Overheat A/C Off message?

Tiny
JSNEWBZ
  • MEMBER
  • 2015 GMC ACADIA
  • 3.6L
  • V6
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 179,000 MILES
The vehicle listed above is a 2013 not 2015.

Day 1 - wife states A/C button is blinking and won't turn on. (5 or 6 times for the blink).

Day 2 - Same issue with blinking. Outside temp is roughly 75 F. Then when she is driving, she notices an odd smell. Engine overheat message A/C off and warning ding comes on. Temperature gauge in car reading 260.

I have her park and shut vehicle off. She says the engine fan continues to run.

She notices a small puddle under the car.

It turns out it is the coolant.

When I opened the hood, I did not immediately see anything. Coolant reservoir had coolant. I attempted to drive for about a mile and got the same warning. So, I parked and had it towed the next morning.

When I got home, I noticed the heater hose line connecting to the thermostat housing was snapped off (furthest back on the housing).

I thought I solved it. I added about a half-gallon of coolant into the radiator, not the res. It started getting hot again. Message did not go off. Diagnostic reader is matching pretty close to the dash temp gauge.

Turn heat on and can't feel heat, but that line replaced is hot. The radiator hose at the front of the housing is not.
Monday, October 16th, 2023 AT 5:35 AM

4 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,513 POSTS
To be clear you fixed the "heater hose line connecting to the thermostat housing" correct? If so, it sounds like the thermostat is stuck closed, here is a guide to help, please go over it:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-overheating-or-running-hot

Here is how to change the thermostat out. Check out the images (below). Please let us know what you find.
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Monday, October 16th, 2023 AT 11:56 AM
Tiny
JSNEWBZ
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Thank you for the response. Yes, I did fix the heater hose line. I have a new thermostat and housing that I bought before I saw the broken connector. I am hoping it is the thermostat and not the water pump.

Does it sound like coincidence that the connector broke? Or that it was just brittle, and the lack of flow pushed it to the brink?
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Monday, October 16th, 2023 AT 12:05 PM
Tiny
JSNEWBZ
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
I put the new thermostat and housing on. No bubbles in the coolant from the radiator. Heat blowing again in the car. Mind you, it is 50 degrees outside, so I will take it for a drive in the morning.
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Monday, October 16th, 2023 AT 8:37 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,513 POSTS
It sounds like it fatigued and broke, but to be safe you can replace your radiator cap to ensure the cooling system pressure stays within spec. Let me know what happens.
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Tuesday, October 17th, 2023 AT 9:39 AM

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