04 GTP Comp G Temp Questions...

I have a few questions for all of you. Keep in mind I'm in Tucson, AZ.

First, what is an acceptable operating temp range for the tranny? On drives over 45 minutes, my Driver Info Center reads usually between 201-213. Dealer says it's normal for our climate, but manual says 180-200.

Second, what is the average operating temp of the car? There are no numbers on the gauge and I couldn't find anything in the manual. I just know that it hovers around the 10th tick mark(second large one).

Finally, I have a sound in my dash on cold starts that seems to come from the gauges spinning up. Almost like a grinding/ratcheting sound. Any ideas?

I just bought this car used with 27000 miles on it. I have 28200 on it now. Still under warranty also.

Thanks ahead of time,
Brick

If its still under warrnty the keep riding the Dealers ASS till they fix it, and refuse to pay for repairs YOU didnt Authorize.

But as far as Temps go in AZ, you might consider geting a trans kooler :thumbsup:
Advance auto is where I got my trans kooler(for my GA) and they had all the fitings so you dont hav to hack those expensive trans lines.

And replacing your thermostat with the 185deg one, if not already installed, should help keep both temps down more.

BTW-Right before I bought my GA SE, the car was in AZ on vaction and they replaced the trans at 27k miles because the heat killed it!
Good Hunting

Thanks,
Yes, it's still under warranty (extended to 60 months/60,000 miles). I was thinking of adding the tranny cooler, but I'm not sure where to find a quality product.

I can't find one for a 2004, except for on www.pfyc.com. I definately want to get this done before I start working on future upgrades (Cat-back, K&N CAI, etc...).

Any more ideas on where to find one?

->Brick

You probly wont find a vehicle specifc kooler, at least I couldnt for my GA.
And I'm not sure what stores are around the south west, I'm way the heck over in IN, wooho we hav parts stores on every other block it seems like these days.

The B&M 19,000GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) tranny cooler is what I bought for around $60.
Then I just had the auto parts store dig out the trany lines and fitings(to make sure it was the right parts), so they done all the runing, I got the parts :)

Hav been thinking about an outside in-line filter too.

We have plenty of stores around, the problem is that most of them only handle everyday items.

I have a 2000 Grand Prix SE also, and I just changed the wires in it, but it took 4 stores before I found one that had a wire set for a GP.

I'll do some calling around tomorrow and find out what's available. I'm gonna call the dealership too and find out if there are any warranty issues with adding the cooler. Don't want to void a warranty that cost me $1400!

If anybody else has any ideas, please post! This is the first decent car that I've owned, so I want to take very good care of it!

Also, does the cooler from PFYC look decent?
http://www.pfyc.com/store/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PFYC&Product_Code=GP3005&Product_Count=6&Category_Code=04UNDER

Thanks Again,
Brick

Stay away from the transmisson cooler. Unless you are pulling a trailer, you won't need it. Heat is not much of a problem with the tranny. ZZPerformance has rebuilt many GP transmissions, and has never seen one fail due to heat. Your biggest problem will be parts breaking due to the monsterous tourque that your comp g has. Especially if you start modding. But if you stay stock, you wont have much to worry about.

Get 180* non-drilled t-stat. It won't set off a SES light. Anything colder than that will.

Anything done to your car yet, or do you plan on modding?
If you're looking for places to buy aftermarket parts for your car, here is what I use:
www.zzperformance.com
www.3800performance.com
http://wbodystore.com/

and you've already found
pfyc.com

We have plenty of stores around, the problem is that most of them only handle everyday items.

I have a 2000 Grand Prix SE also, and I just changed the wires in it, but it took 4 stores before I found one that had a wire set for a GP.

I'll do some calling around tomorrow and find out what's available. I'm gonna call the dealership too and find out if there are any warranty issues with adding the cooler. Don't want to void a warranty that cost me $1400!

If anybody else has any ideas, please post! This is the first decent car that I've owned, so I want to take very good care of it!

Also, does the cooler from PFYC look decent?
http://www.pfyc.com/store/merchant.m...y_Code=04UNDER

Thanks Again,
Brick

Yes that looks like a sweet deal with all the parts included.
It should not void any warnty you hav but it doesnt hurt to ask the dealer just in case.

