Low milage w/oem intake manifold
 

Hello members,

I recently acquired an '01 GMarq w/54K miles that had its coolant flushed quite awhile ago according to the CARFAX supplied by the seller, a local dealer that has a gleaming reputation in our community here in Kingman, Arizona.

This dealer told me the car was inspected by an off-site contracted shop prior to being placed 'in stock' for sale and so I ask; "Would a reputable dealer likely have the engine coolant flushed and the oil changed as a matter of good business practice?"

I personally feel they hadn't bothered as I notice the reservoir is currently not showing a proper level ( significantly lower than the cold mark ) ergo I will be having this car serviced myself for good measure. Does anyone out there prefer a national service provider one over another? Would anyone suggest the costly dealer approach? I expect I'll be gouged by the dealer, with a couple extra hours added in labor charges.

I'm considering the dealer being this engine still has its OEM plastic intake manifold and if it is mishandled it could be damaged and there are some mechanics that would never mention that they were the ones that manhandled the manifold, unwittingly then setting in motion the failure of this infamous prone to corrosion and cracks intake manifold...

p.s. The CARFAX shows that at 34K miles back in 2008 the coolant was flushed by the original owner's dealer and at 50K miles now 3 yrs. ago the thermostat and rad hoses, upper & lower were replaced, also by the church lady's* dealer.

Actually the CARFAX reads like a juvenile delinquent's rap sheet, serviced always at a Ford service center and the owner *(True Church Lady's car... driven only to church on Sunday ) had the car garaged no doubt as it is pretty much unblemished from Arizona's extreme temperatures.

When the dealer (or whoever) flushed and filled the coolant, it was filled to the "Cold Fill" mark on the reservoir.
After the car is driven until completely warmed up, the coolant level will drop as the engine cools overnite.
What happens is that the air in the system is drawn out, and the coolant level in the tank drops down.
After this initial overnite cooling, the reservoir must be brought up to the "Cold Fill" mark once again.
If the car is more than 5 years old, replace the CAP on the coolant reservoir with a NEW one to preserve the critical seal of the cooling system.
Check your coolant level once-a-month for best results.