[officer woo]

i just bought a new truck and i noticed that there is a loud popping noise coming from the engine bay. it only happens once fro a split second and its always does it about 1 or 2 minutes after i have started driving....


my first suspision is that the thermostat is malfunctioning, and not opening at ease with the heat, instead getting stuck until it gets hot enough to pop it open. the guy i bought it from did replace the thermostat right before i bought it from him.

also on that note. the temp guage sits just above the 1/2 mark. my other colorado only runs at the 1/4 mark? is that normal, or just that help justify that he put in a faulty thermostat?

 

[Jesse]

It's hard to tell without hearing it first hand but sitting just above half is a bit hot. Get yourself a scanguage and go off that temp. I run at about 170* and rarely go above 200*. Best way to check a thermostat is take it out and put it in a pot on the stove and boil the water, if it doesn't open then the stat is bad. Good luck.

 

[Skizzo]

sitting at 1/2 vs 1/4 gauge is purely dependent upon cluster. Some clusters show running temp as one and some the other. Agreed on getting something to read the actual temperature.

As for the pop sound, no clue what it could be, sorry man :/

 

[Uncanny355]

I have a scanner if you wanna check running temps. If you need a hand just drop me a line.

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[NewJoker]

I have the same noise, very mysterious. Never cared after I looked over everything, ill record it next I remember.

 

[officer woo]

does it seem to happen as soon as it gets up to running temp? im pretty sure thats when mine is doing it.

 

[08Canyon]

You've still got a warranty right? Try to work it outwith the seller (if it was a lot) to have the 'loud popping noise' corrected.

Most likely your thermostat temp gauge is normal, as long as the needle position is stable. As you have probably read time and time again, the thermostat temperature changed over the years.

Since you have not said the year of your vehicle or 'the other colorado' we can't really help you aside from the general consensus of the comment you made. 1/4ish used to be normal. 1/2ish is now normal.

This thread is full of missing information.

Model year.
Engine
Miles
A general area of where the offending noise is coming from...more general than (under the hood). Can the noise be replicated time and time again? Can you hear it if it idles for 2 minutes, or only if you drive it for 2 minutes?
I'm not sure a thermostat would be opening in 2 minutes. Nor do I think it will make a popping sound. I think the thermostat comment is misleading.

 

[Goros]

Mine has always run at 1/2, when it ran at 1/4 the thermostat was stuck open and it started throwing low temp codes.

1/2 for me is 194f. Not sure what 1/4 is, I will compare on my scangauge.

 

[officer woo]

The truck is an '06 xtreme 3.5 I5 with 68k miles. My other truck is a '06 z85 I4. The warranty would have already expired.

I have heard that between years the gauges display a different normal temp. But because they are the same year, is where it concerned me.

It happens every single time drive. Only happens once per trip and never a second time. And its loud, I can hear it over my radio

When I get a chance I will see if I can mimic the noise by ideling it for a few minutes.

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[08Canyon]

The truck is an '06 xtreme 3.5 I5 with 68k miles. My other truck is a '06 z85 I4. The warranty would have already expired.

I have heard that between years the gauges display a different normal temp. But because they are the same year, is where it concerned me.

It happens every single time drive. Only happens once per trip and never a second time. And its loud, I can hear it over my radio

When I get a chance I will see if I can mimic the noise by ideling it for a few minutes.

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Sorry. You said you just bought the truck.....my assumption what there was still a 30 day warranty from the lot (or longer) if it was purchased from a lot.

I'd agree that the two trucks of the same year should read similarly. That seems to be the common conclusion. I wasn't aware of the same year from your first post. I would not have made my comment had I known. Sorry for that. I will stick to the theory though that if the the needle is stable then the cooling system should not need to be addressed. A water temp check from a shop would be a good idea though if you were too concerned. They can shoot the radiator with an infrared deice for you. Hopefully just a quick freebie.

Sounds very interesting that it's so soon all the time, and that noticeable. Hope to find out if it does it while idling too. Are you convinced it isn't suspension, and it is always based on time, but not you hitting the same bump when you leave your home each day?
Just thinking outside the box a little for other things that may seem routine.

 

[officer woo]

Haha my bad for not clarifying that. I did just buy it, and it is "New" to me. But it's not a new New truck. Could the temp gauge also be because it's an I5 compaired to my old truck being an I4?

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[08Canyon]

I thought most places at least had a warranty no matter what. Sorry, I haven't purchased from a small lot in a while....

I don't know if the gauge position varies from truck to truck very much. I know they vary, but I thought it was more about temp than particular vehicle (different temp/model year I mean).
Take it to a shop and have the coolant temp checked. Then you can rest assured the truck runs at normal temp. Or you'll know if it's way too hot. Mine stays around mid way under normal operation conditions.

