Car Guys! Help?

[BeardedOne]

That's what it was! Thermostat.

The one on mine was riveted to the antifreeze cap... how did you pop them out?

Interesting. I'd guess: New/Different cap.

On Lincolns (I drove stretch limos and sedans) and Caddys (The hearses, ambulances, and limousines), the thermostat was a seperate part, usually where the top radiator hose coupled to the block. You'd just remove it and tighten the clamps down a little more to allow for the difference in spacing.

The ones I'm used to (Lincolns from '89 - '92 and Caddys far older than that) were much simpler models. I'd actually have to get some hands-on with your model (The car, lady, the car!) to see what it's up to. Sometimes a hammer works as well as a screwdriver in these cases (Ya gotta break it to fix it).

What you're describing sounds more like a pressure release valve. Hit up a bookstore and find a Chilton's manual for your car and model year. Best damn decoder ever published.

[justatransgirl]

Claire:
Some good ideas from the guys.

Without getting too technical, with todays' cars you have to have a scan tool to diagnose most problem.

Check engine lights are primarily for emmission control monitoring the various sensors and when one goes out of parameter it sets a code and lights the CE light. As someone said mileage can trigger it too, though I don't remember if Chevy does this.

I may have missed it in someone's post. But the first thing you need to do since the gas cap is on right, is to read the code and reset it using a scan tool and see if it resets.

Sometimes it can be something as simple as having turned the car on and off real fast causing a flow of unburned fuel into the exhaust.

So check the simple stuff first.

I'm not familiar with the 96 Cavilier, but I had an 85 (OBDI) and the O2 sensors were constant trouble. But they weren't $300, more like $35. Unless they are doing something dumb with the 96 it ought to be able to just be unbolted and replaced.

So how does a t-girl know this stuff? My Chevy broke down on me and cost me $700 for a fuel pump (cause I got ripped off) so I decided to learn how the darn things work and got a college certificate in Auto Technology - most of which I've forgotten...

And now 10 years later, I'm such a lazy weenie and afraid I might break a nail, so I buy a new car every three years so I don't have to deal with repairs...

Giggle,
TS Jamie

[ccg218]

cheap fix.... take your car to Advance Auto Parts or PepBoys and ask them to do an ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC SCAN....say those exact words....they will take a hand held reader out to your car, scan it and take you back inside...then they will print the list of what came out, and what you do is up to you next

[fhsjazztrumpet2]

My 97 Altima would have the check engine light go on and off as the car's OBD computer coded with emissions faults. I replaced the O2 sensor, but it had a leaky intake manifold gasket (which is apparently a problem after time on those cars). I didn't feel like replacing that, so I just left it alone.

It would turn on if I idled for a long time, but if I was driving normally, nothing. If it came on, five or six starts down the road it would turn off and things would be fine again.

[MacShreach]

Ah, yah, remember the coldest days real well.

On the Lincolns and Caddys we just popped the thermostats out. Heat wasn't as hot as it could be, but they rarely overheated and you didn't have to worry about them sticking open or closed.

That's what it was! Thermostat.
The one on mine was riveted to the antifreeze cap... how did you pop them out?

Claire, the item you are describing is NOT the stat but the coolant pressure relief valve. Don't screw around with that, they rarely if ever fail. The stat will be on the outlet side of the water pump under a cover (usually but not always domed), usually fixed with 2-3 bolts but WATCH IT because these bolts can get waisted (thinned) esp if you ever run with water rather than coolant (bad) and if you shear one off in the head you will have the mother's own job getting the end out. (Classic case of a £5 part causing a £1000 repair bill.) If they are studs (threaded bars with a nut on the end) use plenty of release oil, let it work overnight, and use a bit of heat if you have to.

Make sure you get a new gasket with the new stat BTW, the old one will be gubbed.

People used to pop out the stats, B1, but yer showing yer age there. Don't do it unless as a get-home for a car that's boiling up (stat jammed shut.) It was never a good idea, better was to remove the stat part itself and re-insert the restrictor plate. (The flow restriction is designed into the system.) The stat reduces engine warn-up time which is good for emissions and fuel but also reduces wear on the motor as it wears most quickly when cold. In the old days when everybody did 3000-mile oil changes this was less of an issue but nowadays with longer service intervals it's not to be recommended. Stats are very cheap, just replace it.

[memyself]

youcancallmeclaire have a look here, it might help.

o2 sensor info:
www.mr2.com/TEXT/O2_Sensor.html

gen info:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/f150...diagnosis.html

[youcancallmeclaire]

People used to pop out the stats, B1, but yer showing yer age there. Don't do it unless as a get-home for a car that's boiling up (stat jammed shut.) It was never a good idea, better was to remove the stat part itself and re-insert the restrictor plate. (The flow restriction is designed into the system.) The stat reduces engine warn-up time which is good for emissions and fuel but also reduces wear on the motor as it wears most quickly when cold. In the old days when everybody did 3000-mile oil changes this was less of an issue but nowadays with longer service intervals it's not to be recommended. Stats are very cheap, just replace it.

That is exactly what happened on the other car. It kept getting jammed, and causing all sorts of terrible problems, boiling over and whatnot, and all it took to fix it was an $11 part.

[youcancallmeclaire]

I've actually been trying to figure out whether I can build some kind of OBD-II interface.
Even though I have found someplace to buy them for $30... shows how cheap (and geeky) I am..

[whatislove]

Some cheap people who have a bit of experience around cars drop the thermostat in water and heat it up... it opens up around 180 degrees. if it opens it's good.

Not to get too hippyish, but feel your car. Try to imagine the air in the tires, the way the brakes push back at you. The sound of the engine, vibrations, cornering all that leaves and impression on you.

When things change, you can 99% do a test that will give you all the info you need.

Like in your problem before... the temp guage is shooting through the roof... open the hood... is the fan on? is the rad. hot? fan is electric, controlled by a thermo switch and if the rad. is not even hot that means the thermostat isn't passing hot coolant through it. i.e. broke 'stat.

People used to pop out the stats, B1, but yer showing yer age there. Don't do it unless as a get-home for a car that's boiling up (stat jammed shut.) It was never a good idea, better was to remove the stat part itself and re-insert the restrictor plate. (The flow restriction is designed into the system.) The stat reduces engine warn-up time which is good for emissions and fuel but also reduces wear on the motor as it wears most quickly when cold. In the old days when everybody did 3000-mile oil changes this was less of an issue but nowadays with longer service intervals it's not to be recommended. Stats are very cheap, just replace it.

That is exactly what happened on the other car. It kept getting jammed, and causing all sorts of terrible problems, boiling over and whatnot, and all it took to fix it was an $11 part.

[2754tim]

Claire,
Check Your Fluids,Good Trick Is Pull The Fuses,Put Them Back In.Restart The Car.
Tim