ASKED BY: dlanderson 0 0 0 1 0 0 10 ASK DATE: Apr. 15, 2005 CATEGORY: Mechanical | Cooling System Over Heating Vehicle: 94 pontiac grand am Recently my car has been to the point of over heating during normal everyday use. If I just idle the temp goes up. does anyone know why? and How to fix it? COMMENT BY: steve 0 0 1 7 8 2 75 COMMENT DATE: Apr. 15, 6:34 PM QUALIFICATIONS: Site Rank: 9 We need a little bit more information from you to diagnose the possible problem.First off, do you have to add water to the engine? Or does steam come from the engine area? If so, there is likely a leak or other fault in the cooling system. The cooling system needs to be checked for leaks and coolant and air flow as well as cooling fan operation. To be a bit more specific your problem could come from either the radiator, radiator hose, or water pump. Just look for possible leaks eventually narrowing down your problem area.Opposite to the first, if the radiator appears to be full and there are no signs of steam or boiling, a professional technician will need to evaluate the overheating fault with a general diagnostic check. Items to be checked include overall engine operation-condition as well as the cooling system. Possible replacements include a coolant temperature sensor or catalytic converter. Again you might want your local mechanic to check this for you.Let us know how it goes! ACCEPTED ANSWER COMMENT BY: joe allen 0 6 7 9 8 3 89 COMMENT DATE: Apr. 15, 8:29 PM QUALIFICATIONS: ASE Certified Site Rank: 1 Well if it is overheating when you are sitting still then you need to check to see that the fan is kicking in. Usually this is what you will see when the fan does not work. This is what i would check. However more info can and will help us. COMMENT BY: Bogie1947 0 0 0 1 1 1 29 COMMENT DATE: Apr. 16, 12:33 AM QUALIFICATIONS: Site Rank: 96 The thermostat is the culprit if there is no leaks. COMMENT BY: joe allen 0 6 7 9 8 3 89 COMMENT DATE: Apr. 16, 2:38 PM QUALIFICATIONS: ASE Certified Site Rank: 1 Well we do not want to jump to conclusions. There are to many aspects of the system to jump to a conclusion like that.... We need to wait for a little more info on the fans and the system. not to say you are not right or to discredit you but i hate to see people replace parts for nothing so we have to be carefull. Every part replaced unneccesarily is a negative reflection on the site. COMMENT BY: HotRodKush 0 1 8 8 4 2 83 COMMENT DATE: Apr. 21, 5:14 PM QUALIFICATIONS: Site Rank: 3 youre right joe, there could be many different causes of overheating - deteriorated head gasket, thermostat, air pockets, restrictions, fans, etc. Even old coolant can cause an engine to overheat. We definately need to wait for more info before we can begin diagnosing the problem. Aaron COMMENT BY: TheBartender 0 0 2 9 9 5 81 COMMENT DATE: Apr. 24, 10:18 PM QUALIFICATIONS: Site Rank: 6 Along with more detailed symptoms, some vehicle info would be useful. Year, make model, engine, transmission would be a good starting point. Adding to and clarifying some of the above points, exactly when did you first notice the problem, and how long does it take after starting the car before the overheating occurs. Also, under what conditions do you drive? (City, highway, rural, etc.) Edit: I just saw the note that it is a 94 Grand Am. That helps, but mre important is the engine and transmission. If this is a Quad 4 style engine, the problem could be cylinder head related, as there were issues with the Quad 4's on that regard. COMMENT BY: joe allen 0 6 7 9 8 3 89 COMMENT DATE: Apr. 27, 1:55 PM QUALIFICATIONS: ASE Certified Site Rank: 1 Have you fiqured anything out with this yet. COMMENT BY: mustanggirl 0 0 0 3 6 1 32 COMMENT DATE: Nov. 20, 1:46 PM QUALIFICATIONS: Site Rank: 23 check your radiator, it could be so dirty in there that something is plugging the hole! COMMENT BY: Billy 0 0 0 1 1 1 29 COMMENT DATE: Dec. 25, 10:50 PM QUALIFICATIONS: Site Rank: 99 Get some radiator flush to clean your cooling system. while you're doing this you'll have the oppertunity to watch the electrical cooling fan. when it gets to the hot temp. the fan should come on. if your fan is inoperable check the wiring and the fuses. If the cooling system is realy dirty it may stop up your thermostat. then you'll have to change your thermostat. Username: Password: Remember Me  Sign Up  Forgot Login? Month of July way2old Mech Rep: 80 Site Mileage: 21732 rschaefers Mech Rep: 73 Site Mileage: 6540 lking606 Mech Rep: 32 Site Mileage: 225 LLoydB Mech Rep: 32 Site Mileage: 216 antonz Mech Rep: 32 Site Mileage: 216 About Us | Contact Us | FAQ | Privacy Policy | Site Map Vehicle Aid © 2005-2008. All Rights Reserved.