Overheating 99 grand am

I have a really good question/dilemma

My 99 Grand Am keeps over heating. It appears to be leaking coolant on the block in two places. I have been told that it is my Head Gasket. I have no foam in the oil or white smoke coming out of my exhaust, also no moisture on my tailpipe as well. It does not blow out hot air constantly through the vents. The hot goes in cycles. First cold air, then warm air, then it blows out hot air then back through that cycle. When idling below 2000 rpms it will not blow hot air out. I have had the rad hoses replaced, thermostat. Also in the driver seat I can smell the faint smell of coolant. I am about to replace the engine since I found a rebuild for cheaper than the head gasket will cost. But don't want to spend the $$ and find out it is something else is wrong that could have been fixed for cheaper. Any help would be appriecated.

Thank you

Rob

is it possibly running on to the block from another coolant line. If you can smell it in the car with the windows up it could be your heater core leaking.

welcome rkuchar1111. You definatly hav an air pocket traped in the coolant sysytem causeing the heat to cylce like you described. you didnt say what engine you hav, but the V6 leaks from the intake gasket. and the 4 leaks/blows head gaskets.

It is not the end of the world. It sounds to me like the notorious intake manifold gasket failure. It costed me 600 at the dealer to have replaced. No more leaks and no more heating issues.

Well my engine is a V6 3.3 I think. Also thank you for responding so quick. My intake has already been replaced once. You mentioned leaking from the heater core, how could I check that out? yes I could smell a little coolant in the car while the windows were up, not really a strong smell but you can it was coolant. The new engine will cost approx 1000 and another 2-3 hundred to throw it in.

Well my engine is a V6 3.3 I think. Also thank you for responding so quick. My intake has already been replaced once. You mentioned leaking from the heater core, how could I check that out? yes I could smell a little coolant in the car while the windows were up, not really a strong smell but you can it was coolant. The new engine will cost approx 1000 and another 2-3 hundred to throw it in.

If you hav a 99', then its a 3.4 v6.As I said before its probley air in the heater lines not leting coolant flow properly. Before you go buy a new motor, take off the resivour cap and let the car get warmed up.Turn the heater on full blast. Keep adding coolant till its full, and the heater blows hot air constant. This may take 30 mins or more. I have replaced my 99' intake gaskets 4 times.

This might also stop the antifreeze smell, if not you may need a new heater core. This is a pain to replace your self, so hopfully its just a temperary issue.

I'll try that. WHen I turned on my car the low coolant light was on. Also I added I think it was bar stop to stop the leaks. I was just adding water to my reso. on the ground it looked almost brown. Thanks again for helping.

the Bar Stop leak will work for small pin holes, but not if there is larger holes. The brown water(rust) is prob from running straight water in the system. I dont know where abouts u liv, but winters on its way, so if the leak gets fixed, I'd drain some of the brown water out and add some anti-freeze.

well tonight after work I stopped and got some coolant and for approx 45 min and removed the cap and kept adding coolant. I had the air on full blast and nothing, it kept blowing cold air. It appears to be some air in the lines. Also when I turned the car off I was cleaning up the driveway, I just about to close the hood I could hear smort of noise when I came closer to the hose coming out of the block ( on the right ) i dont know if this is right or not. But anyways there was this gurgling sound. Also during the course of me adding coolant my coolant light came on again and it looked like evaporation coming from the resovoir.

when you say air, you mean the fan on the climate control center, did you have the heat turned up too? If you did all that, the thermostats probly not working proper and in turn not letting the traped air escape.
One last thing, On the pass side of the engine, by the water pump, you will see the black hard lines that recirculate the coolant. The small brass fittings, the smallest one is a bleeder valve for the air thats traped. Just run the engine and open it a little if airs coming out thats cool, if the coolant starts to run out close it. If your heater cores not pluged up with stop leak this bleeder should get the last of the air out.

rkuchar1111 heres the other thread talking aboot the same thing.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=468806

I am sorry about the late reply. I had some crap going on at work this week, I havent had time to look at my car. This may sound kinda stupid where could I locate my Thermostat and how would I tell if it were defective.

the thermostat is under the throtle body(TB) in between the exhaust, you cant miss it. Pain in the ass to get to, you'll need a 13mm wrench and or socket and i think a 10mm for barket holding throtle linkage. The TB has to come off, some coolant lines are attached under that, and the recurculator line that runs accrossed on the front valve cover to the water pump needs loosend or taken out of the way. the tiny line on the thremostat housing needs loosend or removed. The SPRING on the thermostat goes IN facing the engine.