Car problems

[Fredkrueger100]

I have a 2008 Buick enclave with about 212,000 miles. The other day I was coming home from work and when I was pulling in the garage I noticed my temperature gauge was a little over where it usually is. It’s usually right at 210. It stayed that way for just a few seconds and then it went back down. I drove it around yesterday and when I got home I let the car sit for about 20 minutes and even revved it up a bunch. It went up to about the same on the gauge and when I would rev the engine it would go back down. I hooked my scanner up and the coolant temp was around 212-217. But it never got higher than that. My coolant was a little higher than what it should be. Do y’all have any idea what it could be?

 

[ttown]

Thermostat?

 

[TANSTAAFL]

When was the last time you flushed and filled your coolant? Also radiators do corrode over time, and it has been a little hotter than usual. The fact it has happened suddenly suggests what @ttown suggested as well.

 

[cowadle]

what temp does it run when on the hwy at 55 mph and above? if it runs cooler or normal at that speed then i would say a fan clutch or ac condenser fan failure. get a new radiator cap with the proper pressure settings.

 

[1911Sooner]

Head gasket?

 

[Shadowrider]

If you are running Dexcool coolant don't let it get low. Some chemical reaction happens when air gets in the block and it can degrade head gaskets, intake gaskets, etc. It reacts with the oxygen in the air. Hopefully they've fixed that by now as it was sometime back that I had to deal with it, but who really knows?

 

[jeepjackazz]

replace your radiator cap with an oe cap, not some junk from oreillys. That jug is the overflow, so its either making to much pressure and forcing it in there, or the cap is weak. Youll spend more testing it, than ya will just replacing it. Cooling fan working on high and low speed? When a/c on?

 

[dlbleak]

If you are running Dexcool coolant don't let it get low. Some chemical reaction happens when air gets in the block and it can degrade head gaskets, intake gaskets, etc. It reacts with the oxygen in the air. Hopefully they've fixed that by now as it was sometime back that I had to deal with it, but who really knows?

And also hyper-rust on parts that are not getting coolant to them. Found out the hard way on our old Tahoe

 

[Chief Sapulpa]

Everything's fine, it's still in the green zone.

 

[Fredkrueger100]

So I forgot to mention some things. My AC does not work at the moment. It blows but it air will not get cold. I hooked a can up and it went into the red. The compressor won’t stay on. This has been this way for about three months. Also, I never let the coolant get low. I check my fluids all the time. The radiator fan was running when I was letting it sit and reviving it up. The last time I had the coolant flushed was about three or four years ago. My water pump went out and so I got it replaced. Then a seal broke and caused coolant to leak so I had that fixed. Then about two weeks later my heater hose and T broke. I had that fixed by another mechanic.

I caught my long time mechanic lying. He tried to tell me my front and rear struts were really bad and needed replaced. What he didn’t realize was I just changed them myself less than a year before this. When I told him that he knew he had screwed up. I just don’t understand why mechanics can’t just be honest. I really wish I went to school and became one. I would be great as I wouldn’t lie and rip people off. Sadly it ain’t just mechanics.

I have noticed a couple of times over the last couple years where my reservoir would be well below the line when it is cool. So I added some coolant to it to get it back up to the line.