Help

[helpme0768]

This is so cool I have never seen a forum like this! I have a 1993 ponitac grand am quad four.As a single female I have learned alott of stuff on the motor of my car.I to had a starting problem starting my car it started when it wanted to.It somtimes acted like it was dead but a recall fixed my problem.So far I have had to replace fuel pump,air/oil seperater,alternater belt,radiater,Idle air control,water pump ext. Well now iam having a over heating problem.I dont think it the water pump.I know my gage isnt working properly thanks to a lazer i could point to the moter and the lazer said it wasnt hot. Now it is hot and i dont know what to do.Where is the thermostate? You would think I should know but I dont.I bought a book on my car but i let a shade tree machanic work on it and he took my book.Any way can anyone of you tell me why it might be running hot?Its not losing water.I need to flush the radiater but I cant find the radiater cap? Just a over flow tank.Can any one help?..Lisa

[fluffybunny]

radiator fills through the overflow, thermostat should be down the line from the waterpump,

[landyacht]

Take it to the dealership and they'll be able to tell you. If their diagnosis is something that sounds off, there should be a Mr. Radiator or something close to you.

Don't like the dealers, i suggest the phone book!

[Slade901]

The thermostat is located behind the engine (crazy design). You will get a better access at the bottom of the engine with vehicled jacked up to replace the thermostat. (Note the orientation of the original thermostat because you don't want to put the new thermostat in the wrong direction).

Now, since they replaced the water pump before, have they replaced the thermostat as well?

To drain the cooling system, just remove the overflow reservoir cap. Locate the radiator drain plug at the bottom of the radiator (driver side, facing the engine). I use a small 1/4" ratchet to turn the drain plug counter clockwise to open it.

Here's my procedure when I flush my cooling system.

You might have to rig up and install a manual overide of the radiator fan so you can turn the fan manually while driving the in the city stop and go.

I would recommend its time to do hands on with your vehicle. If you are willing to learn about your vehicle, the less likely you will be ripped off. Get a male relative or a friend to help you.


Do you have the orange color coolant or the green color coolant? Get the right color for your new coolant replacement $6 each (3 or 4 of them). Get a coolant flush solution $4. Fluid drip pan.

Drain the coolant from the radiator drain plug, open the overflow reservoir cap to drain it faster.
Close the drain plug and put water in the overflow reservoir until full (I would suggest to use a water gallon so you can measure how many gallons it takes to fill the radiator) and put back the overflow reservoir cap. Start the vehicle for 10-15 minutes (you might want to select the heater and fan blower to max) and turn off the engine. Drain the cooling fluid and open the overflow reservoir cap.

Close the drain plug and pour the Cooling Flush solution and then fill the overflow reservoir with water and close the overflow reservoir cap. Start the vehicle for 10-15 minutes (you might want to select the heater and fan blower to max) and turn off the engine. Drain the cooling fluid and open the overflow reservoir cap.

Close the drain plug and fill the overflow reservoir with water and close the overflow reservoir cap. Start the vehicle for 10-15 minutes (you might want to select the heater and fan blower to max) and turn off the engine. Drain the cooling fluid and open the overflow reservoir cap.

Close the drain plug. Now, remember how many gallons it took to fill the radiator when filling up. Check your manual on how many total gallons of coolant it takes to fill the whole cooling system. Draining does not drain the whole cooling fluid and that is why it's important to know how many gallons it take to fill the radiator.
Example, if it takes 4.5 gallons to fill the radiator after it was drained and if the book states that it takes 6 gallons to fill the whole cooling systems with fluid, we know that it has 1.5 gallons of water still left in the cooling system even after draining it.
We want to have 70% coolant and 30% water.
30% of 6 gallons is 1.8 gallons of water.
70% of 6 gallons is 4.2 gallons of coolant.
If 1.5 gallons of water is left in the cooling systems, then we just need 0.3 gallons of water added and then 4.2 gallons of coolant.

If you want to use 50% coolant and 50% water then
we just need:
50% of 6 gallons is 3 gallons of water.
50% of 6 gallons is 3 gallons of coolant.
Since we have 1.5 gallon of water left in the cooling system, then we just need 1.5 gallon of additional water. We just need to add 3 gallons of coolant.

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/tr/tr110046.htm

[shark2000]

Just a guess. What about the coolant temp sensor(CTS)? If the guage doesn't work and it's over heating, the temp sensor could be bad and not turning on the fan. Don't know about the GA, but my Saturn had two of them.

