03 gp se 3.1ltr prob

ok we have had bad weather the last few days(sub zero temps). car started fine, but temp shot up to redline. didnt have any heat(just blew cold air). finally the car died and wouldnt restart(overheated). then i heard this lound clunking noise coming from the radiator i think. oh yeah i had to add antifreeze as well but couldnt find any puddles under the car. anysuggestions??

So when you seen the temp go the red line, you didn't think anything was wrong? Why would you let it run til it died? It very well might be dead forever! It sounds like you probably had a $10 part fail, or frozen, called a thermostat. Yeah and your anti-freeze wasn't probably anti, so much. More like just Freeze. It's sounds like you may have ice in your radiator.

If your lucky, the motor might run again. You need to change your thermostat and put in fresh anti-freeze. If it doesn't run, you might want to take it to a GM service center to see if they can salvage the motor for you. You may have burned some cylinders, warped the heads, cracked a head, who knows. Good luck let us know what happens.

i didnt notice the temp until after it quit running. and yes it did start again. i was thinkingit could be ice in the radiator...how would i get that out? the t-stat is below the throttle body? thanks for the response.

i didnt notice the temp until after it quit running. and yes it did start again. i was thinkingit could be ice in the radiator...how would i get that out? the t-stat is below the throttle body? thanks for the response.

Your going to have to thaw it out some how or another. You can disconnect the bottom hose radiator hose and keep pouring hot water through and letting it drain out. Once you get it thawed you should replace that thermostat. Yes it under the throttle body. Fill your system back up and with some fresh Dex Cool. Do not mix with green stuff. I'm happy for you that it still runs.

I have one question why would you think that your radiator would be frozen. Did you have just water or was it 50/50 mix of antifreeze?

I have one question why would you think that your radiator would be frozen. Did you have just water or was it 50/50 mix of antifreeze?

it was a 50/50 mix.. but the temp here hit almost -30 the other night.

it was a 50/50 mix.. but the temp here hit almost -30 the other night.

-30? Ouch!

Then your mix may be borderline for the severe weather conditions. Ethylene Glycol 50/50 mix coolant to include Dex-cool is typically good for as low as -34 degrees F.

A mixture of 60/40 Ethylene Glycol antifreeze should provide freeze protection down to at least -62° F.

And welcome to AF.

If the engine went,the best way is a reman and cheaper than fixing the engine.Jasper is the way to go and fixed the problems with the 3100/3400 eating cams,align bore the cam journals putting in upgraded cam bearings.GM does not fix this problem,they put in the cheapest cam bearing and the cam journals were casted offset.

ok we have had bad weather the last few days(sub zero temps). car started fine, but temp shot up to redline. didnt have any heat(just blew cold air). finally the car died and wouldnt restart(overheated). then i heard this lound clunking noise coming from the radiator i think. oh yeah i had to add antifreeze as well but couldnt find any puddles under the car. anysuggestions??

The temp shot up, heater blows cold air, he had to add antifreeze, and he's got a 3100.

I'm thinking Blown Lower intake gasket, and now that it has overheated, you will probably have to change the head gaskets, and get the heads checked for straightness.

Check your oil level. Is it over full?

no the oil is ok....talked to alocalmechanic and he said it could be air pockets in the system and that i should run the car with the radiator cap off to "burp" it out. he also said that the gaskets probably are about ready to go. ever heard of this air bubble thing?

I doubt it. Air pockets or air in the cooling system does not cause extreme overheating like you experienced. However, air or gases (combustion by-products) are introduced into the pressurized cooling system when the LIM or head gaskets blow.

Just to be sure if you are able to start the engine let it warmup and then see if any air is in the system by using the bleeder valve on the black tower located on top of the water pump and/or at the thermostat housing.

Good thinking Bob, He could start it, and feel a radiator hose te see if it immediatly gets high pressure. Indicating a blown head gasket.

got it fired up, ran for about 15 minutes, checked a hose, and felt very little pressure(top hose that runs to t-stat). also noticed droplets(not a lot) flying at me from serp belt.

waterpump?

hey i really want to thank you all for taking time to try to help with my problem. i bought a new battery(old one was shot) firedthe car up...and now i have heat. makes no sense to me..lol

yes it does sound sort of strange. How is your coolant level?

just added some so right now its fine. not seeing any puddles underneath. this maybe unrelated, but now one of the pulleys is squeaking. lol one thing after another

As stated before it could be the water pump. Remove the serpentine belt and check the water pump. See if the pulley has any play in it, if it does your water pump is on it's way out. It also could be the belt tensioner pulley also. Have you ever replaced the serpentine belt, that maybe the source of the pulley squeal. The wife's chevy pickup the belt squeals until the truck warms up.

it was a 50/50 mix.. but the temp here hit almost -30 the other night
GREETINGS,
I am interested if the temp. you are stating here is ambient temp or wind chill temp. just curious.
regards,
fish96
p.s. is your problem now solved?

I beleive that is in Canada and it was the actual temperature and not wind chill.

According to the OP's profile he is in Great Falls, Montana but he might as well be in Canada or in the Arctic with those winter temps. I'm glad I live down South. :grinyes:

Bob, i'm moving down south. I'm not a snow person, and I really could do without the -10 degree and -40 windchill temps around here recently.

Whats worse is that no one knows how to drive when the roads are slick. It will snow for a day, then the next day the temps will drop to 0 degrees or below. The roads will now still have packed down snow on them from the wind and cars driving over the top. It might as well be glare ice because its just as slippery.

There are good drivers who follow at a save distance, then there are drivers of 4x4 vehicles who just drive like nothing is different. They dont realize that four wheel drive doesn't help them stop.

Just last night I was driving 50-55 in a 55mph zone, and was being tailgated by a large f350. It was a 4 lane road, two lanes going each direction. The lane I was in was pretty well plowed and salted, so I felt comfortable going 55. The next lane over hadn't been touched by a plow. This guy behind me had plenty of opportunity to just flip over to the next lane and go around me, but instead he sat behind me and kept flicking his bright lights at me to make me move over. No way in hell was I going to go into that slippery lane so some impatient driver could go around me. About the 3rd or 4th flicker of his brights I got pissed and slowed down to 40mph. Then he finally got the message, moved over to the other lane, and went around me. As he passed he looked over and flipped me off. Whats worse is that he decided to go 55mph after he got in front of me. I was so ticked that I kept flashing my brights right back at him. For about the next 3 stoplights I rulled up right behind him which at each one I flicked my brights at him. Then he turned off.

Some people just dont get it, and probably never will.

The current temp in the Chicago area is -2 right now. They do not know how to drive here either. Especially people driving cars. It would be nice to move further south.

Hey guys don't feel bad. When it snows in Southern locales of the U.S. we get the same issues with people not knowing how to drive in the snow or icy conditions but it is at a very low frequency. However, there are other advantages like less worrying, reduced or little rust and not having to over winter prep your car. :grinyes:

It snowed in El Paso a few weeks ago but it never had a chance to stick to the ground and the freeze afterwards was minimal. Altitude 4000 feet. The sun has been out every day since with high temps in the 60s and lows in the mid-high 30s but it warms up fast. I had a short sleeve shirt on yesterday.

Oh Man Bob, Perfect weather! El Paso you say?

How are the temps in the summertime? In the summer here, it can get 90-100 degrees, but it is so darn humid that it feels like its 130.

Vegas had snow the other day, it closed down the whole city they got almost 4'' of snow.