Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Pontiac Grand Am Overheating

travisv2084travisv2084 Member Posts: 1
in Pontiac
I changed the thermo,water pump,heat sensor,flushed the rat.and the car still runs hot.any more sugg.thanks
Tagged:

Comments

  • coolguy1128coolguy1128 Member Posts: 1
    have you tried checking to see if the heater core is leaking? i had the same overheating problem and turns out i was leaking antifreeze. just an idea
  • jderider2jderider2 Member Posts: 3
    I just bought a 95 pontiac grand am that had the same problem. I immediately suspected the cooling fan so I went to remove it and realized that the fan blade wasn't even attached to the fan motor...you may want to take a continuity test through the fan or a voltage reading from the plug once your temp gauge gets half ways up. otherwise, check the fan relay
  • jderider2jderider2 Member Posts: 3
    I need to remove the fan from my 95 pontiac grand am and the repair manual says to remove the front wheel (but it doesn't say which one. lol) , then remove the bolt from the lower torque axis mount (but doesn't show me any pictures or tell me where it is), then I'm supposed to be able to rock my entire engine backwards so I can remove the fan. does anybody know where to find this lower torque axis mount?...pictures would help
  • mastermechmastermech Member Posts: 2
    well there are several reason that could cause this i dont know if u have the problem fixed yet but, i was wondering what engine u have in the car.
  • jderider2jderider2 Member Posts: 3
    I have pretty much determined that I have a blown head gasket. my engine is a quad 4 and I found out that the fan for the car was missing the nut that holds the fan blade to the fan motor. I have started ripping apart my engine to remove the head and have it re-surfaced and replace the gasket. I am currently stuck on removing the rocker arm covers. it looks lik,e the may be bolted to the timing chain housing and if this is the case, I will have to support the engine with a jack, remove the upper motor mount so I can remove the timing chain cover...boy is that gonna be fun. but that is not my main concern right now. I am borrowing my girlfriends car which is a 93 Grand Am. Her brothers replaced the harmonic balancer, and the master brake cylinder. But when they put the wheels back on, now the steering wheel shakes when you drive like something is unbalanced on one of the wheels. she said that before they did this, the wheels only had 3 lug nuts on them so I don't know what's going on, but I'm gonna try and fix it tomorrow. I could use some advice on what could cause this.
  • bren43bren43 Member Posts: 1
    Hi every1..im new to this site and was wondering if you could help me out. I have a 99 grand am gt with the 3400 series engine that has overheated on me more than once since i got it. There are no visable leaks in the coolant system but the coolant keeps going dry. my son suggested that i replace the thermostat. Would the thermostat be helpfull or would it be sumthing more serious? Oh and when i bought the car, the car lot i bought it from had the headgaskets replaced and the oil looks perfectly fine.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    If there's no apparent leaks either on to the ground or into the oil then the only place the coolant can be going is into the cylinders or cylinder and out the tailpipe. Any competent shop can do a pressure check of the cooling system and diagnose the problem. My gut feeling is either a bad gasket somewhere (head or intake manifold) or worse a crack in the engine somewhere.
  • bpejringbpejring Member Posts: 1
    My 93 grand am is leaking coolant from a hose under the car. I took it to a shop and they replaced the water pump and the thermostat, and then did a pressure check to make sure that the block wasn't cracked. $350.00 later the car is still leaking coolant out of the same hose. Anybody know what I'm talking about, or has anyone experienced the same thing?
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    If you have a confirmed leaking hose, then why was all this other work done? I mean, why wasn't the leaking hose replaced in lieu of all this other work? Also, what engine are you talking about, the V6 or the Quad 4?
  • gary_successgary_success Member Posts: 5
    Here is some useful information taken from this site:
    http://www.aa1car.com/library/overheat.htm
    When refilling the cooling system, air can become trapped under the thermostat. This will form a steam pocket that prevents the thermostat from opening and may cause the engine to overheat. Some cooling systems have one or more bleeder valves that can be opened to vent air from the system while refilling the system. If your cooling system does not have a bleeder valve, you can drill a small hole in the thermostat as shown. This will allow air to escape past the thermostat so it is not trapped inside the engine block. Some thermostats come with a similar feature called a "jiggle valve." There is a small hole in the thermostat with a pin that allows air to escape.
