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Pontiac Grand Am Overheating

18 messages,  Last post on Oct 15, 2009 at 7:23 AM

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#12 of 18 car overheating! by largentsteve88 Jul 07, 2009 (3:54 pm)
hi all i have a Pontiac Grand Am 1995 SE that had a past overheating problem that was caused by a heater core leak. But before there was a steam that came up through the inside of car and attached to windshield but the current overheating problem is not accompanied with the steam coming into the car. Here is a list of some things I noted about the car and I was wondering If I could get any input! I had the thermostat changed, and a repair shop take a look at it but they say is fine. I will take any advices. Thank you! By the way it has a V6 engine.   Car Problems: 1. heater is not working. There is no hot air going into engine just cold. 2. White Smoke is coming from exhaust pipe 3. coolant is coming out of the coolant/water reservoir from where the cap is located. 4. engine temperature gauge is going into overheating zone 5. the low coolant light in car is always on even when the car coolant is filled completely Replies to this message: burdawg (Jul 07, 2009 8:21 pm)
#13 of 18 Re: car overheating! [largentsteve88] by burdawg Jul 07, 2009 (8:21 pm)
Replying to: largentsteve88 (Jul 07, 2009 3:54 pm) "White Smoke is coming from exhaust pipe" Steam in the exhaust indicates a blown head gasket, cracked engine or some other major failure. The other symptoms mostly agree.
#14 of 18 Re: GA overheating and coolant leaking [bpejring] by kaylamae137 Sep 30, 2009 (10:28 am)
Replying to: bpejring (Jun 24, 2008 10:12 am) i have the same problem with my 95 pontiac grand am se. those cars are definitely crazy. theyre a great engine, but they have to be properly taken care of, and the coolant system must be checked and flushed atleast once a year maybe even twice. ive had overheating problems one after another. it started out my radiator had a crack in it, so bought a new one of those, then i bought a new thermostat, a new water pump, a new coolant cap, and i have even wired my fan to a switch so i can have the fan on at all times. ive come to find that the whole time my gauge was off too, when it was "overheating" it acutally wasnt. crazy huh? if i were you id get the hose fixed and see if that stops the problem, i dont know why you wouldnt have had them do that to begin with??
#15 of 18 1999 Grand Am GT overheating and no interior heat by datencio Oct 09, 2009 (11:03 am)
1999 Grand Am GT, 95,000 miles, V6 3400 series engine.   Well fellow Grand Am owners I guess I have been pretty fortunate. Up till now I have had no problems with mine. But alas yesterday I saw fluid leaking under my car. I was astonished because I have never had even a drop of any kind of fluid. Ok I did the taste test it is definately coolant. After a thorough inspection I found the coolant was coming from a drain hose about 6 inches long and curved, slightly left of center on the firewall. I don't recognize the hose. At first I thought it was broken but was able to remove it and it seems to be made that way.   I drove the car this morning and it started to overheat but the air coming from the interior heating vents was ice cold. The carpet is not wet or damp but I am getting a coolant smell from the vents. I'm thinking the heater core is clogged at best, broken at worst. Any thoughts out there on this, does it sound like I am on the right track? Any help, advice or cheese to go with my whine would be appreciated!   Doug Replies to this message: shmang (Oct 12, 2009 2:13 pm) datencio (Oct 14, 2009 12:35 pm) burdawg (Oct 15, 2009 7:23 am)
#16 of 18 Re: 1999 Grand Am GT overheating and no interior heat [datencio] by shmang Oct 12, 2009 (2:13 pm)
Replying to: datencio (Oct 09, 2009 11:03 am) If you have not had any coolant related issues, this could be any of the following 2: 1. With age, your coolant reservoir cap can no longer hold the pressure and allow coolant to overflow. The fix is easy: Get another cap and replace it. 2. A blown head gasket - so the air from the cylinder is pushing the coolant out. You can test this by have the reservoir cap open and let the engine run for 2 min. If there is any air bubble comes out from the coolant in the reservoir, you have a blown head gasket and if you can not do the work yourself, it is time to junk the car and move on...as a typical head gasket job will cost you over $1000. Replies to this message: datencio (Oct 14, 2009 12:35 pm) burdawg (Oct 15, 2009 7:23 am)
#17 of 18 Re: 1999 Grand Am GT overheating and no interior heat [shmang] by datencio Oct 14, 2009 (12:35 pm)
Replying to: shmang (Oct 12, 2009 2:13 pm) Thanks for the reply it is appreciated.   Since my last post I decided to bypass the heater core just to see if the core was the problem. Took me about 20 minutes. Checked the coolant level and drove off hoping the engine would run at correct temperature. It did! I also ran it with the air conditioner on to load it and the temp stayed under 200.   Since I had no leakage inside the car I thought I would do a quick pressure check on the heater core. It held pressure even if one opening was not capped! I guess the core just got so clogged it would not allow flow.   I will still have to disassemble to replace the core but at least the overheating problem is gone. It is a little cold in the morning but hey this is San Diego.   After doing research I understand the repair manual is somewhat vague about replacing the core. Anyone know where I can get a good set of diagrams or a step by step procedure?   Again thanks for the replies   Doug Replies to this message: burdawg (Oct 15, 2009 7:23 am)
#18 of 18 Re: 1999 Grand Am GT overheating and no interior heat [datencio] by burdawg Oct 15, 2009 (7:23 am)
Replying to: datencio (Oct 14, 2009 12:35 pm) Try this: http://www.automotivehelper.com/topic672471.htm   I haven't done it myself. Before 1999 they recommended removing the entire dash for access, but it may not be necessary on later models according to these instructions. It's hard to believe that the core is completely blocked, but I guess it's possible..........

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