And heat will kill the trany! thats a fact! may not today or tomrrow, but it will.
Its not good at all on the clutchs/bands and the electronics.

Thanks Guys,
No mods yet. It's work in progress. I too believe that heat is a big problem with transmissions. I have a mecahnic that's a close friend and he runs coolers on all of his vehicles (2 cars and a truck) down here in AZ.

Does anyone have any answers to my other two questions?

Thanks Again,
Brick

if the info center is correct then you are runing the trans at the max heat level.

Your engine , w/195 thermostat, should run around 195-200.

As far as grinding in the dash, has someone droped anything in the heat/ac vents? I dont think thiers much else that could be buzzing or grinding.

Nobody has dropped anything in the dash.

Like I said it's a weird sound that I only get on cold starts and it only happens the first time. The guages spin up and as they do that is when the sound is noticable. Can't for the life of me figure this one out, maybe it's nothing.

As for car temp, I think that it's running normal.

What will changing to a 180 Tstat change? Will it just change when the fans kick on? If that's the case kinda seems like a pointless change.

Oh yeah, does anyone know where the passenger cabin air filter is located in this model? I feel like an idiot because I can't find it!

I'm no mechanic, but I have learned a lot about GP's over the years! Thanks for all the help guys,
Brick

Changing to a 180* T-stat will help your engine run colder. It does nothing with the fans. The colder T-stat will open up to let coolant through when it reaches 180* instead of 195*. It's a great way to reduce kr.

You really don't need a tranny cooler. It won't get hot enough to do any damage. It really is just a waste of money on a Grand Prix. If you don't belive me take a look at this page:
http://www.zzperformance.com/grand_prix/articles1.php?id=23
Notice the very first thing on the list;)

It is hard to argue with that. I'll try a Tstat first (save myself about $75 for now).

I see that 180 Tstat's run around $10-$15, are they good enough or is there a AC Delco part out there that I should get?

Are they hard to install? Like I said before, I know the basics of cars, but I'm new to stuff like this.

And do you think that this will keep my temp below 200 degrees on a 105 degree day? It does get hotter than that too!

Oh yeah, is there any change in gas mileage?

Thanks for all the input!
Brick

Probably a little bit better gas milage, but not too much. Maybe 1 or 2 mpg.

Stick with ZZP for parts. They are very helpful and parts are great quality. They carry just about everything you need.
I have 2 of their T-Stats. Drilled 160* (97 doesn't set of a service engine soon light) and a 180*. Lots of other maintence parts from them too. They know what they are doing. They've got a Grand Prix running 9's in the 1/4 mile!:O

It's on order...9's huh! That's amazing considering the size of the car! I imagine you're talking about the late 90's 2-door models! I watched a clip of a F-350 do an 11.72 this morning...hilarious, and I imagine seeing a GP do it faster would be funny too!

Thanks Again Guys,
Brick

Just as you said, customer service has been great so far. Ordered lastnight, shipped this morning. They weren't able to validate my zip code with U.S.P.S., so they upgraded to UPS and shipped it quick! Outstanding Service so far!

Thanks,
Brick

I read ZZPs little page there.
But when I said heat kills transmission i wasnt talking about the mechanicals as in gears, valves, etc etc.
I was reffering to the cheap clutch materials, on the cheap parts gm uses in thier transmissions.

Now if ZZP has been in Arizona for a summer or two, and not in Michigan where its cool as hell through the winters, they'd see what real heat does to clutch facing.

I'm not saying Go out and buy a kooler today, but if AZ's temps during the summer get over 110, and the tranys acting funny, better take it to a Qualified Mechanic and hav it checked out ASAP.

Also the 180* will also help with the trans temps alittle, you should knowtice a diff right off.

Good Hunting

Thanks, I will keep that in mind. I'm originally from MI, so I know that the temp difference is astronomical for a car. I'll definately be paying close attention this summer!

Thanks Again,
Brick

You know bricker82, I just thought you hav the Comp G GTP(DUH), it has a Much tougher trans than the GP or GTP.