  • largentsteve88largentsteve88 Member Posts: 1
    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
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    "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.
  • kaylamae137kaylamae137 Member Posts: 1
    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??
  • datenciodatencio Member Posts: 4
    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
  • shmangshmang Member Posts: 297
    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.
  • datenciodatencio Member Posts: 4
    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
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    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..........
  • skibaby1289skibaby1289 Member Posts: 1
    I had a friend of mine bypass the heater core for me because there was no heat and a kiddy pool on my passenger side floor. The floor is now dry, there is still no heat obviously. The leak from the bad hose is gone having been replaced with new hose and he drove it to test it out before i came to pick it up and he said it ran great and it is holding coolant. However when i went to drive it home i had to stop three times on the 25 minute drive back to my house because it was over heating. When i called him he said i should look at a problem with the oil because i know it leaks some. does anyone have any ideas? i have a 1993 grand am
  • 71broncomayhem71broncomayhem Member Posts: 1
    Hello all My cooling fan will not turn on. I wired the fan to battery it checks out ok. I replaced temp switch still does not work. While engine is running and up to temp I unplugged temp switch and the fan turns on and stays on so the fan relay must be good. Could I have bought a bad switch or does the problem lie in the wirring. Please help.
  • deewmdeewm Member Posts: 5
    edited February 2010
    I have a 95 grand am with the Quad 4 and at low rpm the temp would go up. I removed the radiator and flushed it out at both ends with hot water. It was extremely dirty and I was surprised it cooled at all.The heater inside the car was at best blowing out warm air - not hot. I also unhooked the hose going to the heater core and rigged up a water hose to the heater hose and flushed out the heater core. It also was nasty. Just keep flushing it out untill the water is clear. Removing the radiator was a bit of a job but you can flush it out really good. Now the car runs at the correct temp and the heater works great. Hope this helps
  • 99grandam2_4l99grandam2_4l Member Posts: 1
    I have not been having good luck in town lately. It seems that my radiator fans are not coming on. I tested for voltage to the fan, it was there, I tested again. it wasn't. I plugged my fans back in and they worked perfect while it was sitting in my driveway. the next time I drove it. It started to overheat in stop and go traffic again. Is this a relay problem? The sensor that tells the fans it's hot so turn on now? How do I test the coolant fan relays? Also, I tore apart my temperature control cluster to try and see why the fan wouldn't work on 1 and 2. I didn't fix it, but now my defrost and a/c doesn't work. I mean my rear defrost by the way... Also, my car has a ruff idle, I replaced spark plugs, could it be plug boots? Any help would be appreciated. thanks.
  • chango1965chango1965 Member Posts: 2
    Run out of ideas of my 99 Grand AM 4300 6 cyl, overheating after i replaced coolant reservior, water pump,left out thermostat and new radiator, fans dont come on, replaced temp sensor also, i havent noticed any white smoke coming from exhaust, i've pulled out my hair by now, can someone please help..
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Did you check the relays for the cooling fans?
  • chango1965chango1965 Member Posts: 2
    yes, i did replace the relays, forgot to mention that.
  • rhelsonrhelson Member Posts: 1
    My friend has a 2005 grand am. She took it to Precision Auto Tune and they told her she had to replace her thermostat. My husband did it for her since he had replaced our thermostat before. Now, she says her temperature is still hot and she doesn't think the fans are coming on. My husband says they were coming on right after he put in the thermostat. Can there be a bad thermostat? Or is there something else wrong with it? Oh, and she said she cannot find any evidence of a leak and her antifreeze is still full.
  • ashleefashleef Member Posts: 1
    Ive replaced the thermostat 3 times, the coolant temp censor, and flushed the system and still it overheats. There is nothing in my oil and nothing coming out of my exhaust that isnt normal. I leave the car idle for quite sometime before all of my coolant bubbles out of my reservior. And my car only gets to 210-220 before it starts overheating. There has been alot of air come out of the bleeder. Im not sure what else it could be everything I've been told it was, it wasn't so far.
