1995 GT overheating -baffling

I have a 1995 Grand AM GT, 3.1L v6, auto, it has 150,500 on it. My car overheats like mad (260+) when driving for the first few minutes, then the temperature drops down to a little over 100. Then it will continue to randomly spike for, oh, 15 or so minutes. After that it will only heat up while idling. When I am at stoplights, sitting in my driveway, or what have you, it will heat up to 220, but when I rev the engine, or continue driving, it will fall back down to normal range. I am pretty sure that when it heats up that water is not circulating (heat goes cold). I have replaced the thermostat (replaced twice, just for good measure, as it didn't work after the first one), and I am pretty sure that it is neither the water pump nor the head gasket. Any ideas?

sounds like you have air in the coolant system, thats usually what causes spiking like you mentioned.

i wish it were that simple, i bled the system pretty well after replacing the thermostat.

Hello, I would like to know if you have had any luck with your overheating problems? I too have a 95 grand am gt with a 3.1 v6 that is overheating and I have not yet found a solution. The temperature guage will fluctuate from 150 deg to max and back down to 150 within a 2 mile stretch. I have replaced the thermostat, and the water pump. The person that I purchased it from said that they had a new radiator installed. I have bled the air out on numerous occasions and it is still overheating. I do have heat and the car runs fine. It does't seem to be missing. When it overheats, the water comes out of the resivoir cap. I have no problem changing the head gaskets and heads if thats what it takes. I just do not want to do that if that is not the problem.

Thank You for any help that you may be able to give me.

Hello, I would like to know if you have had any luck with your overheating problems? I too have a 95 grand am gt with a 3.1 v6 that is overheating and I have not yet found a solution. The temperature guage will fluctuate from 150 deg to max and back down to 150 within a 2 mile stretch. I have replaced the thermostat, and the water pump. The person that I purchased it from said that they had a new radiator installed. I have bled the air out on numerous occasions and it is still overheating. I do have heat and the car runs fine. It does't seem to be missing. When it overheats, the water comes out of the resivoir cap. I have no problem changing the head gaskets and heads if thats what it takes. I just do not want to do that if that is not the problem.

Thank You for any help that you may be able to give me.


I replaced the head gaskets and had to mill down a head - that seems to have taken care of the problem.

Best of luck to ya!