen in clusters, some related some not. I have had everything go wrong on this vehicle and have experienced everything. 25 plus things repaired (head gaskets to transmission, AC condensor, rad...and the list goes on and on and all this with 5 years on the vehicle. New GM warranty would of covered everything). Anyway two things with the situation you discribe. The dash light business could be related to a common problem with the RDV. There is wiring on the driver side under the carpet (right by the rear of the front seat). The wires here for some reason corrode and fuse together causing a short or you could have multiple things coming on at once (this corosion could be due to Sun Roof leakage which mine did if seal not cleaned regularly). If your car does not have sun roof it could be a body control module for a particular curcuit or function (then you need the dealer to figure it out).

    It wires fuse in the location I indicated it can cause the problems mentioned. Short curcuit with lights not working or working intermittance and other wired things. I needed the wiring redone in this area. A bit of slicing and dicing and sodering.
  • buddo9buddo9 Member Posts: 18
    edited June 2010
    In the 2002 and later Buick CXL Rendezvous..
    The overheating problem will never go away!
    I realized there was a problem when I raised the hood and tremendous gust of heat hit my face!
    The engine is in a restricted compartment area under the hood with very little exit to remove heat buildup!
    The heat just keeps building up! So badly, it blisters the paint at the only escape rout that it has near the rear center of the hood ,
    With an inspection, you can see the rubber guard on the hood seals off the windshield and the heat crawls to the two ends of that rubber seal then back to the highest point at the center of the hood..
    The compartment is not big enough to keep the engine from it’s own heat!
    The cause is a bad design of the engine vent system!
    I cut away the top half of the rubber seal at center (2 foot wide x 1”) That way there is still enough left for water run off from windshield area .. Be careful not to cut away in front of air screened vents … My CXL is now a cool tool...
    Bud Crawford Coopersburg PA 18036
  • spike99spike99 Member Posts: 239
    Love your idea of customizing the base design and allowing it to breath (vent) better. Keeping things cooler is a great idea. However, not too sure if I would modify its factory rain gutters. Especially if one lives in "April Showers" or colder snow climate region - like my region.

    Instead of cutting away rain gutter material, I wonder if installeing a rear facing hood vent would be much better? Simply cut a hole in the rear / center of the hood and instead of mounting a forward facing hood vent, simply install its opening in a rear facing position. This way, air flow is sucked into the front hood and pushed out the top of the hood. Especially while driving down the road. And, its factory rain gutters remain untouched - "as factory design".

    For a few pictures of low profile "bolt on" hood vents, surf:
    http://www.globalgroupbuy.com/images/products/p/gb0918_p.jpg -> install with its opening facing the windshield.
    http://www.iagperformance.com/images/products/exterior/hoods/seibon/HDS0203SBIMP- -STI/image_01_600.jpg -> install with opening rear facing.
    etc. etc.

    Overall, I do love your idea of "keep it cool". Keeping the inner engine compartment cool (especially during hot summer months) is a great idea...

    .
  • renman1renman1 Member Posts: 1
    Well this problem started about two monthes ago. Never a dull moment with this vehicle, its one thing right after another so fast I can't fix them all. I just have to prioratize and fix what will keep this car moving! Safe or un-safe. Can't afford to fix the anti-lock wheel sensor. Just put a transmission in it four monthes ago. Well back to the problem at hand, the water pump was leaking a little water so we replaced the water pump and of coarse the belt. That stopped the leak and all seamed fine for six weeks. Then it started this over heating problem where the gauge would peg out on hot and I would get a flashing red light warning but when I would open the hood the engine didn't seem that hot! It felt more like normal, so I changed the sending unit thinking the temp guage was wrong (not). So next it was the T-stat (o-m-g what a p-i-t-a!). Someone said it had an air bubble in the cooling system so I spent hours trying to purge air out of the cooling system. So next it was the radiator cap, this thing just continues to over heat or so the gauge says. A couple of times it did over heat for sure, it actually felt hot. How can you tell if the head gasket is blown? It seems to run ok, other than a very slight miss at idle. Can anyone shed some light on this?
  • spike99spike99 Member Posts: 239
    edited August 2010
    To me, it sounds like an intake or head gasket leaking problem. Instead of letting rad fluid out, its "sucking air" in. Thus, creating air bubbles inside the RAD. Thus, one gets the impression their cooling system "always" has air locks trapped inside its system.

