Gurgling noise on cold mornings (vehicle, valve, truck, engine)

[bjh]

I drive an 02 Gmc 1500 V6 that makes a sound like fluid gurgling when you drive in the earlier a.m. on cold days on dry cold days.

Does anyone know the cause?

Runs great, but want to know if I should be concerned.

Thanks.

[Innovator831021]

Air in the heater core plumbing.

Had any work done recently? Smell anything funny? Its possible that there is a leak letting air in but more possible that nothing is wrong at all. If it really bothers you, you can park the vehicle on an incline (front higher than back) and then crack the bleeder valve for the coolant circuit.... perhaps even run it for a few moments.

[bjh]

No recent work. No odor.

[M3 Mitch]

Check that your coolant system is full, if you have a vacuum type overflow see that the radiator cap is working right, not just the pressure, but the outer seal that pulls coolant from the "burp" can as well.

[njguy]

I was gonna say that the engine is gargling so to keep it's air passages/throat from getting contaminated with germs and stuff.

Seriously, the suggestions mentioned sound right. Also make sure that your car doesn't leak antifreeze and or a hose clamp or so is not too loose.

Hope you solve this.

[Gimme3steps]

Not sure why being a dry day would make any difference.

Anyway, I have a '99 GMC and it's been making that kind of noise for years. It's full of coolant and the heater works great. It hasn't caused any problems so I just ignore it.

I vaguely remember reading that it has something to do with the heater hose layout and the short hose coming off the intake.

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by Gimme3steps

Not sure why being a dry day would make any difference.

Anyway, I have a '99 GMC and it's been making that kind of noise for years. It's full of coolant and the heater works great. It hasn't caused any problems so I just ignore it.

I vaguely remember reading that it has something to do with the heater hose layout and the short hose coming off the intake.

I've heard such sounds from my old Chevy truck, and have ignored them for years.

Actually, I'd venture a guess that it has something to do with there being small pockets of air in the cooling system - though that purely speculation. Bubbles make noise when they rise to the surface.

[Gimme3steps]

Found this after looking around a bit. Not my words, someone else's. Maybe true, maybe not. Sounds reasonable.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The gurgling noise is in my truck also. That is a simple fact of life that as water is heated it tends to expand and gasses release from the fluid. The gurgling is due to a small collection of gases in a cooler place (the heater core), we call that voiding in our coooling systems at my power plant. The noise is the gasses slowly feeding back to the radiator as the system operates and cools. The reason that this is more predominant in these trucks is the stupid short pipe connection at the back of the engine's intake manifold rather than the one at the front on the older trucks. It will not hurt your heater or your engine."

[Omaha Rocks]

^ So then, it's kind of like saying my truck is farting.

And that makes sense, because when I'm driving it, I'm usually farting too. It's a shared activity, and I'm okay with that.

[Gimme3steps]

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!!