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I got to start with the disclaimer that I do not know a lot about these issues. I replaced the water pump, so at least I know a little about that. BUT, I am not a certified technician. So, with that in mind, here are my comments.
NOTE: YOU CAN ONLY READ THE COOLANT LEVEL ACCURATELY WHEN THE CAR IS COLD. When the car heats up, it MIGHT look like you have enough of coolant when in reality you do not. Start there. Check the coolant level in the morning. There is a sensor inside the coolant reservoir which, in rare cases, do go bad. As a test, place a LARGE piece of carboard(or papers) under the engine of the car after you park. If the car is leaking, the cardboard should collect some fluid in it. This will help you diagnose the problem.
1. If the water pump was bad, it would indeed make a screaming noise from time to time. You would ALSO lose some coolant on a regular basis. At least this is the typical problem with the water pump where the o-ring fails and you lose coolant little by little. One idea is that maybe coolant is dripping from a hose somewhere, hitting the engine or tranny block and making the popping/hissing sounds? This would also explain the bad smell, BUT, if this was the case YOU WOULD SEE SMOKE coming from under the hood.
2. I NEVER heard of a sensor inside the radiator. This sounds like a HUGE pile of bovine dung, but, I have been surprised before, so lets wait to hear what others say. There is however, a thermostat in the engine, not in the radiator perse. IF you had no coolant in the system, as you heard, your car would be overheating HORRIBLY and the engine temperature needle would register at the highest point at some point. I think you would have noticed this if this was the case.
In Summary: I think the waterpump sounds like the most logical explanation. Start by checking the coolant level of the car when cold. if low, top it off for now and start planning on getting the water pump replaced. Check the carboard for the leak test.
If for whatever reason there was an obstruction of coolant, you would see that the reservoir level does not change with temperature and that the engine temperature would soar. So, as you can see, start by checking the engine coolant when the car is cold, read it again when warm and check on the cardboard test. These should help you pin point the problem.
This is just my humble opinion, and I hope someone else will correct me if I am wrong.
posted by 208.50.1...
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