2000 LS v8 overheating problems

T

tebo

Registered
I've been having overheating problems with my LS for about a month or so now. It happens every time I go somewhere, once the engine get to regular temperature the fan will get louder and the temp gauge will go up, although most of the time it will go back down. The engine does not seem to be overheating, although I could be wrong.

I have heard many things from many people as to what could be the problem. The main mechanic that I go to seems to think it is the ignition coils, so we replaced all of them on the left side, still didnt fix the problem, so he suggested we move them to the other side, still did not fix it. He said that 2 of them were going bad and he could not find out which 2 those were, but he seems very persistant that this is the issue.

I have also heard thermostat, thermostat sensor, fans, bubble in the cooling system, etc. I have no idea what to do and who to ask for help because I am getting a different answer from every person I go to. If anyone else had this problem I would like to know what fixed it for you, or any suggestions as to what road to go down next would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
We first need to know what has been done to the car lately? Have you done anything with the cooling system at all? Where is the coolent level in the overflow bottle now? When cold, when hot....

Has the CEL come on at all? What were the codes, if so? Auto Zone will pull codes for you at no charge....let us know.
 
I don't understand how bad coils would cause that.

I don't know anything about the LS, so I'm talking just from other vehicle experience.

I would start with the "bubble" make sure you are filling as your manual says. Do you have a crossover tube like the Mark?

Second I would change the T-stat. I'm not sure what a t-stat sensor is.
 
budpytko said:
We first need to know what has been done to the car lately? Have you done anything with the cooling system at all? Where is the coolent level in the overflow bottle now? When cold, when hot....

Has the CEL come on at all? What were the codes, if so? Auto Zone will pull codes for you at no charge....let us know.
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nothing has been done to the cooling system at all. The check engine light does come on. I'm going to go to autozone and check what the code is. Also i haven't checked where the coolant level is when hot/cold, but i will do that as well and report back with my findings.

the mechanic who is persistent on it being the ignition coils has offered to put the t-stat in for free, since the previous work did not fix the problem. I'll be getting that done on monday. should i have him flush the coolant as well?
 
alright the coolant level when the car isnt hot is right about at the "min" mark, when the car is hot is right below the halfway mark. And i was wrong the CEL is not on, it was on before i had my mechanic replace the ignition coils.

also, before i took it to my mechanic the engine temp gauge would go all the way up and stay up, then it would check engine temp, and reducing engine power. But ever since that mechanic did all that work the temperature will go up and then go back down, never reaching the top. any suggestions??
 
Do a search thru this LS forum...it seems to me I have read (from a LONG time ago) something about what you are experiencing.
 
tebo said:
The main mechanic that I go to seems to think it is the ignition coils,
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Thats odd....most people would start by checking the cooling system, not the ignition system. If they coils were bad, you'd have a running issue more than a cooling issue, but if you continued to drive it with bad coils, it would run sluggish and would get hot because you were pushing it too hard. The fact that your mechanic just replaced one side because he couldn't figure out which one was bad is just wrong. On new cars, if a coil is bad, you pull the codes or look at the scanner and it tells you EXACTLY which one is bad.

tebo said:
But ever since that mechanic did all that work the temperature will go up and then go back down, never reaching the top. any suggestions??
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This is after he replaced the thermostat? This is what it is supposed to do, as long as it doesn't go too much higher than 1/2 way before coming back down. Basically, the thermostat doesn't open until around 180-200 degrees. 1/2 way on the temp guage is probably 200-210 degrees. The engine will warm up to 180-200, showing 1/2 on the guage, then the thermostat will open causing the temp guage to drop down because it just let all the cold coolant into the engine. It will then heat up slower to the 1/2 way mark and shouldn't go any higher unless you're running the A/C and/or its 100+ degrees outside.
 
you need a new mechanic - NOW! i wouldn't trust that guy with a skateboard. as for your problem - take it to a dealer and run some codes, quit guessing and messing around with this fool - the more you drive your car in this condition, the more risk you run of causing a much larger issue.
 
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