hey guys/gals,

Does the plastic airdam under the front end (97 LT1 automatic) ever require any type of service or maintenance? sounds wierd but my car used to run so cool but after a 3.5 hour road trip @85 mph, it seems to run hotter now. I did scrap the airdam in a friends drive way (on a seep hill) during this trip but i can't see any visible damage to it. I realize that high temp could be caused by any number of things but i am just trying to eliminate the easy to fix (& inexpensive) things first. So far I have: flushed radiator and recovery tank, installed new 180deg thermostat, new upper and lower hoses connecting to radiator, all new coolant (50/50 mix), and bled the cooling system. Also, looks like I got a lot of dead bugs on the airdam and along the top front of radiator. Can I safely hose down the front of the radiator instead of taking it out (or is this not an issue)? I have no visible coolant leaks anywhere. Maybe sensors or something?? headgasket?? any suggestions are appreciated as i would always like to try to repair/maintain myself as opposed to taking in to the shop

thanks for your time

 

As long as the air dam is in it's original position, it should be working ok. You can hose away at the radiator and condenser. You might even find a bag or something sucked up in there.