Help with my wife's car

[myyellowspec]

My wife has a 99 teg. It always seemed to run a little cold but recently (this is the first winter we have owned the car) it's like it doesn't even warm up. We went on a two hour drive and the needle barely moved from C. I don't know if this is a bad thing or not. Her car is also running like **** and getting awful gas mileage. I am going to do a tune-up tonight but I don't think that has anything to do with it staying cold. I think it could be thermostat or the fact that it has DEX Cool (don't know if that makes a difference or not). Please help. lol.

[EmminoDaGreat]

dexcool=nono

Make sure it has a thermostat, and the fan is not constantly running etc.

[Sneeky Ninja]

I would check the thermostat. If the ecu is always seeing that the car is cold it will make it run richer which is where you are getting the bad gas milage and running bad.

[myyellowspec]

hmm so fluch the coolant ( I thought it was weird that there was GM coolant in there) replace the thermostat (whats 3 bux lol) sounds good to me. Whats the easiest way to flush the coolant at my house?

[StraightSix]

I would get a bucket, or catch can of some sort, and remove the lower radiator hose. That will allow quite a bit of the coolant to drain from both the radiator and the block. Reconnect the hose and fill with water and run the car until it heats up, then drain the system again. Rinse and repeat until you have most of the dex-cool out. Then refill the system with regular coolant and water mixed 50/50.

[myyellowspec]

sounds good to me. I'm going to change the thermostat while im at it. Should I take the old thermostat out before I flush it or put the new one in and flush it?

[myyellowspec]

is there an auto tranny filter for these cars? I feel like such a noob, all I have ever owned are manual cars.

[integra82786]

I would change the thermostat first, then flush so as not to waste brand new coolant.

[scttydb411]

mixing of those two coolants can cause a gel=bad. remove thermostat and flush.

i had a car that did the same thing and the thermostat broke and was as if there was no thermostat instatalled=constant flow of coolant and would never warm up.

[Init2winit]

Thermostat is most likely stuck open. I bet if the car sits and idles for a while, with no air flow, it would probably warm up.

[myyellowspec]

your right^^^ Now the e-brake light is on...but the e-brake is off. I have to rotate the tires anyways so i'm gonna check the connection at the brake. I guess when it rains it pours.

[myyellowspec]

Finally got almost everything done and it's only 6 am lol. Found out that not only was there orange juice in there someone put a super high temp thermostat in it. All of the simple ignition is messed up to but I think thats from it running almost completely cold all the time. Thanks for all of the help.