    If wondering, I had a previous 2.0L 4 cyinder engine and its heat temp dial would go nuts as well. Its dial would move up and down - as if the grand stand folks were doing a "giant wave" - back and forth - at a major sports event. The night before, I drove the vehicle to my mechanic and the next morning, he calmly removed its "cool temp" RAD cap. He let the 2.0L engine idle for 15-20 minutes (with gas cap off), then we both looked down "inside" the rad's top opening hole. We could see bubbles floating up - up from its rad fluid. Talk about weird!!! He explained that its head gasket is gone and its sucking air into the engine, then pushing air into the rad's cooling system. Yet, no rad fluid under the vehicle when sitting. If wondering, 3 days later, my wife & I traded that vehicle in. Based on its older age, it wasn't worth a $2,000 head job (with its heads plained down for better contact) repair.

    Hope this helps...

    .
  • wizardonewizardone Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 rondezvous, and wife has stated that the over-heat lite comes on and off, and the heating goes cold. have also had air bag lite come on,and tire preassure lite as well. Took to dealer,and they could find no problem on the computer. took to a electrical place, and he said he could find no problem as well. This is a totally "come and go" problem. Can anyone offer any advice? If there is a wiring problem, shouldn't buick call a recall on these vehicles?. dealer wanted nearly 3k to replace wiring harnesses,what a rip-off. :cry:
  • ray80ray80 Member Posts: 1,655
    If the heater blows warm then cold without any changes to controls I might suspect a low coolant situation, shouldn't be any electrical issue with that. The air bag light may be connection issue (perhaps under the seat) or that and the other light could be an issue with BCM.
  • brucemcgrbrucemcgr Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2005 Buick Rendezvous with the "34" engine. Recently it has developed a problem where the car says it is overheating, the dial runs all the way to "H" the red light comes on, chimes sound and all that. There are no leaks anywhere, and when I pop the hood the coolant reseviour is full and it bubbles. It is NOT bubbling because it is hot. If I pop the cap on the tank and wait about 2 - 3 minutes the coolant finds its way back into the system and off I go. It used to happen just once in a while, but now with the colder weather it happens quite frequently. I will be driving along with hot air in the car, then it suddenly turns cold, the guage will move to "H" Sometimes it will also just go back on its own and hot air will flow again in the car. I replaced the radiator cap so far and that has not helped much. Any thoughts anyone? I want to drive the car again, but am a bit concerned. Again, there are NO leaks in the system anywhere that I can see. Thanks!
  • ray80ray80 Member Posts: 1,655
    Kind of sounds like low coolant or air in system. If coolant was added at some point it 'could' have been low enough to allow air in and system would need to be bled again
  • timtreetimtree Member Posts: 5
    I am looking at a 1999 Camry for my son and I suspect there is a short when ignition is in the off position (or key is removed). When we went to see the car the battery was nearly dead. Owner said it had been started about a week earlier. It was a new battery, owner said her mechanic said it was a faulty battery, he replaced in on warranty.

    I am skeptical that that was the issue.

    Can I check for a short with a multimeter (e.g., remove ground cable and check with an amp meter) or a code reader?

    Thanks,
    Tim
  • timtreetimtree Member Posts: 5
    Navigating this forum is as clear as ...... facebook.

    I am trying to post a question in the Electical forum, how the heck does one do that?