Those Comp G's are sweet ass rides, you be sure to treat her right! :lol:

It is a sweet car! I love it! Here is a pic...
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/3264/newcar14yl.th.jpg (http://img85.imageshack.us/my.php?image=newcar14yl.jpg)

Is there a difference in the transmission though? I thought that the GTP had a different tranny than the other models but that was it? I didn't think that the Comp G pack made any difference in the tranny.

Nice Ride!:thumbsup:
I havnt seen to many white Comp Gs out there, mostly black or dark blu. But I like white, hides dust better than black.

If I'm not mistaken the Comp G has a different trany than the GTP or GP.

If you hav the padle shifters that is, think its called triptronic or something like that. Not for sure my self.
Just resently hav I been working on transmissions, I know quiet a bit about them, just didnt ever work on them internally(PITA)

If I'm not mistaken the Comp G has a different trany than the GTP or GP.

If you hav the padle shifters that is, think its called triptronic or something like that. Not for sure my self.
Just resently hav I been working on transmissions, I know quiet a bit about them, just didnt ever work on them internally(PITA)

You're pretty close on that Xero. For a '04 GTP or Comp G the basic tranny is the typical 4T65E-HD, however, the difference is the differential. The GTP has 2.93:1 final drive gearing and the Comp G has 3.29:1 plus the paddle controls which interface directly into the PCM to control shifting. Other than that all parts to include the torque convertor are the same. The '04 GT has a standard 4T65E.

thankx Bob.
I was assuming the GTP/CompG had a different trany then the standard GP. Mainly because of the HP differances with the super chargers.
And I didnt know what other parts were involved with the paddle shifter. Nice plug and play :)

But the final gears too, hum, guess you can hav more torque at higher speeds and or higher speeds. Like they arnt fast enough already.

Thanks!!!

So the only difference, as far as the tranny goes, is the gear ratio and the paddle option. That's what i thought. I know that the other options include painted calipers and a MagnasteerII steering system. Thanks for the info guys,

Brick

Ok,
Just got the new thermostat today. My question is should I pay someone else $60 to do the labor for me or is this to simple of a job to pay for. I really want your opinions.

I have to have the oil changed at this place and I figured I'd have them do the thermostat at the same time. Friggin synthetic oil...~$7 a quart.

Also, what kind of oil filter do you think I should get? I was thinking of going with a K&N oil filter, or should I stick to AC Delco parts?

Thanks Again All,
Brick

UPDATE: Already did oil change so nevermind about that. I used Mobil1 and a Puralator filter. I'm doing the thermostat myself this weekend too. Thanks Again Guys,
Brick

Good to see things are working out for you. Mobil 1 is probably the best synthetic oil you can get besides royal purple (which should only be run in a race motor only). I would personalty stay away from a K&N oil filter or air filter for that matter. The oil filter won't give you that big of a gain, and as for the air filter, K&N have been know to over-oil the filters, which if I remember right leaves silcone in the motor.

The T-stat is very easy to put in. Just find out where the top raditor hose goes into the intake manifold. There should be about 2 bolts holding down the piece (it looks kinda like half a ball) that connects to the raditor hose and the intake manifold. I will have to look to see if I can find a write-up on how to do it. Or if you have any questions, just let me know. I will try to get back on here more often.

Thanks a lot!

I'll keep posting what I do. Yeah, I went with a Puralator brand oil filter, but I'm keeping my K&N Air filter.

Thanks again,
Brick

K&N should work fine, but if something ever happens to it, get S&B.
How do you like the whine?;)

Doesn't bother me much! I won't be able to change that until I get a CAI on it though! I'll keep S&B in mind.

Thanks,
Brick

Alright Guys,

Today I put the 180 T-stat on (got instructions from PFYC.com). It was a very simple change as you guys said and I have seen a temp difference too! Small, but a differnece nonetheless.

I'm going to run it for a while like this and see if I get temps that I'm more comfortable with. I have a trip to Phoenix to see the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race on the 22nd planned, so that should be a fairly tedious drive for the car!!!

I figure from that trip I should get a good determination on how my car's running!

Thanks Again,
Brick