Just bought a 97 pontiac grand am. Was told that it needed a head gasket, but I'm not for sure. It does get hot, but when you really get on it, it cools down into the middle of the normal range. Any ideas, or is that a normal thing for a small leak in a hg?

 

What is the history of this vehicle? Did anybody check the Tstat? Is the cooling fan working? If it has AC does the fan turn on when you turn the AC on? Do you have white smoke coming out of the exhaust? How much water are you losing, and does it show on the ground beneath the car?
Sorry to answer your question with many questions,but we don't have enough to go on.

 

no white exhaust fumes, water doesnt show on the ground from what i've seen. fans run, and the guy said he put a new t stat in it.

 

I would have it pressure tested before I even put a wrench to it. JMO

 

Should be a 2 fan setup ... one fan cycles with coolant temps and the other cycles with the AC compressor. Make sure they both operate properly.

Also, is the lower are dam (deflector) in place? One that is missing or damaged will cause some strange cooling issues.

I wonder if "the guy" properly purged all the air out of the coolant system. Something simple to check.

I would go to a competent radiaor shop and have the coolant system pressure checked and the coolant tested for exhaust particulate.

 

Also Tstats have been known to be bad right out of the package,or installed backwards.

 

Sounds like the coolant flow is not enough at low speed. Perhaps the radiator core or engine passages are gunked up with deposits? If you can look inside the radiator, look for the coolant tubes, look like long(1/2" x1/8") oval holes in the "floor" of the tank, should be lots of them. If you see some crusty stuff inside the tubes, you may need to have the radiator "rodded out" or replaced. Or the engine may have crsuty deposits inside or the waterpump may not be flowing well. A heavy duty coolant flush might do it, but if you see crusty, then a shop is probably needed.

A blown head gasket might be the problem but it would be an expensive fix so look for the cheap stuff first. Also check your oil and the dipstick and the underside of the oil cap. If you see anything that looks like mocha or chocolate Mousse, that would be a sign of water leaking thru the gasket into the oil. Needs to be fixed right away.

Also once in awhile a new T stat is defective and can cause symptoms similar to what you are seeing.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

So what did you find out, if anything?

 

I've drove it for a few days, and still does the same thing. It starts to get warm, and then if i really get on it it brings the temps right back down. It is loosing a very small amount of water, but not on the ground from what I can tell. Where is the water pump on these cars? It and the power steering arent on the serpentine system, do they run off of the timing set or what?

 

Hm, 97 G/A should be the quad motor (2.4) and therefore you will want to sell it rather than do the water pump The other mechanics at my dealer tell me it's a friggin nightmare but I have, fortunately, never ran into one needing a w/pump. And yes the p/s pump is run off the cam. If it's not a 2.4 and it's a 3.1 then the w/pump is in the serpentine system right in front of the motor. It's very small. . . but figger out which motor you have and give a holler

 

Yes, it is a 2.4. Where does the water pump run off of? Where is it at? The car made a 60 mile trip on the highway, and didnt get warm once but in town still wants to get warm.

 

Actually, the water pump is annoying, but not the problem with those motors. The cam timing and setup in changing the head gasket is the problem, talk about nightmares... Good engines as long as you never have to work on them, once they start having problems with the motor itself, they will continue to have them is my experience, so bad that it is hard to find a shop willing to work on them. The water pump is driven by the timing chain, low on the back side of the motor. One of two ways to get at it, from the bottom, probably have to remove the half shaft for better clearance, if the trans isnt in the way, been long enough since I had my 89 I don't remember. Other way is from the top, and likely have to take the exhaust manifold off, which isn't a terribly big deal, as long as the cover bolts come out. The pump is held on to the drive gear mount by 3 bolts, the back one can be a bear. The pump splines on to the shaft that goes through the mount housing to hold the gear and shaft. Be sure to get the right bolts though, you do not want to deal with the timing chain setup if you can avoid it. I crushed my 89 a while back, talk about a money pit for no return... If it is going through that little water, I doubt it is head gasket, sounds a bit more like airflow problems if it is only overheating at slower speeds, whether it be a fan or blockage or missing air dam is to be determined. These cars get their air from under the bumper.