    I've only been using computers every day for work for 24 years so I need some help.

    thanks,
    tim
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Try here:

    Toyota Camry Fuse and Electrical Questions

    Go to the last page of the discussion and you'll find a posting box.
  • agoodman1987agoodman1987 Member Posts: 1
    Have you figured out anything with your car. I have a 2005 rendezvous also and I am having the very same problems. I had taken my car down to the shop and they told me that my exhaust is getting into my coolant and causing my thermostat to shut down and then my car overheats. The thermostat shutting down explains the cold air that starts blowing out of the vents because its not allowing the hot coolant to filter through the car. I was told that I need to have my engine removed and new gaskets put on my car and then they have to have my heads checked for cracks and stuff. I was quoted a starting price of $1500 but they wont know more until they start the work! If you have any other information that might help me could you please email me at [email protected] you and good luck with your car
  • spike99spike99 Member Posts: 239
    When vehicle's temp goes into sudden cycles of extreme hot to extreme cold (even while sitting at a stop light), it's either a sticking thermostat or blown gaskets. If "no air" within the system, then it's a stuck thermostat. If "air" in the cooling system, then it's blown engine gaskets.

    If wondering, one of my previous vehicle's had blown engine gaskets. It took $2,000 to repair / replace its gaskets as well. Thus, their price range of $1500 + taxes is reasonable cost of repair. If getting gaskets replaced, ensure they "plane the flat surfaces" as well. Thus, getting a much better seal. And, to remove any warps - that might have been created from over heating...

    Good luck....

    .
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    agoodman1987,
    Can you please email me your VIN, current mileage, and involved dealer? I would like to look into this further for you.
    Christina
    GM Customer Service
  • brucemcgrbrucemcgr Member Posts: 2
    Sorry to be a bit slow on the response here...I have not been able to figure it out yet either. The car is in the driveway because I cannot afford to have my mechanic go "hunt" for the problem. I know in having it looked at so far that it is not a problem with head gaskets. (Whew!) Everyone who has one of these Rendesvous needs to know that getting at the thermostat to replace it willl take TWO HOURS as a section of the exhaust pipe has to be removed just to change the thermostat. (That is my dilema now as I cannot afford that at the moment) And based on what I have seen in this thread, others with a similar problem, changing the thermostat did not work. It is VERY perplexing what is going on, as after the car warms up ALL the coolant ends up in the resivour (sp?) tank. I would also welcome an inquiry from the GM Customer Service rep! I need help with this one...
  • mrfsramrfsra Member Posts: 3
    On my rendesvous it was the head gasket. On my aztec it was gaskets on the intake manifolds I think. Seems to be a recurring theme.
  • buddo9buddo9 Member Posts: 18
    The problem with the Buick Rendezvous Overheating is from a bad compartment design, The engine sits high and has no breathing room or a place for heat to escape..
    I purchased my 2002 Rendezvous knowing I could fix the problem, the original owner told me replaced a head gasket but it was still running to hot! So much so, it blistered some paint on the hood!
    I fixed the problem by simply cutting an inch away from the rubber seal at the highest point of the hood area.. (1" x 2 feet from center..)
    I've never had a over heating problem since......... Bud Coopersburg PA
  • wizardonewizardone Member Posts: 2
    I had the same problem in 08. took car to a dealer to have fixed. problems still arose thru the years.finally took car to a private mechanic this week.he informed me that one gasket was gone, and they (the dealer mechanic)had left the old gasket under new gasket that was put on.bottom line people,DO NOT TAKE TO DEALER!.these guys are totally incompetant,and it seems all they do is cause more problems down the road..better to find a HONEST private mechanic. dealers do NOT care about what they do,all they want is your money...I would, and I will boycott all dealers from now on. If they can't be honest,and fix the problems the right way, the first time, they need to be put out of business. I am totally disgusted about what we found out on this car,that has been going on for 3 yrs. till now..
  • spike99spike99 Member Posts: 239
    edited March 2011
    IMO - Removing a small area of the rubber seal from the inner hood's upper compartment area is a bad DIY mod. The more I think about it, the more "too risky" comes to mind. This factory rubber seal is used to stop ice / rain from sliding down the windshield, into the wiper arm cavity area, melting and water dropping / draining on TOP of the hot engine. Hot upper engine, water and melting slush / snow in that specific area that contains lots of electrical wires is a very bad combination as well. Too risky in my books.

