Overheating problem

Asked by Sdawn629 Jan 22, 2019 at 05:15 AM about the 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix Base

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

About 2 years ago my car had an overheating
problem that required the elbows to be
changed. We changed them and it ran
GREAT for about a year and a half and it had
an awful overheating problem. It got so hot
that I would press the gas and the car would
tick over and over and wouldn’t accelerate
and said shut engine down. I immediately
parked it and haven’t touched it since
because I had a baby and didnt have the
money to fix it. I’m now wanting to figure the
problem out and try to see what’s wrong. I
“burped” the system to eliminate air pockets
but the radiator does have THICK sludge in
it. I’m thinking this is the problem but I don’t
know if it’s a head gasket or not. I don’t want
to pour money into this car not knowing. Any
ideas? Also. The overflow tank has a crack in
it but holds enough water below the crack. It
isn’t the water pump. I’m just at a loss

2 Answers

26,815

First, if your coolant is sludge as you indicated, drain and flush the system. Then, see if the car will start and run without over heating. If it still over heats, check to see if the water pump is circulating coolant through the radiator by opening the radiator cap (cold engine only!), starting the engine, and, after the thermostat opens, observe the coolant flowing inside the throat of the radiator. No flow, bad pump or stuck thermostat. Replace the Tstat first then, if problem is still there, replace the pump. These things will be a good starting point. If you sill have a problem, write again and we'll pick it up from there. Good luck.

1 people found this helpful.

Question: my '07 G6 has only the overflow tank accessable, would this process still work?

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    munron
    Reputation
    8,220
  • #2
    James Sparrow
    Reputation
    7,520
  • #3
    Dorian Hendricks
    Reputation
    6,160
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Pontiac GTO
6 listings
Used Pontiac G8
2 listings
Used Chevrolet Impala
12 Great Deals out of 113 listings starting at $5,595
Used Dodge Charger
41 Great Deals out of 602 listings starting at $4,888
Used Pontiac G6
21 listings
Used Chevrolet Silverado 1500
212 Great Deals out of 5,925 listings starting at $3,995
Used Ford Mustang
51 Great Deals out of 1,253 listings starting at $4,995
Used Chevrolet Corvette
31 Great Deals out of 1,000 listings starting at $11,995
Used Dodge Magnum
3 listings starting at $4,700
Used Chevrolet Tahoe
18 Great Deals out of 717 listings starting at $5,995

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.