you need to have the intake resealed,mine pulled the same stunt a year ago
if there is oil in the coolant system it could be a crack in the intake, a ruined intake gasket, a cracked cylinder head
If you have coolant on the top of the engine it could be a leaky thermostat housing or a leaking intake gasket.
Intake manifold gasket
There is coolant on the ground occasionally. How will I know when the intake manifold gasket is leaking
by "burning coolant" do you mean that there is the smell of burning coolant? or do you mean that your coolant level is constantly needing to be topped off and you don't know where it is going? if you smell burning coolant you have a leak somewhere and its probably dripping onto the exhaust. you need to find the leak. if you are constantly leveling off and there is no coolant leaking under the vehicle it could be a blown head gasket. check your oil for coolant contamination. pull the dip stick and check the color of the oil: dark, almost black in color=good; lite creamy brown (like creamy coffee) =blown head gasket. or it could be a blown intake manifold gasket instead of head gasket. 1996 silverado has a two piece intake manifold, an upper and lower intake manifold.
It is possible that the gasket could leak between cylinders. The overheating and coolant loss would happen if the gasket was failing around the coolant passages.
A good place to look for Coolant Leaks is around the Intake Manifold, as if the engine has recently started to run rough, this could be a definite sign of a bad intake manifold gasket. Unfortunately, the cost of this type of repair at the local Clip Joint can end up costing you $800.
i had the same problem, had tried everything and finally found out that the intake gaskets were prone to leak water around the number 5 cylinder. It would cause the gasket to leak around the intake port and make the engine run ruff. Also do you have a coolant leak and have to keep adding coolant this is were it will be at. hope this helps.
The coolant sensor moniters the coolant temperature. A faulty thermostat could cause the engine to run cool.
If the coolant reservoir can not maintain the proper level of coolant, it is possible the engine could over heat when the level drops.
No, the head gasket is underneath the heads where they mount onto the block. Your intake manifold is bolted to the top of your heads. Some motors have coolant that circulates in the intake manifold ( I don't know what year or make your vehicle is ) so I would check my shop or repair manual. There could be a crack where the coolant flows through your intake manifold or one of the manifold gaskets may need replacing.
a bad head gasket or intake manifold gasket.
If coolant full could be a bad sensor
Bad coolant sensor or faulty wiring to the sensor.
If coolant level is correct - could be a defective sensor
Sounds like the head gasket may be leaking to allow the coolant to get in the oil but it it still sealing well around the cylinders. Yes, lower intake manifold gasket is probably leaking. Very common in 1997 and 1998 models. Good engine, just needs sealed up.
White smoke is coolant in the cylinders. Died and won't restart cause the spark plugs are shorted with coolant. If you keep trying to start it without fixing it you could bend a rod! Most likely it is a failed intake manifold gasket or intake plenum gasket or the intake plenum itself. Don't drive the car cause if it is the plenum leaking coolant into the engine it can fill a cylinder with coolant and do major damage when you try to start it. No way to know for sure which of the three it is without pulling the plenum. If you're pulling that you might as well change the intake manifold gasket too. Could be a bad head gasket
Check your oil and see if coolant has leaked into the engine...A known problem with 3.8L engines are defective intake manifold gaskets that allow coolant into the engine block. Costly repair.
You need to climb up and lean over the engine and run your fingers around the back 2 corners of the intake manifold and see if you get antifreeze on them. They are none for the intake gaskets to leak engine coolant. It is a common problem with the vortec engines. There are also 2 freeze plugs in the back of the engine where the fly-wheel is bolted to the engine that could be leaking engine coolant. There is also a heater core hose that goes into the rear left corner of the intake that could be leaking. The hose fits into a quick disconnect fitting that screews into the intake. It is common for the fitting to leak too,
The coolant leak is pretty cut and dry - you have a leak somewhere. The lukewarm heat (assuming you're referring to the car's heater) could be for a number of reasons. Insufficient coolant could be one of those. Your coolant could be burnt out. It could be a problem with one of your heater hoses. You could have a worn out heater core.
It lowers the boiling point of the coolant It could allow air into the system It could prevent proper coolant circulation
Yes, if the coolant level is low, or the pump is not capable of moving coolant through the heater core.Yes, if the coolant level is low, or the pump is not capable of moving coolant through the heater core.
check your coolant ASAP. If your coolant is low, you see any signs of oil in the coolant, or signs of coolant in the oil you may be losing it to a gasket leak. Have a mechanic check your intake manifold gasket. This is huge problem with the 3.1L engines and can lead to engine failure if not fixed early. Signs of oil in coolant would be stuff floating in the reservoir and muddy colored coolant. Signs of coolant in the oil could be lots of white vapor (water) in exhaust and light tan foamy stuff on the oil fill cap or around the hole for the cap. For no heat, there are other things you could check like your thermostat and water pump but the failed gasket will kill the engine. I only mention this because the heater in my Lumina took 10-15 minutes when it did work and not getting my gasket fixed killed the engine.
It could be multiple problems. check your coolant level, it could also be your Lower intake gasket or even a head gasket.
A leak. You need to see where it is coming from.