Got water leak worse when running in front

air pockets in the coolant loop make all water temps sensors read wrong for 1 simple reason the sensor can't do AIR. !
Ok hood up.
clean that mess off there. cold.
now with new RAD cap, 15psi working cap or spec. cap.
run engine until hot 15 to 30 minutes. hood up.
and you will now see fresh leaks now, at 15psi you sure will.
even squirts to places that can not leak at all.
see?
even a RAD can leak and squirt AF, 50% antifreeze. anywhere it wants so can all hoses.
the trick is start clean ,no AF everywhere clean it off with a waterhose.
then any new leaks are OMG look there, leaking moment.
take your time let the rad and engine all the loop hit 180f to 200F
to not make assumptions, look find and then fix what really leaks.
the thermostat housing can leak ( any 25year stat is no good)
or its gasket bad.
also some engines had casting flaws, yes, keep open mind.

gen2 Lumina
2 engines that year.

• 3.1 L L82/LG8 V6
• 3.4 L LQ1 DOHC V6

understand what 15PSI can do and worse, driving and wind and gravity effect.
so do the tests all parked, and find it 10x more easy.
the intake manifold has a water 4 paths too that sure can leak
front or rear of engine leaks there. (manifold to head leaks)

Reasons the Temperature Gauge Reads High

If the temperature gauge reads high, it could mean your engine is overheating. Another reason your reading might be high is you could be losing coolant. A small leak or evaporation may cause your radiator to slowly lose coolant. A third reason your temperature gauge reads high could be because the thermostat is broken. If this is the case, you may need a coolant temperature switch replacement. The last reason the temperature gauge could read high is because of a water pump, or water pump gasket failure. If the water pump is malfunctioning, it may need to be replaced by a professional.

What to Do If Your Temperature Gauge is High

If your temperature gauge is reading high, it means your car is overheating. This is a very serious matter and you should never drive an overheating car. If your car starts to overheat, shut off the air conditioner and open the windows immediately. If this does not reduce the overheating, turn on the heater as high as it can go. If this still doesn't work, pull over on the side of the road, turn off the engine, open the hood carefully, and wait until the vehicle cools down. Never open the radiator cap while the engine is hot - coolant can spray and burn you. Once the vehicle has cooled, take the car to a mechanic right away so they can diagnose the problem. Cars are especially susceptible to overheating in hot climates, like what's common in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, or Atlanta.
The temperature gauge is an important tool in your vehicle that shows the temperature of your engine's coolant. Contact YourMechanic and have your car inspected for overheating if it reads too high, as this can cause serious problems...

Reasons the Temperature Gauge Reads Cold

On most vehicles, the temperature gauge reads cold until the engine has run for a few minutes. If the temperature gauge still reads cold after the engine has warmed up, the gauge may simply be broken. Another reason the temperature gauge could read cold is if the thermostat in the vehicle stays open. With the thermostat stuck open, the engine can be overcooled, causing a low temperature reading. If this is the case, the thermostat may need to be replaced.

first check your water on radiator if is not full you may have a water leak.

Pull off the negative battery cable and unplug the sensor. See if the gauge needle returns to normal. Try tapping on the cluster to unstick the needle. No luck? Replace the temperature gauge.

Do you know if there has been Leak Stop or similar added in the past. If so, that can cause a blockage and the cooling system may need to be flushed. If not, another test you can try is to remove the thermostat completely. Since it is still warmer weather it will not be an issue other than it will take longer for the engine to warm up. If you are still seeing high temperatures I would suspect that your water pump is failing or has failed and is not moving enough water through the cooling system.

you might want to check the wires going to the temperature sensor on the engine make sure it hasnt rubbed the protective coating off, this can give you a false reading, the safest way is to put a manual gauge in place of the temperature sensor and run engine to make sure the engine is not overheating. You can pick up a cheap manual temp gauge at your local parts store and install the temperature probe into the hole where the temp sensor was located and run the engine. It sounds like you have a guage malfunction. But is better to be safe than sorry.

Did the engine overheat before the water pump was replaced? If so, you may have a warped cylinder head and/or blown head gasket.

Was the radiator full of rusty-colored liquid before you flushed it? If so, your radiator is probably restricted with rust deposits in the cooling tubes. Flushing WILL NOT get this stuff out. The radiator MUST be replaced if this is the case. Your heater core is probably not in real good shape either, so you should be expecting some heating problems this winter.

If the above is not the correct answer, then you should check to make sure the temperature gauge is not "LYING" to you. This could be caused by a defective gauge, a bad temperature sending unit, or faulty wiring.

The way to check this is with a scan tool that can read engine data and an infrared thermometer. While reading the coolant temperature data from the computer, check the cylinder head temperature with the infrared thermomometer. The readings you get should be within 5 degrees (F) of each other. If the computer data does not match the thermometer within the 5 degrees, then the sending unit for the computer should be replaced.

Then look at the gauge to see if the gauge reading is appropriate to the temperature readings that you took. Normal operating temperature is between 190 and 230 degrees. This should place the gauge at slightly to the right of center to about 5/8ths of the way to HOT. If the readings you took are OK and the gauge is reading higher than this, then you should try replacing the temperature sending unit for the gauge and see if that fixes the problem.

Please note that there are TWO temp sending units: One for the gauge and one for the computer.

temperature gauge is not reading correctly and the car is overheating due to a leak or a blockage in the coolant system.

the pully that the coolant is leaking out from sounds like your water pump. with no coolant in the system the temperature gage wont read the correct temperature. replace the water pump and pray that the engine didn't overheat, as to do permanent damage.

You need to pressure test the cooling system. If it holds pressure, I would look at replacing the water temp. sensor. If it doesn't hold pressure, you have a coolant leak going on. If you don't see it dripping on the ground or inside the car, I would be suspecting head gasket problem.