3.1 GM overheating

Roadrage

Roadrage

Easily Irritated
The car is a 2003 Malibu ..the car is losing coolant and overheating. I figured head gasket, but there is no coolant in the oil, and it doesn't blow white smoke. The car doesnt overheat everytime it is driven either.I seem to remember there was some odd thing with these cars like the overflow cap or something, but I am not sure. Anyone have experience with these?
 
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yes i do i think its the intake gasket these are notorius for this problem my lumina does this.look at the overflow bottle see if its dark and nasty lookin its an intake gasket for sure. hope this helps you
 
I have been seeing a rash of fan failures on the malibus lately. does the fan turn on. If the engine overheats it can push coolant out of the exspansion tank cuasing issues like this.

It could also be something as silly as air in the cooling system. A clogged radiator or a bad thermostat. Does it overheat while driving at speed or just at idle? when exactly does it overheat ?
 
I filled the car with coolant the only time I saw it, and I made sure to get the air out of the system. After that, I let the car sit and idle for about half an hour and the temp was fine. I noticed that the coolant cap was goofy and didnt want to tighten up very much. The water pump is moving water..not sure how much volume, but it is definitely moving water. The fan...I don't know for sure. I figured the problem was solved after I let it run for a while, it overheated the next day. I will check that when I see the car again.

I am not even sure what the conditions were when it overheated, she just said the car was overheating, and there was almost no coolant in it when I checked.
 
Also common for them to have a bad head gasket and leak out the end of the head or there could be corrision around the water jacket on the head causing it to leak externally. Ive also seen the timing cover leak to.

alot of times it wont leak untill after it is driven and then parked and cooled back down.

ive had a couple that would hold 25psi in the cooling system hot and cold but when you drive it and then let it sit with the pressure guage on it as it cools it leaks like no other.
 
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