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Need some serious help before i damage my car.

S

Shawn Rollick

New member
Hello, thank you for taking the time to read this post.

Since i got my 2006 grand prix 3.8L from the dealership, my e-brake cables have seized and the dealer took care of it with their mechanic, that is all fine and dandy, but i also mentioned to the mechanic that the car runs hot, 3/4 of the way up on the thermostat when idling and drops slightly when driving.

Yesterday was the highest i have seen the thermostat go, it went all the way into the red zone and the car was telling me that the coolant is hot. The mechanic told me it is normal and they run hot, the fans are turning on at 3/4 the way up on the thermostat. Which i thought was really weird because every car i have owned has the fans turn on at normal operating temp. the overheating happened when i was in the bank drive through. I don't know what to do at this point, the mechanic said its normal. But i don't really find that normal.

Any advice would be very appreciated.
Thank you.
 


Anything north of 220* is too hot in my opinion.

Sounds like it needs some work...either the t-stat is on its way to sticking...fans are crapping out...or the thing needs flushed. Either way, running that hot isn't normal.

Any engine codes?
 
Fans don't turn on until like 219 degrees, but still sounds like you are running hot. Maybe need a new thermostat and possible have air in the system. Temp sensor only measures coolant in the engine block, and if there is air trapped under the thermostat it won't open to circulate the cooler coolant from the radiator into the engine.

There is a brass 7mm bleeder screw on the thermostat housing.
 


I would recommend getting a cheap bluetooth adapter and the torque application. This will allow you to see what actual temperature is running.

Low speed fans should be programmed to come on around 216F and the high speed fans should be ~228F. Yes these cars are programmed to run a tad warm, however that temp on the gauge is typically much lower than you mention. Since gauges can be reporting incorrectly, I suggest the live scanning.

Also I would suggest looking at the coolant elbows, water pump and radiator for any obvious leaks. Ensure the system is full when cold.
 
Shawn Rollick said:
Do i just find the bleeder screw and undo it?
Should i do it when the car has not been running?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Open bleeder screw after car is hot, while running. Keep it open until you get a stream of coolant out the side hole instead of sputters of coolant/air. It's going to be hot so use a ratchet with extension etc. You'll probably have to do it again later. While you are doing it, take note if the fans are coming on too. If no coolant ever comes out, than you know the thermostat isn't working.
 


industrialfish said:
Open bleeder screw after car is hot, while running. Keep it open until you get a stream of coolant out the side hole instead of sputters of coolant/air. It's going to be hot so use a ratchet with extension etc. You'll probably have to do it again later. While you are doing it, take note if the fans are coming on too. If no coolant ever comes out, than you know the thermostat isn't working.
Click to expand...

I will try this tonight after work and will post an update. Thank you everyone.
 
Also if no coolant comes out, you could be really low as well. You should have a strong stream bursting out when you bleed it. Water pump good?

Sent from my LG G3
 
It should run dead center in the middle of the gauge. If you aren't using the AC and in standing traffic it will get 1-2 tick marks above middle and should cycle back and forth. With the AC and fans on it should stay just a mark below the middle. But scanning is best as Bill said. I'm using a BAFX its $25 bucks and the Torque Pro is $5, but for just doing coolant temp you can just use the free version. There are cheaper ones out there, but bought one and it didn't work on GM cars. I spoke with a few guys at BAFX and they stand by their product. Some have had good luck with others, but it seems like a crapshoot at least the BAFX guys are in the U.S. and they will support it.

also make sure your overflow bottle is filled properly and that the hose isn't leaking. If you get any air out of the system make sure to keep an eye on the coolant level in the overflow.

Jeff
 
J57ltr said:
It should run dead center in the middle of the gauge. If you aren't using the AC and in standing traffic it will get 1-2 tick marks above middle and should cycle back and forth. With the AC and fans on it should stay just a mark below the middle. But scanning is best as Bill said. I'm using a BAFX its $25 bucks and the Torque Pro is $5, but for just doing coolant temp you can just use the free version. There are cheaper ones out there, but bought one and it didn't work on GM cars. I spoke with a few guys at BAFX and they stand by their product. Some have had good luck with others, but it seems like a crapshoot at least the BAFX guys are in the U.S. and they will support it.

also make sure your overflow bottle is filled properly and that the hose isn't leaking. If you get any air out of the system make sure to keep an eye on the coolant level in the overflow.

Jeff
Click to expand...

Thank you Jeff for that information.
Yesterday i did not get a chance to complete anything, i was very busy.
The car doesn't throw any codes or anything that is why i am so confused.
Am i able to rule anything out since there is no codes being shown?
also, could anyone provide a slightly more detailed information on where this bleeder valve is for the air/coolant?
Thank you.
 
The bleeder screw is located in the top of the thermostat housing. This is easily located by following the top radiator hose to the engine. Presto..you are at the thermostat housing and the screw is right on top. Usually brass.

The car will also not throw codes if it is running a bit warm.
 


I'm afraid that if your coolant level is so low that you're losing it... maybe through an intake gasket (although I think your year came with metal gaskets from GM).

You probably lost a significant amount of coolant for it to heat up so badly, if that's the problem. If your radiator and overflow is full, then you have a flow problem of some kind, and a flush might be a possible solution.
 
The bleeder valve is on the thermostat housing and is brass. It looks like a small bolt in a bolt with a small hole drilled into the side of the larger one. The thermostat housing is the outlet to the upper radiator hose. If the engine is cold just pop the radiator cap off and see if it's full and make sure the overflow is full as well and keep it full. It will go empty and you will end up with air in the system again. You could even have a stuck thermostat that is only allowing a small amount of coolant to pass. I answered a thread where I explained how the system works I will try to find it.

Jeff
 
bobc455 said:
I'm afraid that if your coolant level is so low that you're losing it... maybe through an intake gasket (although I think your year came with metal gaskets from GM).

You probably lost a significant amount of coolant for it to heat up so badly, if that's the problem. If your radiator and overflow is full, then you have a flow problem of some kind, and a flush might be a possible solution.
Click to expand...
1. My 06 didn't come with the metal LIM gaskets.

2. Clog or stuck thermostat

Sent from my LG G3
 
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