[helpme0768]

Thanks everyone for your responces! I found the thermostate located just like you said behind the motor and thankfully i have small hands and i changed it! That did not fix my problems Its still over heating. I have already changed th temp sensor.My fan comes on like it suspose to but when it comes on my check engine light comes on and it hasnt did that before.Also the temp gage inside the car doesnt work any more either.Iam planning to flush the system today thanks for telling me how after that i will be lost.I had found a small leak in what most people call the theromostat housing but i put a new gasit on it and tighten down screws and it quit leaking.I say most people call it a thermostate housing because on most cars that is where the thermostate is but not on this one. A question if the water pump goes bad will it leak water? Well Ill get back to yall after i flush the system and let you all know if it worked1...Thanks

[helpme0768]

Well that didnt work although I didnt think it would because the water didnt look dirty.So tomorrow iam going to take out the theromostat and if that dont work the only thing left is the water pump.I guess it could be bad.Its not leaking water but i dont think it is circulating like its suspose to. All i have is a overflow tank to go by.I dont see no circulation in there.What you think guys need some more help!!!!!Lisa

[Slade901]

Probably your engine is not overheating at all.
You said that your gauge is not working and you use a lazer and point towards the motor to get the temperature reading. The reading you are reading might be from the exhaust manifold, etc., and give your an incorrect reading. You need a temp reading of the cooling system (water) itself.

I would suggest to use a mechanical water temperature gauge. Use a temp gauge that uses electric wire to your gauge.
I don't recommened using a temp gauge that uses a long tube to the gauge itself because it is easy to break those hose. With electric type gauge, you don't have to worry about water leaking due to broken tube.
See if the temperature shows you a better temp reading.

[helpme0768]

Hi Slade, first off I have a 1994 grand am not 1993 my bad.The car used not to run hot when the gage said it was but i think it is now because the motor get real hot and you can hear the water boiling in there it makes loud gurgleing sounds! This car gets on my nearves somtimes lol.Its almost like the water is not flowing all the time.Thats why i thought that the termostat was stuck.Ill keep working on it thanks for reply keep giving your opinion we will get this fixed.....Thanks Lisa

[mjgjr72]

to ckeck the flow check up and lower hose temp to see if both are hot (carefull you don't get burned)

if engine hot and
upper and lower hot, make sure coolant fan is coming on

if upper hot and lower cold or cool your radiator may be clogged

if upper and lower cool you have a bad water pump or thermistate

if upper and lower hot cooling fan working and you hear a gurglling in resevoir you may have a bad headgasket

[shark2000]

One thing I've never seen again is how my 86 Camero with 2.8 V6 had a crack in the plastic part of the radiator, but never over heated. If I filled it, it would leak back down to the crack and stop there. Any other car always over heats with something like that. I've never seen another car do this. Sorry this wasn't any help for the post, but I just thought I'd mention it. Maybe someone knows why it didn't over heat on me? It was a very good car until that one morning, well, I took out a couple of small trees with it. lol That was in England. I'm lucky the tree owner didn't sew me for the trees. They do that over there. lol

[helpme0768]

Hey guys this car is really starting to make me mad!This is what i did,I flushed the system useing a tee in the hoses comming out from the fire wall(heater hoses) pulled off bottom hose to the radiater to drain.Water came from the bottom of the radiater with ease giving no signs of it being clogged.I hooked the hoses back up filled it with water and run the engine.Checking both the top and bottom hoses to see if they get hot.First the fan comes on before the motor even gets hot after about 7 minutes of running the top hose gets real hot and when you hold onto it you can feel a jump in the hose.Bottom hose is cold.I know you said if top hose is hot bottom is cold the radiater might be clogged but when i flushed it it didnt seem that way.Both hoses stay cold for about 7 mins then only the top hose is hot? What should i do just short of blowing it up? I live in a small town with no one noing how to work on a car like mine. All they can work on is 1970 and down when everything is standard.Please Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Lisa

[helpme0768]

ok today i took out the theromostat, both hoses gets hot fan comes on cant really tell if its running hot because gage dont work only puzzle the water in reserve tank is cold?

[Slade901]

Just make sure that the thermostat is positioned with the V or the pointed part of the thermostat is pointing downwards.

Just remember that even though that the coolant reservoir is close to full but when you start the engine and the thermostat opens up, it fills up all part of the cooling system and so your coolant reservoir gets low.

I don't like the coolant reservoir cap because it is threaded type. The radiator does not have a cap.
Typical radiator has a radiator cap which is easy to remove by pushing and rotating the radiator cap and coolant reservoir cap does not have to be tightened good.

On our 1994 Pontiac Grand Am 2.3L, I have to use a strap wrench http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...000&adCell=P11 or similar wrench to tighten it or loosen it. If you don't tighten the coolant reservoir cap, air is introduced and guess what? Coolant starts boiling (gurgling sound) when a hot coolant is exposed to air.
Remember the coolant reservoir is like part of the radiator and has to be completely close and so the coolant reservoir cap needs to be tightened up good.

[kissick84]

i dont know where this message is going, but i have a problem with a 96 grand am and the problem is unfixable i think, i start the car and go to let it warm up and it wont warm up, there is no heat from the heater due to the temp of the car not rizing, i have replaced the water pump, and the thermostat, it was neither of those, all the fluids are at the correct level, if anyone can help email me at [email protected]