A bad water pump will squeal,leak water,or if its driven by a belt the bearing will sometimes throw the belt. or worst case all three hope this helps
Do a cold start with Radiator cap off,; you should see the fluid moving around some in the radiator. If not, then there is a good chance the internal water pump blades are gone or only a small amount left.
SOURCE: how to tell if water pump is bad 3800 gm
The 3800's also had other problems. And also Issues for those that are unaware.
Be aware that there are bleeder screws to bleed air out of the system when filling the coolant. With out properly bleeding the system the coolant can Vaporlock in the system causing overheating.
Also if it has been over heated you need to check for a blown head gasket. Smell the antifreeze, if it smells burnt you should be concerned. Next with the engine cold and the system properly bled, leave the radiator cap off and start the engine, if it bubbles constantly or bursts out of the open radiator cap, seek diagnosis at your local repair shop as they have the equipment to do so properly.
I also suggest using an Infrared Thermometer to check temperatures with. if the engine is at 230f and the upper hose is at 200f, and the lower hose is still cool you likely have a clogged radiator. If the upper hose is cool as well then you have a bad water pump or t-stat. if the upper hose slowly warms, and you start to get bubbles then it's likely a water pump with the fins eroded off by electrolysis (gotta change that coolant at regular intervals)
Also make sure the radiator fans turn on.
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