Need help with non LS1 car, stumped??

[blackSS01]

To make a long story short, I have a 93 Corsica with the 3.1 V6. Just bought it yesterday 140,954 miles. The problem is no heat and the temp gauge will go up near overheating but never acually to overheating. I have replaced the thermostat, flushed the heater core, obv. check the fluid level, bleeded the system multible times and to no avail. I can get luke warm for a minute or two, or I get the warmest of air when the throttle is partially down. I am puzzled. Also to add, the radiator res was hot to the touch, and the main hose was hot to the touch but the radiator was cool, only thing I can think of is a plug some where. Any help would be appreciated.

[z28punk]

flush the radiator and see if that helps.

[blackSS01]

I was thinking of that, but if the radiator was pluged how would it be cool and the hose running out of it to the motor be hot. It doesn't make any sense to me. I would leave it but these Wisconsin winters are usually not that warm.

[Silver Streak]

I was thinking of that, but if the radiator was pluged how would it be cool and the hose running out of it to the motor be hot. It doesn't make any sense to me. I would leave it but these Wisconsin winters are usually not that warm.

I can vouch for that.. lived there for 25 years...

[1MileCrash]

is the water pump actually moving fluid? have you checked to see if the temp sensor is bad?

[86 IROC-Z]

Make sure the water pump is working, and that the correct one is installed (eg, pumps the water the right direction).

[0rion]

my money would be on a plugged radiator from the sounds of it. It's cool because no water, or very little, is flowing through it. That's the same way I always check for a plugged heater core, if one hose is hot and the other is cold there's no water circulating.

[LETHALxLS1]

^ I agree

[Knighthawk LS1]

my money is on water pump.

[0rion]

my money is on water pump.

very well could be but usually a water pump will leak at the weep hole first and if it wasn't pumping anything I would assume the car would peg the temp gauge. You still may be right because I'm assuming wisconsin is pretty damn cold right now and it'd take a long time to peg the gauge probably. I would just first check that radiator.

[Knighthawk LS1]

very well could be but usually a water pump will leak at the weep hole first and if it wasn't pumping anything I would assume the car would peg the temp gauge. You still may be right because I'm assuming wisconsin is pretty damn cold right now and it'd take a long time to peg the gauge probably. I would just first check that radiator.

start cheaper then work your way up....My blazer would nearly over heat, cool down and repeate through out the day, new water pump cleared it up. but it didnt have same symtoms as the car we are talking about

[rapter34]

ahhh Wisconsin -15F with -40F wind chill, ice, rain, snow. then 90+ summers. I love this state. to bad my baby has to sleep for 4 Months

[blackSS01]

Its not leaking out of the weep hole, today I am going to try flushing the radiator. I will keep my progress posted. Thanks for the info, I hope it isn't a water pump.

[transamprincess98]

My money is on the water pump also. Had a 3.1L Beretta do the same thing. Pump wasn't leaking and took a total crap at 80 mph on the highway. Lucky I was 1/4 mile from where I needed to be.

[86 IROC-Z]

My money is on it had a third gen motor swap.

[transamprincess98]

My money is on it had a third gen motor swap.

2.8 & 3.1 worse then turd gens about overheating

I had both