    Instead of cutting away factory rubber seals (that is used to protect the engine from water / cold slush), perhaps it would be much better to install a low profile air vent on top of the factory hood. Instead of facing its opening forward (like on race cars), simply have its hood opening facing to the rear (to the windshield direction). Thus, natural air flow into the vehicle's front rad, across the engine and "out" this low profile hood vent. And, no factory rubber seals are "cut away" either. If wondering, many hood vents have filter screens. Thus, eliminating (dramatically reducing) water from entering into the hood opening.

    For a few pictures of low profile / afordable hood vent, surf:
    http://www.sourcingmap.com/universal-car-auto-plastic-hood-scoop-air-flow-vent-w- - - hite-p-53666.html

    Note: Instead of installing this low cost hood vent with its opening facing forward, simply install it facing backwards. And if vehicle is driven in super hot climate, install 2 x low cost hood vents instead.

    Also.... Not too sure about "over heating" being only a Buick RDV problem. If you do a google search of "3.4L engine gasket problem", you'll see lots of gasket problems on this specific engine. For example, Venture van, Aztek, GM cars and other Pontiac / Chev vehicles. Some say its the poor gasket materials used in 200-2004, some say its from Dexcool's "too acidic" formula and some say its from a bad design engine. And, some certified mechanics say its from all 3 reasons (regardless of vehicle model). Thus, not too sure if installing a hood vent (to create more air flow / cooling) under the hood is a proactive "fix all" for everyone. I'm sure it will help reduce the risk in super hot climate areas and in all, don't think its a proactive fix-all for everyone (with the older 3.4L engine).

    Good luck with your Buick RDV....

    .
  • spike99spike99 Member Posts: 239
    edited March 2011
    Sorry to hear that it took "that long of time" to identify a head gasket problem within your 2008 RDV vehicle. I do agree that "some" auto dealers are useless. At times, my one GM auto dealer was useless as well.

    For example... My new GM vehicle kept having a dead battery after the vehicle sat for 3+ days. They checked this, they checked that. I kept telling them my vehilce's battery didn't hold a charge after sitting for 3+ days and they kept thinking it was a charging problem. I told them to "park it" for 4 days, remove its battery cables and "let sit". On day 4, they connected its battery cables, turned its key and as predicted, "click - click". Unknown to their belief, the brand new Delco battery wouldn't hold a charge after sitting for 3+ days. And it took 3 x visits for them to realize the customer (me) was right. Man, they should have had a V8 slap in the head thing as well...

    Sorry to mumble on..... I do agree with you. Some GM dealers are useless in even simple diagnoses. Like diagnosing a dead battery. Sad to say but true....

    ---------------------

    If wondering, my wife has a 2nd generation 2003 Buick RDV with 3.4L engine. Unknown to some, this configuration has a high risk of blowing its intake and head gaskets. My local mechanic tells me to drive the vehicle "softly", change its Dexcool every 3 years (instead of every 5 years) and don't pull a trailer with it. If / when its gasket goes, we either fix it or trade the vehicle in. Which ever is a better "cost analysis wise" - at that point in time.

    You might want to implement the same proactive items on our Buick RDV as well. re: Change its Dexcool fluid every 3 years, drive "softly" and don't over stress it (like pulling a utility trailer). So far... No gasket blowing problems on our 2003 RDV....

    Good luck with your RDV.....

    .
  • buddo9buddo9 Member Posts: 18
    Not risky at all`!! ! covered that base when I did it ...
    You only cut half way down leaving the shelf fo drain any water, like any of the older models. I did a test spraying water over the windshield with great pressure, not a drop got on the engine!
    For cars left out doors and ice forming , put a windshield cover over that area.. (Any auto store sells them..)
    My car has been this way for a year and runs pefectly cool now..
    It is the only way! The encine sits in it's own heat and will destory itself..
    The old addage was "Heat destroys engines" Good luck!
    If you cut .. One Foot to the right and left from center will do it.. I could send a photo if you like,, buddo19ATPTDdotnet Bud
  • spike99spike99 Member Posts: 239
    edited March 2011
    Guessing you don't live or drive with snow / ice county and had the opportunity 1st hand to see wiper blades "pull" snow downward - into the wiper blade cavity area. Guessing you've never had to clean that area out with you own hands. Or, see that cavity area ice up so bad, its stops the wipers from returning to their home postion.

