02 Tahoe Thermostat Level Fluctuates

Asked by sajidauction Mar 27, 2018 at 11:00 AM about the 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe LT RWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

So my wifes Tahoe that we just BOUGHT and did
pre purchase inspection by Pep boys is either
overheating/fluctuating. So i drove it to work today
and i have at least a 15-20 mile commute + a little
traffic and it never even reached 210.. Once i get to
the exit for my job and pull up to the red light on
the service road it started to creep up a bit.. Light
turns green and i proceed and it comes back down
and stabilizes .. When i bought it and pep boys did
pre purchase inspection all fluids were full .. When
my wife got home yesterday with the truck i
checked coolant level (engine was still hot) it was
right below fill level when cold.. Could use a bit to
top off but not much .. So i doubt its fluid.. No
lihhts or anything coming up on my dash screen or
message center. Why is it doing this? I read on
here by one mechanic posted how to do a quick
thermostat check is when engine is cold and
radiator is full to turn on vehicle and if the
thermostat is fine fluid will not start to move for at
least a few mins .. If its bad fluid will start to move
immediately.. Im just trying to pinpoint the issue.. I
dont want to do fluid change or flush when that is
nowhere the issue .. Dont have $ at the mlmebt to
waste since we just bought this vehicle. Please
help and thanks.

2 Answers

103,205

When the engine reaches operating temperature the thermostat opens and coolant will flow to water pump. If t-stat is bad, it can either be stuck open or stuck closed. If it's stuck open, engine will take longer to reach operating temp (and computer remains in open loop until it does), if it's stuck closed you'll start overheating shortly after engine reaches operating temp. It sounds from your description you run hotter as you slow down or stop, but stay relatively cool at highway speeds. That may indicate a problem with coolant flow - which can be affected by: cooling fans (make sure they are turning on), water pump (could be worn), radiator (could be partially plugged), radiator cap (not holding proper pressure), or a bad t-stat (not staying open when it should). I'd say your cooling system is in need of servicing - drain and flush, replace t-stat, replace radiator cap, check radiator for flow or the very least use an IR thermometer on it when it's hot, to make sure the entire surface is hot and no dead spots. Spotting a weak or bad water pump is a bit of an art form, if none of the above improve flow then replace the pump. Thermostats and rad caps are cheap parts, less than $5-10, and it'll cost you a couple gallons of coolant to replace them, so do that at least (as well as check fans) and see how it runs.

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