Engine won't warm up

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j - 24 Sep 2006 22:41 GMT

This sounds strange, but my car's engine won't heat up. I bought the car new
in 1994 and this problem started a couple years ago. It is a 1994 Corsica
with a 6-cylinder.

A couple winters ago the heater began putting out lukewarm air. I pulled the
PCV valve out of it's hole and noticed milky looking moisture around it, but
the head gasket is not leaking, nor is the moisture getting into the oil.
Obviously, the moisture is coming from the crankcase because the engine is
not heating up enough and it is creating condensation in the crankcase. I
can drive a hundred miles on the highway and the engine absolutely will not
heat up. If I accelerate hard up a hill the temperature gauge will rise, but
when I level out and decelerate it quickly goes back to abnormally cool
again. I replaced the thermostat with a Duralast 195 degree thermostat and
what happened next was weird. After replacing the thermostat I started the
car and watched the temperature gauge (the gauge works) and the gauge went
three-quarters of the way up (like it did when the car was new), then fell
when the thermostat opened (like it did when the car was new), and the
heater put out good heat until I shut the engine off and restarted it. Once
I restarted the engine, the engine absolutely would not heat up again, the
temperature gauge stayed VERY low and the heater would not put out more than
lukewarm air. Thinking that the new thermostat was defective, I replaced it
with another new one rated at 195 degrees. It did the exact same thing that
the first one did- the engine heated up and the heater put out hot air until
I shut off the engine and restarted it. After I restarted the engine, and
every time thereafter, the temperature gauge stayed very low and the heater
put out lukewarm air. For some reason, I went and bought a third thermostat
and installed it. The exact same thing happend again. The third new
thermostat caused the engine to heat up but would not do it ever again once
the engine had been shut off and restarted.

I have replaced the water pump and flushed the radiator and heater core with
no results. This car's engine absolutely will not get hot. (except during
the summer it did) Does anyone have any suggestions as to what is causing
the problem? I might mention that my EGR valve went bad a few months ago and
I plugged the hole beneath it with gasket material to avoid spending almost
300.00 for a new one, but I don't think the EGR valve would have anything to
do with the engine running cold. Thanks.

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Lawrence Glickman - 25 Sep 2006 01:09 GMT

>This sounds strange, but my car's engine won't heat up. I bought the car new
>in 1994 and this problem started a couple years ago. It is a 1994 Corsica
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
>300.00 for a new one, but I don't think the EGR valve would have anything to
>do with the engine running cold. Thanks.

=============================================================

Before you spend any more money and time, pull the thermostat and see
if it opens at 195 degrees on the kitchen stove in a pot of water.
Hot water. Use an infrared thermometer, and you should see it open,
and when you put cold water in there or ice cubes, it should close.
You can see this. It is mechanical. Wax melts and hardens, melts and
hardens, this is what opens and closes the t-stat.

This is step 1. If you don't do this, there is no further suggestion.

Lg

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nanook - 25 Sep 2006 21:21 GMT

I had the same issue with my pick up. it turned out that the
thermostat gasket wasn't holding up and water was getting around it.
once I changed it and put a thin film of RTV on it, top and bottom, it
would seem to work fine for a day or two...but inexplicably, it would
fail again...

upon further review, I compared the old thermostat housing neck to a
new one, and the old one had a small edge that was cutting the gasket,
allowing it to leak around the 'stat. so I replaced the gasket and
housing and no problems since.

the new housing was a lot thicker all the way around and cast/milled
completely different.

truck is an 89 Chevy F/S with 4.3L V6.

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sonofadocker - 25 Sep 2006 21:52 GMT

I have a Lumina now (1997) with 113,000 miles. Sold the last one (1995)
with 302.000 miles on it.
The gauge on either car never moved.. once in awhile it would run half
way up if i got stuck in traffic. I spent a good deal of money having
things changed and nothing helped. Actually i think the cold running
car made it possible to go to 300k with no tranny change or blown head
gaskets.

In the winter i put card board in front of the grill and the temp gauge
reads in the middle and the car is ok heat wise inside.

use cardboard and maybe you will get to the 300k mark with the original
tranny and engine.

you know they both fail due to excessive heat............

sonofadocker.

> This sounds strange, but my car's engine won't heat up. I bought the car new
> in 1994 and this problem started a couple years ago. It is a 1994 Corsica
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
> 300.00 for a new one, but I don't think the EGR valve would have anything to
> do with the engine running cold. Thanks.