  • davdangerdavdanger Member Posts: 1
    Remove right front wheel (passenger side). near the bottom of the frame, in front of axle you will see a bolt head behind a sheet-metal bracket. Remove bolt and torque rod is relesed.
  • acpontiac2000acpontiac2000 Member Posts: 1
    I am having problems with my Pontiac overheating on me. I have replaced the Intake Manifold, Thermostat and water pump but it still seems to over heat on me. I was just wondering if anyone had a idea of what the problem could be. Thanks
  • dickeyydickeyy Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 grand am se. I have the same problem. I couldn't get it fixed professionally. So i basically just rigged it to a fuze. Works fine unless I need to be in a low gear at like 3500 rpm going up hills for 20 minutes.
  • schmity676schmity676 Member Posts: 1
    Hey i have a 95 grand am 2.3 L quad 4 and it leaks on the tranny and i have replaced the thermo housing once and it still leaks it only leaks when it sits overnight!!!! it is bugging me because i cant find the leak!! plz reply back
  • stumpy8stumpy8 Member Posts: 1
    i have the same problem. did you ever find out the solution. please help me
  • landonbrookelandonbrooke Member Posts: 2
    This is going on with my grand am right now, I need some help. What did u find out?anything let me know thanks
  • landonbrookelandonbrooke Member Posts: 2
    My car is doing the same thing, what did u find out?
  • ilmatteouilmatteou Member Posts: 1
    i did change the reservoir and it seems to work fine after that, you can try that, costs like $30.00 at auto parts store.
  • nrhsg93nrhsg93 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 95 Pontiac Grand Am with the 2.3l QUAD 4. I just had all the hoses replaced for the coolant system, replaced the thermostat and the water pump checked out to still be good. No cracks in the engine, all gaskets are good including the head gasket and cooling fan is working normally. Refilled the system with the proper antifreeze and flushed the system of any air pockets. I'm getting heat coming out of my vents and no steam is coming through the vents. OH, also the heater core is still good. So, why is my car still overheating? Could it be the overflow cap or is there still a possibility that theres still an air pocket somewhere in the system?
  • pettpett Member Posts: 1
    <try cleaning the radiator coils with Pro Red coil cleaner, takes about 20 minutes at the carwash to do it right. The heat cannot transfer away from the radiator effectively in all grand ams because the evaporator core is located too close in front of the radiator to allow proper air flow all the way around it. Also, grand ams sit too close the ground (hot concrete during the summer), and the hood is too close to the engine to allow for adequate ventilation all the way around, so the engine sits there and cooks during the summer months, and sometimes the damage will not show up until months later. Keeping the engine degreased and hoses clean or replaced will combat most of the heat build up. I will be cleaning the coils on mine tomorrow and doing a thorough inspection as mine has been boiling over a couple of times this week, i am in Texas and in July every day is over 100 degrees F. I bought my 1997 Grand Am in 1999, and overall i have been happy with my GrandAm SE, but road grease and grime take a toll on these cars because the engine compartment is jammed together with not enough ventilation. It's not always a blown head gasket, if it were you would have a significant loss of horsepower and the oil level would never stay near the top of the dipstick markings, and the antifreeze holding tank cap would have a milky white and oil residue clogging it up, if the cap looks clean then you absolutely have a good head gasket. To test for a blown head gasket, remove a spark plug in the front of the engine and place a compression gauge in place of it, if all the spark plug entries measure the same within a few lbs. then the head gasket is fine. Also, if the head gasket is blown, the evap sensor would send a GM code to the ECM from a resulting fouled out EVAP canister carbon filter, so the check engine light would go off within 1 minute, if i remember right it's Gm code 481. The 1996 Chevy Corsica has an identical engine to the Grand Am, a 305 block, yet Corsicas don't have near the overheating problem as the Grand Am. The Corsica has fewer excess features clogging up the engine compartment so the issues are at a minimum, my mother has a 1996 Corsica that i've kept running for her since 1998. So i speak from experience, Clean, Clean and Clean some more!
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles