2006 Sierra Temp Concerns

[gadawg31]

Hey everyone,

I am in need of some help, to hopefully minimize my repair bill. I have a 2006 GMC Sierra Crew, with 4.8L v8, auto trans, 2 wheel drive. This morning I noticed that my temp was reading around 205-210 only a few minutes after I stared the truck. The weather here is low 70's, so no real hot or cold temps to deal with. I thought it was mighty quick, so I checked the coolant and noticed that there was only a small amount in the reservoir. I drove onto work, around 12miles and when I came out this afternoon, the reservoir was up around the "Fill here when cold" line. I came on home and ran around town a little, after sitting a while at home (approx. 2-3hrs) the temp went right back up to around 210 and I watched the fluid in the reservoir drain out as the motor ran. Water pump was replaced approximately 50,000 miles ago, could this be a water pump issue or possibly a thermostat? Any ideas on where I should start trouble shooting? Any and all suggestions are appreciated. The closest dealer to me is about 60 miles, so I would like to somewhat narrow down if possible.
Thanks
JD

 

[vanhuntt]

It could be an issue with your thermostat, or a cracked head or bad head gasket causing you to lose coolant. From what i've seen from other vehicle owners, they usually have to replace the gasket. I suggest you also have a trusted technician take a good look. Hope your problem gets fixed.

 

[98trck]

start with the simple things
replace the radiator cap with a good quality one
flush the coolant system
make sure your radiator hoses are not collapsing restricting coolant flow on the suction side of the pump
replace thermostat
thermostats now days are designed if they fail they stick open( old days they stuck closed) and that will cause the engine to run on the hot side because the coolant flows so fast thru the engine that it doesn't have the time to absorb and remove the heat
if and when you flush the system look in the radiator does it look clean or ugly maybe you need to have the radiator rodded out or replaced