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heating problem with a 06 prix

S

stuey

New member
I have a 06 grand prix. the engine tempature guage was not running where it normally did which was about half way on the gauge. I put a thermostate in it, top off the fluid and bleed the system. the tempature guage now runs between the 1/4 line and half line on the guage which i think is normal. but the problem i am having now is, when the car is idleling after warmed up the heat cools way down. when i rev the engine and hold it about 3 grand it warms back up, then cools down unless the rpm's are up. is my heater core plugged?
 


it is like brakes.

you need to get the air out else you'll have issues.

but running the car generates the pressure.

you just need to open the bleeder to let the air out.
 


I got the thermostat from the gm dealer and he gave which ever one was recommended. i got the car good and warmed up today, and the heat gets hot if i hold the gas at about 3k rpms. as soon as i let off and let it idle the heat gets barly luke warm, when i rev it up again it gets hot right away. the temp gauge is just under the half way line on the temp guage. so the engine is good and warm. could my heater core be plugged?
 
I have problems with mine in the winter. when it's cold it will not warm up all the way. I have put 3 different thermostats in and still no luck. if it is 50 degrees or warmer it is fine and much colder it will not go to opp. temp. If I drive it around and it is warmed up and you are just sitting there idling the temp will come up, but when you start driving it will drop 2 spots. any ideas?
 
that is the exact same problem i am having. it is cold out now up here, and i just noticed it now that it got cold out. it as fine all summer long.
 
Being that the heater core is sometimes the highest point in the cooling system, it's possible to get an air bubble in there. Air in the system will keep you from getting heat.

Your description sounds like there's air in the system. Cool then hot, then cooling..

Try splicing a prestone flush/fill T into one of the two heater hoses and ensure the system is topped off that way. Some of the local guys showed me this as a trick and at first I thought it was odd. Yet when you have odd behavior from the cooling system, it starts to make a lot more sense.
 


Sorta of the same scenario I have. We have had some cold weather here in FL the past few days, and with the heater on, the car will not reach operating temp. when moving along. The heater itself is removing the heat from the water, and the cold air flowing thru the core is enough to cool the water to the point it does not get up to temp to open the thermostat, henc the gauge needle stays at about 170 degrees, now if I stop in traffic a wwhile, or go though a drive though, it will start to warm up, but once the car is set in motion, the temp drops right back down real low.
The heater alone is doing all the work at removing the heat from the water flowing in the engine.
My moms 97 EXPLORER is the same way but more so. She complained the temp gauge wwas not working. Well after an hour of running in cold weather, I can still put my hands on the engine and it is just nice and warm. It took some driving off road to get it to warm up, but as soon as your easy on it, again, the cabin heater pulls the heat out of the water and the temp. gauge goes back down.
DARN THESE EFFIECIENT RADIATORS!!!!
 
Jack the front of your car up until the muffler tips are almost touching the floor. Start the car and let it warm up all the way. This will get the air out of the heater core. You shouldn't need to open the bleeder doing it like this as the air should escape into the coolant overflow, but you can open the bleeder with it jacked up to speed up the bleeding process if you like... You may need to take the coolant bottle out and hold it up so that it sits up high and doesn't loose coolant out of the back due the high angle the car will be sitting at.
 
If your car isn't reaching temp there's typically only two answers. Coolant or thermostat. The thermostat should restrict the flow so that the engine heats the coolant. Although if there's no coolant too heat, it'll give odd temp gauge readings and a lack of heat because there's no water to heat.

An efficient radiator in Florida.. sorry, the northern folks get much cooler weather, unless you have some radiator we don't have available...it's tough to believe that the rad is doing that to your car.
 
Also, maybe the OP is forgetting to put in the o-ring? I'm reaching here, so bear with me.
No o-ring will alow the coolant to flow around the t-stat and keep the car cooler than normal. The t-stat is supposed to fit INSIDE of the o-ring as well, if you just drop the o-ring on top of it and bolt it back down you can run across the same issue there too.
 


I always drill a small hole in the T-stat plate. 1mm or smaller.
That way it auto bleeds as you fill it, and as it runs when it's cold. It'll burp all the air out on its own. Never had an issue yet with any of my cars, nor other cars iv'e repaired.

The brass bleeder valves can snap easily. Theyre good for a gross air bleed, but thats about it.
 
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