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A worn water pump is the most likely. If the coolant is going down, the water is going somewhere.
The most common reasons an Oldsmobile Alero is overheating are a coolant leak (water pump, radiator, hose etc.), the radiator fan, or a failed thermostat. Coolant leak (water pump, radiator, hose etc.)
You really do need to burp the radiator after replacing it, but that should make the A/C not work. I suspect there is a connector that came off of a pressure sensor on the A/C condenser. That condenser is right next to radiator.
1. The radiator cap if working correctly it will release pressure in the system provided the cap you have is the correct pressure setting. If you are having a problem with pressure then replace the cap with a new radiator cap with the correct pressure setting. Do not use a cap with a pressure setting other than the original equipment pressure spec. So you do not go to the parts store and buy any radiator cap on the shelf that fits because they come with different pressure ratings and some of these will be totally unsuitable for your car.
2. If the pressure valve is stuck in the "old" cap the pressure release system will not work.
3. Overheating
Air pockets in the cooling system can definitely cause overheating and can retard coolant flow through the system. If you are draining the radiator to replace the coolant or replacing the radiator you need to follow the correct procedures for bleeding air out of the system for that particular engine after coolant refilling. Some engines have bleeder screws on the cooling system to assist in the air bleeding procedure and some don't.
There are various causes for overheating so don't assume it will necessarily be solved by bleeding any remaining air from the cooling system and replacing the radiator cap with one that works.
Other causes can be...........
1. Faulty cooling system thermostat. (Replace the Thermostat)
2. Faulty water pump, especially if the impellers have corroded away or have disintegrated in the case of those design genius water pumps with plastic impellers. (Replace the water pump)
3. Cooling fans not working and if so the cause needs to be tracked. Check that your fans are kicking in. If the engine is overheating the fans should be running because they will switch on when the coolant reaches a specific temp and well before the coolant gets excessively hot.
4. A partial blockage in the coolant passages inside the engine but not in the radiator if you have a new one. If the coolant is not changed at the required intervals(frequently the case with many owners) or is over diluted with water you can get a build up of debris. If products like stop leak have been used in the system this can create similar problems with partial blockages inside the engine coolant passages.
5. A compression leak into the cooling system.
If you have bled air from the system and have continuous air bubbles in the cooling system I would suspect a compression leak. In that event a basic leak down test will show if you have compression gasses leaking into the cooling system and from which cylinder(s). The spark plug is removed and compressed air is forced into the cylinder via the spark plug fitting and air bubbles will show up in the coolant of there is a leak into the cooling system.
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Have the problem with overheating addressed immediately. Running the engine with an overheat condition will cause expensive engine damage many times the cost of fixing the overheating issue.
Universal Answer, probably an air bubble in the wrong spot - under the thermostat would be the worst outcome. Follow remove air bubble procedures, drill a hole in the thermostat so this cannot ever occur.
The quick fix. Unscrew radiator cap and leave off overnight - hopefully the radiator will 'burp'. Idle for a few mins with cap off. Then replace / cap on and see if this is fixed.
The pessimist. You recently bought this car secondhand. There is a gasket issue where exhaust gas is venting into the water gallery.
Fix will be head gasket repair gunk - but only as a last resort - if teh radiator guys detect c02/gas in the radiator fluid - they have a test kit for same
sounds like air in system ...
Leave the radiator cap off, turn the engine on and let it
run until the radiator "burps": You will see the coolant level drop and
may see or hear a large air bubble come to the top as the system burps.
Keep an eye on the temperature gauge throughout this process
Refill the radiator to the top and coolant reservoir as needed.
Put the radiator cap back on.
Note that if the engine runs hot after this procedure there
may have been another pocket of air that "burped." Let the engine cool
down and then add more coolant to both the radiator and the coolant
reservoir.
I got a kick out of asking if you have to "burp" the radiator...thanks...I needed a good pick me up tonight. Anyhow, to answer your question, it will start circulating on its own. You do not need to "burp" it.
take cap off fill the radiator and coolant reservoir up then start the car with the rad cap off you will see it burp fill up wait fill up again/ thenafter its done burping you can put caps back on that should be it/ Please rate my response thank you very much
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