    Yes. Heat destroys engines. Adding "more air flow" around an engine is a great idea. However, not too sure if cutting factory rubber seals (instead of safer means like vented hood vents) is a good thing to do. Especially if one lives in snow / ice covered driving condutions - that exists in upper USA regions.

    .
  • carshowpjcarshowpj Member Posts: 4
    edited August 2011
    The same just thing happened to me and my family this weekend. We ended up stranded 200 miles away from home by the head gasket issue. In speaking to a local repair person, he mentioned the Dex-Cool coolant seems to be causing the head gaskets to deteriorate prematurely. His recommendation was to remove all the Dex-Cool coolant and replace it with "regular" coolant.

    I know Buick & GM are a great car company with a long and decorated history, so I'm very surprised they would put a product out that would cause so many problems to the owners and tarter their reputation. I would think they would force the gasket manufacturer or the coolant chemical company to stand behind their product a bit better.

    It costed me over $500 to rent a hotel room, rent a car to drive my family home and to tow my car home. I would of repaired it where it was, but since I was in a different State, I didn't know anybody there nor the repair shops.

    Total repair bill was quoted around $1800 and may go higher. For a vehicle with under 85K miles, this is excessive. I've had many other vehicles over the years and head gaskets have always lasted well over 125K and as high as 200K miles. This is a surprise for Buick.
  • buddo9buddo9 Member Posts: 18
    I went to great lengths to help "all" with overheating problems, ( Which seems to be anyone owning a Rendezvous.. ) The problem is not head gaskets! That is the outcome of the heat problem, Heat is a disaster to any engine!
    The problem is a bad engine compartment design! There is almost no vent above the engine, causing the engine to overheat bathing in it's own "heat chamber"
    I did this as I know about heat related problems in automobiles..
    1> The rubber guard just under the hood near the windshield is approx 2" deep..
    Why? To keep water form rain and whatever off of the engine...
    2> How to remedy this! Cut from the center of that guard one inch deep and one foot to the right and left form center ! A good sharp knife will do!
    3> You will now have a great vent space as most all cars do at that area!
    4? No fear of water getting on the engine as the one inch left will keep the water running off before hurting anything!
    5> After I was done, I sprayed water with as much pressure as I could on the windshield to be sure water is not getting on the engine! NOT A DROP!
    6> I did this to my 2002 and it has not overheated since that process! Two years now! Cool!
  • carshowpjcarshowpj Member Posts: 4
    @ Buddo9,
    I read your previous posting and understand what you're saying, unfortunately it won't help me fix my engine problems now. We've driven our RDV for five years, and now are having overheating issues. If the rubber seal was the issue, I would think the problem would of presented itself prior to five years and 80K miles of daily use.

    In addition to the heat buildup issue you are referring to, the gasket and coolant also have manufacturing or design defects that when put together, are causing the intake gasket to fail. If this was designed properly, there may not be a need to modify the rubber seal you refer to.

    The bottom line lies with Buick/GM, the seal manufacturer and the coolant manufacturer. Someone should step up to the plate and take responsibility for the overheating issues without the consumers having to modify every vehicle produced, or if they want the consumers to re-engineer every car, they should pay us re-engineering fees. (which will never happen.)

    Thanks for your input Buddo9, but my concern now is fixing the car my wife loves to drive on a daily basis (aka, fixing THEIR problem which has now become MY problem.)
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    carshowpj,
    I apologize for your frustrations. Have you taken the vehicle into the dealer? Can you email me with your VIN and contact information so I can look into this further. I look forward to your response.
    Christina
    GM Customer Service
  • scottx360scottx360 Member Posts: 1
    Hi I was hoping that you can send me a photo of what you are talking about cutting the rubber....my e-mail is [email protected]
  • spike99spike99 Member Posts: 239
    edited August 2011
    I agree.

