I have a 1996 Chevrolet Lumina and I am having to add coolant to the radiator about once every 1-2 weeks because the car's temperature will shoot up 3/4 of the way when the car is driven from a cold start and the gauge will fluctuate from a little over 1/2 back to 1/4. The heat will also stop working when the temperature is around 1/2 or higher, and there won't be any heat at all until the car is moving, after about 5 minutes.
I replaced the water pump and it was fine for about 1 month and it all started again. I haven't seen any water in the oil, so I'm hoping it's not a head gasket.
My brother-in-law suggested it might be the thermostat. A friend of a friend hooked up a pressure tester to the radiator and it held pressure, but he only had it connected for a minute or 2.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 AT 5:13 PM
