the trick of raising the front end is used on vehicles that have a point in the cooling system higher than the radiator filler neck.
We've used it on vans when needed.

 

call me a newb...but what exactly is the radiator filler neck??? i've always filled the radiator through the radiator cap....n filled the reservoir....is the rad cap the rad filler neck??? i haven't really looked into the 3rd gen as much....so you can rag on me if you'd like.....

 

the rad cap is on the filler neck.

 

ahhhhh....ok........thanks!!!!!

 

 

i know..i deserved it...i'll ban myself for a few hours..

 

hit up my itrader before you go..

 

so i picked up a used coolant overflow assembly at the wrecker today off a gxe with the abs, put it all on, of course i wasnt expecting heat or anything just cus of this, i put in about an inch and a half of coolant in the res, the rad is still topped up when i checked it, still getting hardly any heat, only when driving, so i guess i should do the thermostat again and bleed the **** out of it with the car on an incline? if that dont work ill start it on fire and enjoy the heat...lol..im kidding i really do love this car..lol

 

i don't think that its you're thermostat. they're usually made to fail open...and in case it is failed and stucked closed...there should be no coolant going to the engine and will overheat...which would give you heat while your idling. If you are stuck open....you should get more heat while you're not moving since the engine will get cooler while you move because it will be air cooled. at least thats what happened in the 4th gen....

Do you see your engine temp guage go up or down while you drive and while you get heat and then no heat?? since you're getting heat while you move..the temperature gauge should be in the middle (normal) temp. If you are not getting heat, means that the temperature should be below the middle (cold)

greeny..i'll hit it up tomorrow..lol...forgot all about it...hahahaha

 

yeah i replaced it with another stock cap (12 psi i think). same thing....won't not keep air out. replaced it with a 16 psi and now i always have heat.

Oh yeah, what I noticed was with the 2 psi cap if i bled the system and made sure all the coolant levels were good, the next day the overflow would be way over filled and the radiator was low. Seemed like the cap would purge out fluid but not let it back in.

 

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if they help

 

safe spot to change radiator/drain fluid? I hear radiator fluid kills cats, and they are attracted to the scent...Im not a cat fan but I hate for animals to die because of human ignorance. My dad has a pea gravel driveway...I was thinking to do it there sine all the fluid will drain through the rocks fast. I really don't want to have a shop do all this work for me since I can do it but am unsure about where to drain the fluid. Thanks again guys.

 

try to catch everything in a five gallon bucket, and take it to a shop for recyciling. most places will take it for free

 

still, try another new stock (13psi) cap. the little metal valve in the middle of the cap is the return valve. make sure it isn't sticking. my heater core started leaking last week on a 13psi cap.. i bet it would have been leaking about a year ago if it'd been on 16psi for an extended period of time.

 

No the gauge doesnt move around when i stop or drive or get heat and than none, though it doesnt sit right at half either, just before half is where it sits

 

for 5 years mine will never go higher than halfway. It always sits just a nudge below half. except when cold and warming up of course. My radiator has a slight crack for 6 months now, and ever since I have had the bubbling sound behind dash when I shut car off. But the temp gauge still operates as it always has. The cooling system on the 3rd gen is pretty damn good IMO. I've drove for 7 hours straight on the freeway. stopped once for gas/**** and an extra stop for another **** break. The temp needle never wanted to go over half. Got 29mpg that trip .

 

ya i think its good to, just a ***** to bleed, my buddy is gonna put it up on the hoist sometime this week and bleed it on an incline, hopefully that will fix everting