I was able to pull the upper radiator hose and check the thermostat by pushing with a screwdriver. The thermostat pushes open (cold engine) and releases coolant into the housing. When I close it and absorb the coolant with a paper towel, the level stays down. Repeat, the housing fills again. Seems like the thermostat is closing and opening as it should, although I don't know at what temperature.
However, I popped the caps off of the AC bleed valves. I pushed the valve and got a very slight psssst, then nothing. Pressed the other one, nothing. Engine was off. My recollection is that there should be pressure there all the time. If it isn't already obvious, I'm not a mechanic... shadetree at best. I'm now starting to subscribe to this AC theory. Of course, if the system is empty, that is only a symptom of a bigger problem.
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