1999 grand am overheating

[ksst72]

I have a 1999 grand am with the v6 engien and for the last week the low coolant light would come one then go off after a few seconds then the other day it came on and stayed on. I added some water and it went out and today it came on and stayed on and i added water to it and when i went on my dinner break i added water to it and it went out then shortly came on again. when i got off work it started getting hot bout 250 degrees so i added water and this time when i added water to it the resevoir had water in it and was bubbling a bit just enough to spill a little out of the resevoir and it was still running bout 240 to 250 degrees got 5 miles out of town an it was like 270 and the temp warning light came on. and the heatrer was not blowing hot air. to me i dont think there was enough movement of the water in the resevoir but im no mechanic any help would be helpfull to me. forgot to mention that the fans are on and working

[ricebike]

you better have a leak/pressure test on that system STAT!!!!

shouldn't be driving like that @ all until the leak is found/repaired or else warped heads-dead engine will occur!

[ksst72]

I hope I have not messed up the heads already

[xeroinfinity]

those V6 heads are pretty tough for aluminum.
Your car should hav shut its self off if it gets to hot.

First off check your oil for white or chocolate colored stuff, on the dip stick and the oil fill cap!!!!!

That coolant/water in your oil will kill your engine FAST! And thats no good

IF thiers that stuff in your oil. Id bet its your lower intake gaskets or possibly the head gaskets.

How many miles on your car?

[ksst72]

has 152,000 miles on it and i will have to wait till i pull it home to check the oil

[xeroinfinity]

It either goes there or out the exhaust.
Sometimes they leak out on the driverside of the intake and make puddles on the engine block.

lets us know what you find out with the oil.

[ksst72]

OK oil is fine. i towed it home and put water in it about a gallon and a half of water and has not overheated since runs bout 200 degrees but water in resevoir is still not flowing like i think it should. but this is the newest vehicle i have had so i dont know if you should see it flowing in the resevoir or not

[xeroinfinity]

Well that gallon and a half didnt jsut disappear, not that I've ever seen.

The coolant should be flowing a little.
Should be able to tell also by feeling the coolant lines that run out of the bottom of the resivour, and that top black tube that runs acrossed the engine(recirculator tube).

Good Luck

[ricebike]

you should not... um is it the type where the resevoir & cap are both plastic??? & that cap is pressurized?

& that there is no separate metal radiator cap as seen in older/other makes of vechiles?

dang, that's alot of fluid you're replenishing!!!! find that external leak!

[ksst72]

after i put the water in I have driven it and have also let it idle for over hour and a half total time and has not gone over 205 degrees

[xeroinfinity]

Originally Posted by ricebike

you should not... um is it the type where the resevoir & cap are both plastic??? & that cap is pressurized?

& that there is no separate metal radiator cap as seen in older/other makes of vechiles?

dang, that's alot of fluid you're replenishing!!!! find that external leak!

I beg to differ! It is a pressurized system, and it should be flowing or at least you should see some movment in the resivour. More so under a little throttle. If it didnt, your car would overheat real fast!!

Originally Posted by ksst72

after i put the water in I have driven it and have also let it idle for over hour and a half total time and has not gone over 205 degrees

I'd say you are running a little hot.
Did you ever locate where all that coolant went?