2004 Park Avenue hot in the city

[ParkAveCore]

Great advice, I’m hoping it’s clean! You’ve helped so much but if it’s cool with you, I’ll reply some pics tomorrow when the sun is up

Hey everyone! First post here!
Just bought a 2004 Park Avenue, my first Buick since my 73 Riviera I had in the early 2000’s!
It’s running an 1/8th line over half on the temp gauge in the city and 1/4 under on the freeway.
I was going to do a thermostat swap and a radiator flush tomorrow.
Do you all think that will fix the issue?
Thanks everyone!!

Hey everyone! First post here!
Just bought a 2004 Park Avenue, my first Buick since my 73 Riviera I had in the early 2000’s!
It’s running an 1/8th line over half on the temp gauge in the city and 1/4 under on the freeway.
I was going to do a thermostat swap and a radiator flush tomorrow.
Do you all think that will fix the issue?
Thanks everyone!!

I mean, are you specifying stant here specifically because there are a shocking amount of "fail safe" thermostats that are absolute junk, and I am going to guess they are probably made by the same vendor and then private labeled to the parts stores. so when I speak about them, Im using parts master (oreillies) as my experience and countless others have been unlucky to have failure issues with them that are either just failure after short time, failure closed(Overheat) or other.
I got that thermostat back in high school to put in my f150. wasnt a good choice,but neither was the thermostat housing but on hand is on hand lol.

There is, however, something I have done unknowingly on a 3800 engine that only applies to post 98 engines have the offset thermostat which requires to be placed correctly or else have issue. (same difference as when it went from a flange gasket on the housing to the o ring around the thermostat ring)
The thermostat housing on a 99+ will have fitment issues with a thermostat that is either not the right one or is turned wrong, and I managed to get a housing down nicely while it partially caved in on the thermostat, I still have it in my shed lol, but it crushed the part that spans the diameter and the needle thing goes into, heres a pic:
View attachment 38751
Basically crushed it toward one way and that was a oopsie but its human error that is always possible at play Either that or It was dropped and I was not very observant putting it in LOL
Anyway, including that pic for the part number if OP ends up needing it. But one thing that could go for a change any way for age is the ol rad cap. Heres the rad cap for a 2004:
View attachment 38750

Wow, I’m so grateful that you sent these pics, I ordered them both 🙏

 

[ParkAveCore]

Hey everyone! First post here!
Just bought a 2004 Park Avenue, my first Buick since my 73 Riviera I had in the early 2000’s!
It’s running an 1/8th line over half on the temp gauge in the city and 1/4 under on the freeway.
I was going to do a thermostat swap and a radiator flush tomorrow.
Do you all think that will fix the issue?
Thanks everyone!!

Love this car already!

 

[Silvermist]

@BuickGirlFromMars Hates me because I'm so super smart, LOL

 

[Silvermist]

Love this car already!

You can restore those yellowish headlight bezels.

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[ParkAveCore]

You can restore those yellowish headlight bezels.

Yes! They look pretty bad.
I’ve seen many tips including oven cleaner lol what have you found to work the best?

 

[Silvermist]

I wet sanded mine and clear coated them

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

@BuickGirlFromMars Hates me because I'm so super smart, LOL

I cant hate people, but I can hate how people engage in racketeering and fraud.

(there is no context Its just meant to be random)

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

Yes! They look pretty bad.
I’ve seen many tips including oven cleaner lol what have you found to work the best?

do not use any solvent
YOu can do it, if you want, but I really recommend a test piece of faded pexi or a junkyard housing
And power tools will be your firend, that park avenue headlight is like 2x the surface area most cars
I have extra headlights but I doubt you want to buy a damn near opaque 98 pA for test lol

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[ParkAveCore]

do not use any solvent
YOu can do it, if you want, but I really recommend a test piece of faded pexi or a junkyard housing
And power tools will be your firend, that park avenue headlight is like 2x the surface area most cars
I have extra headlights but I doubt you want to buy a damn near opaque 98 pA for test lol

Lol no probably wouldn’t want that! Thanks for the advice, looks like my little power sander will be the way to go 🙌

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

Lol no probably wouldn’t want that! Thanks for the advice, looks like my little power sander will be the way to go 🙌

unless this is a weird way to say a rotary tool like a HF corded one that cut and piles a large disc on because you do NOT want to power sand (esp with water) because a rough grit wont take long to send that lexan back to the stone ages but the lens could be damaged haha. How bad is it, close up on eeach one?

 

[ParkAveCore]

unless this is a weird way to say a rotary tool like a HF corded one that cut and piles a large disc on because you do NOT want to power sand (esp with water) because a rough grit wont take long to send that lexan back to the stone ages but the lens could be damaged haha. How bad is it, close up on eeach one?

Not too bad, I’m not near it right now but I will be later. I was thinking an orbital sander with fine grit

 

[Silvermist]

When I said wet sand, I hand sanded the lenses with 2000 grit by hand wet.
Then I polished with this: ULTRA POLISH

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[HotZ28]

How did this thread go from engine overheating, to headlight lens restoration?????

 

[ulycyc]

In a few years and a 1000 pages it will revert back to overheating

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

Following in a galaxy far, far away

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

Following in a galaxy far, far away

So you are saying there is a chance
We got this

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[2007LucerneCXL]

I've gotten use to some posts are like a Amtrack switching yard, it's a train of thought going someplace but where hasn't been decided yet lol.

Oh as a side note, that was a prototype for the NS in the Lucerne the old GM idea of how to fit 10lb of potatoes in a 8lb sack.

 

[ulycyc]

Did they include a box of block sealing tabs with that motor?

 

[Park ur Avenue]

You can restore those yellowish headlight bezels.

I've used white rubbing compound with a damp-to-wet wash cloth and then body polish.