FireInMe17

Alright guys, since it seems that the other forum that I am trying to use to troubleshoot my car is dead, I am back! Been quite awhile since I posted in this board since I swapped the V6 out of my Camaro about 4 years ago, but my question is still about the LH0 3.1L V6.

So the "Camaro" is overheating. I just replaced the thermostat, coolant temp sensor, the car has a newer radiator, and it is fully full off dexcool 50-50. As you may know, the fans are set by the factory to come on at 224 degrees, but in my case, by the time that happens, its a run away, and the only way to get the car cooled is to get it moving. This is a problem because I am driving the car in heavy stop and go traffic on I80 in New Jersey during the rush hour.

So how common is water pump failure on the LH0 3.1? It seems to be functioning, but it is hard to tell. With the cap off, the overflow tank has flow when the thermostat is open, but I am just not sure without spending money and tearing things apart. (This car is my daily driver)

Could it be as simple as a worn out belt? Or do I need to start digging?

I did take a trick out of the third gen Camaro playbook and made a makeshift air dam to force air through the radiator. Any ideas or stories to tell about your experience with a hot 3.1 would be greatly appreciated guys!

drdave88

iTrader: (3)

I see you mentioned you're using dexcool. If the green stuff was not COMPLETELY flushed out of the system before putting dexcool in, then you may have blockage somewhere.

If it was a belt, you'd likely hear it squealing as it slips on the pulley. How does it look though, cracked and/or glazed?

FireInMe17

Belt is slightly glazed, but not bad. Going to replace it tonight. If that doesn't fix it, I'll try a cooling system flush.

maroe624

Even in heavy stop and go traffic my temps go up to the 245 and then the fans kick on and my temps go down instantly. I have never had issues with my 3.1 overheating. 190 t-stat. You have another issue . Make sure you install a proper air-dam and not miss any bolts. In my case I have a manual fan switch so I can also turn my fan on whenever I want. Whenever I uncap my radiator the coolant is motionless. As long as your temps go down you dont have any major issues. I would lean towards the install of an air-dam first not a makeshift one.

FireInMe17

Well in this case the car is a Beretta with a 3.1L LH0, so it does not have nor was it fitted at the factory with an air dam. I came here because of the extensive knowledge that the board members have with these old beasts.

I brought my infrared thermometer home from work and monitored the temps of the upper and lower radiator hoses tonight. It is cooler here today (60 degrees) and the car was able to cool itself down with the fan and actually operated at 195 degrees for quite some time. But then it will just run away and temps will increase from 195-245 in minutes. Once the fan came on, it turned off at 210, and repeat cycle. Quick temp increases followed by factory fan settings not cooling it down enough, in my opinion. With the A/C running and forcing the fan to come on, after a few minutes the lower radiator hose was holding around 165 degrees and the upper was running around 185.

So the system appears to be working as it should, it just runs away so quickly, and while I was doing this, I was making notes of where the gauge cluster said the temps were with what my thermometer was reading. The gauge does not have numbers on it, its only for reference, but with a little bit of imagination, I can see that the temps were well above 250 degrees and were there for quite some time on the day in question that prompted me to take to the forums.

The 3.1 LH0 in my Camaro never had this problem, even when for a short time that I didn't have an air dam (Lost it on the road) and in 100 degree weather.