Took the 92 out yesterday the weather was hot! everything was fine, or so I thought. When I pulled into the driveway the car smelt hot like never before and I seen steam coming from the passenger side, so opened the hood and seen water squirting out of the clear recovery tank by the right fender. It was too hot to mess with so then noticed coolant dripping from around the black coolant fill tank but couldn't see where from, anyway when the boiling stopped their was a big puddle of coolant under the black fill tank but still couldn't see where the leak was, am thinking and hoping its only a hose but haven't had time to check.

fwiw............when I bought the car had it inspected in a vette shop, their were couple minor things but nothing serious or re cooling issues, the other day I was ata vette friends garage and we removed/cleaned the "Idle air control valve"
then reinstalled it and had to add coolant and thought everything was fine, but maybe it wasn't.

 

A PROPER FILL procedure is REQUIRED when filling up this system.

He probably did not do it correctly..and you had an air pocket...which can cause it to run HOT due to NO COOLANT was touching the thermostat...which CAN NOT open if it does NOT have coolant touching it.

Or you have a problem at the black expansion tank and thus...the system could not build pressure and you lost a lot of coolant and thus it also ran hot due to coolant could not touch the thermostat.

DUB

 

very interesting and thanx for the reply! so How can I get this right? plez explain

 

I'm no expert in this field as my Vette is an 88 but what DUB says makes complete sense as I had a cooling problem not long ago. The coolant tank has to be at the measurement mark and it shows hot and cold. If you had a coolant "fart" in the system, water cannot get to the thermostat, so it needs to be burped. After it cools, I would inspect the coolant tank as a starter, and then if it is okay, trace backwards and check hoses and check the radiator cap. My tank is a white "plastic" and after so many years they will deteriorate so replacement may be in order. This may or may not help but it's at least a starting spot.
Good luck!
Tommy

 

Check the radiator cap, it was the culpert of all my coolant issues! Don't get a cheap one, get the correct GM one for your year.

 

I am the friend. We had drained the radiator so we could remove the throttle body to get at the IAC. After putting it back together I filled the system, opened the bleed valve and had coolant only coming out. I closed the bleed valve and we ran the engine. With the radiator cap off I completely filled the pressurized tank and then put the cap on. We ran the car until it got hot and then went to lunch.
After a good lunch of Thai food we returned to my garage, I checked both the pressurized tank and the overfull tank. Both were full. Nothing was leaking. Dan then left.

 

in my own experience, even using the bleeder screw, it took four or five cycles to throughly purge all the air from the system; as a side note, I had a leak in the same general area, it was a crack in the plastic check valve inline with one of the heater hoses that runs under the black expansion tank, it didn't leak all the time but every now and then it would open enough to spray some coolant, which in my case, hit the exhaust manifold and turned to steam. when I first noticed it, the hood was closed and it looked like smoke; thought I had a fire.

 

Seems fine to me....except...when I am filling a system....and got the steams of coolant mix to come out of the two bleed fittings...I do not have to add more coolant once I get the expansion tank filled. I might add a little bit when air comes out into the expansion tank when it is running...but I am not like adding a half gallon. I as not there so I do not know how much was in the expansion tank when it was started and if the coolant got sucked down and possibly pulled air into the system.

You are aware that there is also another bleed fitting???? On some models it is on the throttle body also...on the underside facing forwards towards the radiator....and it is in the housing that has the small hose that goes to the upper radiator hose with the large 'T' fitting.

Also...the small hose that comes off the top of the radiator...that goes to the expansion tank. When the engine is running..I look down in the expansion tank when it is running and verify that it is a good stream of coolant. Which is why I left it a little bit low on coolant mix during the initial filling phase and then add a little bit more coolant when it is running...I left it a tad low so I can verify that this hose is flowing coolant.

I also remove the ends of this hose assembly and make sure that it will flow through it. So at the rear of the engine on the right side...the expansion tank and then the top of the radiator. I ASSUME NOTHING. I have had so many that have gotten block up and caused coolant heating issues.

The cooling fans should be coming on...so you may have an issue there. If they do come on and the temp does not drop...you more than likely have leaves and crap blocking the front face of the radiator...which is a common issue.

Hopefully a coolant mix was added and NOT straight coolant.

Verifying the quality of the coolant with a tester is wise. I always do....along with using my coolant pressure tester and checking the system before I crank it to verify it will hold at least 15 psi for about 1/2 hour. Then I check the radiator cap...like was previously mentioned...and YES...buy your cap form GM. I think ti is a RC-27 15psi closed system cap....MUST be a closed system cap.

I can write from EXPERIENCE....that you can have a coolant system leak that will not show up as any coolant leaking...due to the leak is high up on the system. So the system does not hold pressure....and it will slowly 'steam out'...until WHAM..it gets smoking hot.....due to my previous comments on the thermostat can not open if it is not having coolant contact it.

DUB

 

Tommy,

This white reservoir you are referring to is for coolant overflow. And NOT the way to add coolant into the system. This reservoir is an important part of the coolant system...but if adding coolant into this reservoir and expecting it to get sucked into the engine when it cools, after being driven and getting hot and building pressure,etc... can be futile and possibly damaging to the engine.

DUB