Coolant not flowing from resivior...and got a check engine light.

[socalsilverRL]

...So, I finally got my car back from the dealer on friday, and they fixed the I/C wiring (backwards) and the radiator (broke). But I think they did somthing wrong, when I first looked at the car after they finished, the filler neck next to the radiator, was bone dry...I asked him why, and he said that it was normal because the radiator was still burping out all the air...so, after I got home, I filled the resivior with more dex-cool, turned the engine, opened up both caps, and nothing...all the fluid flowed back into the main res, but not into the filler neck...tried a few times trying to bleed off the air, to no avail, even tried leaving the main res. cap on and taking off only the filler neck, and still nothing...
So i grabbed the brake bleeder to see if there was somthing clogging the filler neck, and coolant flowed right up into the neck with only -10psi, so no worries about clogs/kinks there. So I decided to fill it at the fill neck, and after cranking the engine, it all sucked back to the main res. So, now the main res is almost full to the brim and the filler neck next to the radiator is still bone dry. LAME! ...guess its back to the shop AGAIN!!!

...Oh, and for the second time, I got a 'check Engine' light as I was idleing at a rest stop (in the desert) w/ the AC on...I guess that the engine started to bounce between 500 and 1500, leveled out @1100, and then got the Check engine light. It was on for two days, and I checked everything to see what could be wrong, nothing. I went to get it scanned, but on the way to Auto Zone the car decided to f-ck with me and turn off the check engine light. At least this time I got pics to prove it to the tech.
My head is about to do this===>

[mgm1979]

There radiator and intercooler systems are separate...the filler neck at the center/front of the car is the IC and the BIG resevoir is the radiator - totally independent of each other.

If the IC truly ISN'T flowing though, the pump could be fried. Mine was, after they fixed the wires, so they ordered up a new pump and put in there - good as new!

Your idle issue sounds like the usual rough idle issue w/AC on - welcome to the club.

[socalsilverRL]

The I/C and the radiator are connected, I can assure that...I tried filling at the filler neck, and it flowed back to the main res.

[mgm1979]

Originally Posted by socalsilverRL

The I/C and the radiator are connected, I can assure that...I tried filling at the filler neck, and it flowed back to the main res.

Dunno what you did/saw to verify that, but:
Cooling System Info & Details...

When we pulled all the IC coolant lines, NONE of them were connected to the
big surge tank you speak of...engine coolant and IC coolant ARE, in fact, individual systems. Both systems are under DIFFERENT pressures - 5psi for IC and 15 for the radiator.

[rlinbatonrouge]

Agreed about seperate systems. There is actually a completly different way to fill the s/c cooler system.

[socalsilverRL]

Ok...I dunno what that thread was getting at, but. Maybe WOP can verify that. The I/c has to be connected, when I sucked the coolant into the fill res, it lowered the level of the main res. Then, visa versa, when I filled up the filler neck, 3 times, it appeared to be full, but when I turned over the engine, and it all went to the main res. If they were not connected then why is the main res full, when I never filled the main res.

[mgm1979]

Originally Posted by socalsilverRL

Ok...I dunno what that thread was getting at, but. Maybe WOP can verify that. The I/c has to be connected, when I sucked the coolant into the fill res, it lowered the level of the main res. Then, visa versa, when I filled up the filler neck, 3 times, it appeared to be full, but when I turned over the engine, and it all went to the main res. If they were not connected then why is the main res full, when I never filled the main res.

LoL - 2.5 qt capacity for the IC and whatever the radiator one is...they're SEPARATE/independent systems. Don't know about your little "full" issue, but we all know the levels of those things are changing constantly depending on pressure and engine temps. Like I said, when I was trying to get the icebox together (now just a resevoir for the IC), we pulled all the lines for the entire system and followed the lines for the radiator. They don't flow through each other - although, that might not be a bad idea...didn't think to try that.

The mere fact that both systems are under different pressures tells you there separate - 5 for the IC and 15 for the engine/radiator. You can't have two different psi levels on the same system without some sort of pressure relief valve, and I KNOW GM didn't put one of those in there...they fail ALL the time - in the aviation world anyway.

[socalsilverRL]

werd...I'll check again when I get home...Im sure you guys know more than me, but I find it wierd that the coolant keeps disappearing. And, the main res seems to be gietting fuller and fuller. When I first got it back, the main res was almost empty, then when I filled at the neck, the main res started to get full...starting to hate the service down time on this damn car...maybe Ill trade it in on a SS w/ g85, they do have that 0% for 72mos, I couldnt imagine making more payments on this damn car.

[TheWastedYears]

So... you think getting a ricier version of the same car will make things better?

Just stick it out. Eventually, you'll get everything taken care of.

[socalsilverRL]

sh-t at the rate this car is going...ill get the sky RL by the time the thing has all the bugs worked out...