    In 2002/2003, GM did use a different intake gasket. The older version was thin material. The new replacement is much thicker and much better material. Also, Dexcool (GM's specialized anti-freeze) is much better today as well. Back then, Dexcool formula was too acidic (so I've been told). Today's formula is much more "gasket" friendly. GM recommends changing Dexcool every 5 years. My local mechanic recommends changing Dexcool every 3 years. Thus, less damage from its acid. Especially on the older gaskets. Yes. Heat kills. However, using Dexcool used more then 3 years on older intake gaskets kills much more. If wondering, my wife has a 2003 RDV and still on its original factory gaskets - because we change its Dexcool every 3 years and "drive it like a baby". And, its inner hood rubber seal remains factory as well. If I did want to add more hood ventilation, I'd add a $20 plastic hood scoop on its front hood. Thus, allowing proper ventilation - without allowing water / ice into its engine compartment...

    Hope this helps as well...
  • carshowpjcarshowpj Member Posts: 4
    I've been traveling and finally returned to deal with this issue.

    Christina, I will e-mail you the information tomorrow and will look forward to hearing back from you. Thank you for posting up and for trying to help.
  • fer_350zfer_350z Member Posts: 1
    My mom's 2002 Buick RDV just started having overheating problems. As you said it could possibly be that the engine is not being cooled down properly due to the ventilation issue you talked about. Can u send me some pics of the custom cut away you did? I will try that first and then Ill go on to checking the other possible causes for the RDV to overheat.
  • ray80ray80 Member Posts: 1,655
    If your Mom's RDV just started overheating I think you are looking in the wrong direction with the mod. You would be better off correcting whatever the real cause is rather then trying to bandaid something. JMHO
  • spike99spike99 Member Posts: 239
    edited September 2011
    If / when my wife's 2003 RDV over heats, I'd only take the vehicle to my local certified auto mechanic. They would focus on faulty thermostat and they would focus on Intake Gaskets leaking. These are the 2 most common problems on 2002/2003 RDVs over heating.

    The most common reason is intake gasket problems (in the early years of 3.4L engines). Don't believe me? Do a google search using "3.4 overheating" text string. Within the auto repair field, its common knowledge that early 3.4L engines with their older material intake gaskets and Dexcool ATF don't like each other. Thousands and thousands of threads on 3.4L "over heating / intake gasket problems" in GM mini-vans and many other GM 3.4L sedan vehicles as well..... Patterns don't lie. The pattern is NOT lack of airflow under the hood.

    As stated by previous person, get the vehicle inspected by "certified" auto mechanic. Don't be removing hood rubbers - thinking its the Root Cause. Just like I'd only get an electrical certified person to investigate my home's electrical problem - instead of applying something that an uncertified person recommended on the internet.

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  • lov2rendezvouslov2rendezvous Member Posts: 1
    First off let me say....I love, love, love my Rendevous (2002 CXL, 110K miles) but I am not very happy with GM right now. I have never been advised about Dexcool or changing the coolant.
    Up until Monday my car has never had a problem with getting to hot. The temp has been consistant and reliable. For the two years I have owned it, when it is running, the guage sits right to the left of strait up and down (every time, all the time). Then monday it shoots to the top I have a red Engine Temp. Light and the warning bell going off. After having it towed to the shop I find out it has a "Blown Head Gasket", then they start to take it apart and tell me the "Cylinder Heads are Cracked". They are quoting me $2200.00. It does sound like my problem is the DEXCOOL(?) may have ruined the gasket(s). My concern is that I never had a problem with my car getting to hot before this. Any feedback would be helpfull.

    Thanks
  • buddo9buddo9 Member Posts: 18
    Good for ypu,
    Apparently your moter is vented well or this is some more propagada being bounced off of General moters for paid testimonials..... My CXL stayed hot from the day it was purchased! The only way to cure that was to give it a place to breath, ! Vented at the rubber guard near the windshield area! two years now and no problems!
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