Coolant light

[blandreth]

I have a 98 grand am se 2.4 liter, automatic. During the winter months my low coolant light comes on and I lose coolant...somewhere, and I constantly have to monitor and keep filling the reservoir. Usually about once a month or so. So it is a slow leak somewhere. I never see it on the ground. However, during the summer months I can fill the reservoir and after three starts the low coolant light resets itself and goes off, and as far as I can tell I do not lose my coolant. It does seem to run hot if I sit for a long time idling(slow or stopped traffic), but it doesn't overheat, it just hugs the overheat line. I have called two local shops and explained this situation, and the first thing out of both of them was the head gasket. Both places also told me it would cost around $1500 to replace. Any ideas before I spend a bunch of money I may not need to spend?

[Hollowcreek]

Do you get any coolant odors or occassional steam when you turn on the defroster in the winter? I had a '94 that lost coolant for years and I could not figure it out. We could smell a faint coolant odor, but not all the time. Turned out that the plastic heater control valve had a crack in it. It finally broke and flooded the car. Had the valve and the heater core replaced with a metal one for less than $300 and the coolant loss stopped. Two dealers told me that it was the head gasket too.

[skibum1111]

Mechanics seem to be quick to say the head gaskets are bad on the quad motors. I had a small coolant loss and was told by several mechanics, the dealership, and a trained monkey that it was the head gasket, turned out to be the bypass hose on the black of the motor leaking.

[blandreth]

Originally Posted by blandreth

I have a 98 grand am se 2.4 liter, automatic. During the winter months my low coolant light comes on and I lose coolant...somewhere, and I constantly have to monitor and keep filling the reservoir. Usually about once a month or so. So it is a slow leak somewhere. I never see it on the ground. However, during the summer months I can fill the reservoir and after three starts the low coolant light resets itself and goes off, and as far as I can tell I do not lose my coolant. It does seem to run hot if I sit for a long time idling(slow or stopped traffic), but it doesn't overheat, it just hugs the overheat line. I have called two local shops and explained this situation, and the first thing out of both of them was the head gasket. Both places also told me it would cost around $1500 to replace. Any ideas before I spend a bunch of money I may not need to spend?

Yes, occasionally I do smell coolant during the winter.