Typerod

Thanks guys! I'll keep an eye on it.

update to my driver's side mirror: I just bought a new replacement mirror tilt motor and I installed it myself yesterday. It works just fine now.

Typerod

My OCD made me go check on the coolant level, and its definitely gotten lower since the day I picked up the vehicle. I don't see any leaks that I can completely say is a coolant leak. The only leak I can see is the one from my lower transmission cooler line, and I verified that its trans fluid by getting my finger on that lower plastic underbody cover. Im sure that's trans fluid, it was pretty thick and red.

Here are some pics of the coolant level on Jan. 9, 2016 the day after I picked up the car from the shop, and the 2nd pic (lower coolant level), is today. The blizzard has started here in Northern VA and I was outside under my hood and laying on the snow covered ground looking for this leak. lol.

I called my claims handler from my insurance and left a message. I'm hoping that if there is a leak, that the insurance will go ahead and cover it, even though I have had the car back already for 2 weeks already.

Thanks!

Typerod

Are the coolant tanks separated from the radiator? Is it like an 3 in one deal? Meaning to say there are 3 separate divisions within itself? I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the structure of it. Thanks.

edit: I found a pic on ebay of which I think is the radiator in my 07 Tahoe.

Typerod

I'll check the coolant reservoir as well. The impact was hard enough that both of my batteries were thrown out of the battery tie down. The battery on the passenger side surely hit the reservoir tank on impact. I'll check it when the snow dies down. Ahhh, it sucks to be a worry wart! lol!

tech2

lol. sometimes ocd is a good thing....bad when I can't walk away from a door without checking to see if I locked it.

cleveland63b

sounds like its definitely worth a pressure test whether they cover it or not, if you pinpoint it you'll have piece of mind and not worry about if the body guys can figure it out

Typerod

I hear ya! lol!

Oh yes, definitely will get a pressure test regardless. I'm hoping the test will DEFINITELY show the leak, and not some "we aren't sure where the leak is" answer, lol. Now that the blizzard is gone from VA, hopefully they will be open for business tomorrow. The body shop is where I will start first, they have been great to deal with. I'm hoping the leak will present itself, and I won't have to go to the dealer. And hopefully the insurance will cover it. Its just always iffy, if they will cover it or not, IMO, since I've already had the car back in my possession for since 1/08/16. I did bring it back after the "steam" occurrance, and brought it back again, after I found bubbles in the clear coat. They may just chalk it up to a "pre-existing condition" before the accident, when that is not the case. I've never had any coolant loss issues, of just about the 10 years I've had this vehicle.

Sorry, I had to vent. Helps alleviate my OCD. lol!

Typerod

Probably a dumb question, where do I look to try and see if there are any leaks from the head gasket in our 07 Tahoes? And if the bad head gasket is the cause of my low coolant, will a pressure test on the cooling system prove this, meaning the leak at the head gasket will show itself?

I do have that light brownish gunk on the underside of the oil cap, I thought that might be a sign of coolant and oil mixing.

Typerod

So I am a bit confused, I think I may know the answer to this question, but Im not knowledgable about this. So I checked the coolant level in the reservoir before I left worked this evening and it was at a level much much lower than when I first checked it a few days ago. So I get home and check it again, and mind you my driveway is inclined, so I wanted to check to see if there are leaks or fluid. But I saw something but it could just be water from all the snow melting. I look at the level of the coolant while in my inclined driveway, and now its much higher than it usually is when Im parked in my driveway. So I put the car in the street, on level ground, and now the level is above the "max" marking?? wth? lol. So let me add this whole time the car is running, but I never hear the cooling fan kick on, AND I was squeezing the upper radiator hose.

So am I right to say that the level was above the mark b/c I squeezed the upper rad hose forcing coolant back into the reservoir, AND since the cooling fan did not turn on that the thermostat did NOT open, thus circulating the cooling which should result in a true coolant level reading?

The collision center was closed today, I'm going to bring it in tomorrow morning.

Also I smell a decent whiff of coolant coming from near the upper hose where it connects to the radiator. Its a good strength and is consistently there. I moved my nose around the radiator at other spots and did not smell coolant anywhere else.

Also, can anyone confirm on their 07 Tahoe radiator that it has this split in the top of it? The line is too clean for it to be a break, but maybe its a weak spot and could crack there from the front end collision my Tahoe was in? I can't find a decent photo of a new OEM GM Radiator, part# 22840117 (given to me by gmpartsdirect using my VIN), to confirm this split in the rad is normal. This pics I find when I search that part number 22840117, that show the tops of the new radiator do NOT show this "split" but maybe that part number is an updated radiator than my stock original radiator. Thanks!

cleveland63b

the split is normal if it was leaking you'd definitely be able to tell, squeezing the radiator hose shouldn't "move" fluid to the tank, if the systems full all it would do is maybe "surge" then return back to where it was and the cooling fans won't turn on unless its at a certain temp. which usually would take a lot of driving to accomplish in colder weather


if you haven't been checking the fluid level in a level spot or atleast consistently in the same spot then its hard to say if you have an issue or not, I would learn more to a small radiator leak by the sounds of it but without inspecting and/or pressure testing the system you won't know.