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sdlomi2 - 25 Sep 2006 22:29 GMT

Signature

Please Note New address
daniels_sam@bellsouth.net

> This sounds strange, but my car's engine won't heat up. I bought the car
> new
[quoted text clipped - 50 lines]
> to
> do with the engine running cold. Thanks.

Had same problem w/3800 Bonneville. Neighbor told us it had a heater
problem as we were buying it. Cut a t'stat gasket from 'stock' w/center
diam. small enough to hold the t'stat down & solved the problem. Maybe a
newer-designed neck would've worked, as stated by another poster above: the
neck circumference was bigger than the stat outer flange & allowed stat to
'float' & allow water to bypass it. HTH, s

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j - 26 Sep 2006 01:20 GMT

The thermostats that I have installed while trying to solve this problem are
the type that have a built-in rubber gasket around them. I'll try a
thermostat that requires a separate gasket and see what happens.

> This sounds strange, but my car's engine won't heat up. I bought the car new
> in 1994 and this problem started a couple years ago. It is a 1994 Corsica
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
> 300.00 for a new one, but I don't think the EGR valve would have anything to
> do with the engine running cold. Thanks.

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TeGGeR® - 26 Sep 2006 01:38 GMT

> The thermostats that I have installed while trying to solve this
> problem are the type that have a built-in rubber gasket around them.
> I'll try a thermostat that requires a separate gasket and see what
> happens.

I assume you're using aftermarket thermostats. Is there a possibility the
thermostat is fitting poorly or is not correct for the engine, and is
hanging up on something and not closing again after it opens? Is it binding
on the thermostat housing?

Are you installing it correct way around?

What happens when you try an OEM thermostat from a GM dealer?

Signature

TeGGeR®

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sdlomi2 - 26 Sep 2006 03:43 GMT

> The thermostats that I have installed while trying to solve this problem
> are
[quoted text clipped - 60 lines]
> to
>> do with the engine running cold. Thanks.

J, where you said, "The thermostats that I have installed while
trying to solve this problem are the type that have a built-in rubber gasket
around them" : This is just the type I encountered in the 3800
Bonneville--and it made no difference if I used GM's or after-market, as
they were identical in diameter. That gasket you mention is more like a
"square-rather-than-round" o-ring with an internal groove for the t'stat
flange to fit into, right? Something's gotta hold it in place to stop
any floating which then allows water to flow around, rather than thru, it.
Bear in mind, I don't have THE answer--they worked fine when new! But later
on they began to float. Why??? Maybe at the factory they were glued to
their base(?), because there's no way the neck will hold the flange down and
on its seat. But I did find AN answer, which I still do not like due to its
'rigging' connotation. Gave my dad heat in his B'ville for several years,
tho'.
PLEASE email me if you find THE answer. Need to know 'cause I still
spin a few wrenches! >> daniels_samatbellsouthdotnet << Don't forget the
'underline' between 1st two names. s

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TeGGeR® - 26 Sep 2006 04:03 GMT

> J, where you said, "The thermostats that I have installed while
> trying to solve this problem are the type that have a built-in rubber
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> in place to stop any floating which then allows water to flow around,
> rather than thru, it.

My Integra has that sort of design. The gasket/O-ring compresses slightly
when you tighten the thermostat housing down. Doesn't the OP's work the
same way?

Signature

TeGGeR®

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sdlomi2 - 26 Sep 2006 04:47 GMT

>> J, where you said, "The thermostats that I have installed while
>> trying to solve this problem are the type that have a built-in rubber
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> when you tighten the thermostat housing down. Doesn't the OP's work the
> same way?

Hey Tegger, the one on the 3800 would not compress, as the neck diam.
was bigger than the t'stat flange *including* the ring's circumference.
Poor design--maybe if a neck with a smaller i.d.??? s

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Steve Walker - 27 Sep 2006 05:12 GMT

> This sounds strange, but my car's engine won't heat up. I bought the car new
> in 1994 and this problem started a couple years ago. It is a 1994 Corsica
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
> 300.00 for a new one, but I don't think the EGR valve would have anything to
> do with the engine running cold. Thanks.

Are you bleeding the ait out of the system? 3.1's have a special coolant
refill procedure.

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Steve Walker
fusion640@verizonwallet.net (remove wallet to reply)

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