Anyway, I don't have any additional information to help out with this one.

I'm still scared that this thread has turned into "I have a bad thermostat" thread when it should be "I have a popping sound" thread.

Keep us posted about how easily replicated it is and what you're finding.

 

[officer woo]

The thermostat was my only thought, that's where that cone about, and I know the thermostat got replaced the day before I took it home.

I appreciate all the help and onsite that you have contributed so far. Got the weekend off, so I shall start digging into to narrowing down a location.

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[OJwerks]

the temp gauge on these trucks is a cluster fuck.. my truck runs at 195 degrees at almost the 3/4 mark. lol

 

[bk2life]

1. If your t-stat made a popping noise, you’d be stuck on the side of the road. Why? Because if that little thing could be heard over the engine running and through the water surrounding it it’d be as loud as a grenade going off.
2. It takes a 10mm, ratchet, 3 minutes and a 10” or longer extension to remove the t-stat/housing. Remove it and look at it. it should be pretty obvious if its broken.
3. When you get in your truck and start it for the first time each day, the motor is cold, when driving down the road it heats up to ½ mark or so where it does every day and stays there, correct? Never goes lower, never goes higher? And heat comes out of the vents with the heater on? If your answer is ‘yes’ your t-stat is fine and working.
4. “does it about 1 or 2 minutes after i have started driving” that’s it? Never again that day? Never during turning the truck off and on going to lunch or driving home? Only the first time you turn your truck on in the morning? How cold is it outside?
5. What does this pop sound like? Metallic? Dull thud, like dropping a rock on the dirt? Plastic sound? When driving straight? Left/right turning?
6. You just bought it, how many times has this noise been heard?
7. It takes a few minutes to remove the serpentine belt. Try removing it the night before, and attempt to replicate the noise the next morning. If the noise is being made 1-2 minutes after driving, you can do that with no belt, your motor wont over heat, but don’t drive it for much longer with no belt.. doing this will tell you if it's a belt drive accessory, and costs nothing to do..

:355group:

 

[xtremels6]

My truck does the same thing and it never did it until I had the windshield replaced,I go down the road about a mile or so and it pops once and that is it for the day!I have had two or three replaced over the years and they all do it and I have no air or water leaks,it does get your attention! I think it may be our temp.changes and lack of humidity,yesterday was four percent! I think all of our trucks are identical so even tho mine is an 06 extreme I doubt the year or model make any diff. It could also be that the replacement windshields and gaskets don't fit quite as well as the originals,I know is sure seems like they don't resist the rock chips nearly as well!

 

[08Canyon]

the temp gauge on these trucks is a cluster fuck.. my truck runs at 195 degrees at almost the 3/4 mark. lol

What does that even mean?
They are not THAT bad. As long as they are stable, then the driver knows how to base a reading relative to temp.
Granted they are different between vehicles, more randomly than that of other vehicles....but I hardly consider it as bad as you make it sound from you one single experience.

Mine appeared to read warmer than it should have. I purchased a gauge to see digital value of the coolant temp. The number doesn't lie, so now I'm happy. The gauge is not useless because now I know what 'normal' is for my truck.

 

[Guest]

officer woo,

Hello! I understand that you are seeking advice from you fellow forum members and I might not be able to give you any technical advice. If you find that you cannot resolve this issue yourself and may need to go to your local dealership, I am more than happy to assist. Please private message me if I can be of further assistance.

Jennifer T.
GM Customer Care

 

[08Canyon]

OP, please hurry with other diagnostics. I beg of you.......

 

[OJwerks]

What does that even mean?
They are not THAT bad. As long as they are stable, then the driver knows how to base a reading relative to temp.
Granted they are different between vehicles, more randomly than that of other vehicles....but I hardly consider it as bad as you make it sound from you one single experience.

Mine appeared to read warmer than it should have. I purchased a gauge to see digital value of the coolant temp. The number doesn't lie, so now I'm happy. The gauge is not useless because now I know what 'normal' is for my truck.

i mean that they re different from truck to truck, and a general rule of thumb is that "running operating temperature" is at the 1/2 mark, on "most" domestic and import cars... with very few exceptions... ive ridden around in 6-7 colorados locally other than mine, and all trucks read a different temperature on the cluster gauge.

so in other words, whats the only way of realistically verifying your temp? a digital gauge reader... but this should Not be necessary if GM would have properly designed the temp gauge on these trucks.

the temp gauge on this truck is the thing that single handedly sucks the most to me.