QuestionQUESTION: Heres the situation...
I'm driving down the street and then suddenly my car starts
to overheat. i look under the car and theres a puddle of
antifreeze. I open the hood to fill the car with antifreeze
and i see that my supercharger belt is off. As i look down
further i can see that a pulley is missing. I put in the
antifreeze and drive the car home, as it still overheats.
Before i can reach home the car shakes and then cuts off
when i took my foot off the gas. I let the car sit for a
while and I start the car and make it home. The next day i
get the new supercharger belt and pulley in stalled and i
test drive the car. I do not see the steam from the
overheating but i can smell the coolant. I drive the car not
even a whole block and again when i take my foot off the
gas, it shakes and then cuts off. I let the car sit for a
while once again and I park the car.... Do you have any idea
what the problem may be?
ANSWER: Hi there:
well it's overheating and the engine is being shut down by the engine computer more then liley. if the system is not fully purged of all it's air it will continue to over heat. there is an air bleede valve on the top of the thermostat housing crack that open and fill the system up and let it run the air will expell from the bleeder valve once you have a steady stream off coolant comming out it should be relativly clear of any air drive it then and see what happens. keep an eye on the temp. gauge and make sure it doesn't over heat while you purging the air out of the system. one last thin Both belts are on now correct? the supercahrger belt is not going to make this overheat. the belt behind that is for the water pump power steering and alertantor that is still on there correct?
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you for such a prompt response!
The other belt wasnt even touched, so as far as i know it is still on
correctly... i am jus havin trouble finding the air bleed valve that you are
speaking of. Do u know exactly where its located on the 97' grand prix
gtp?
ANSWER: where the top radiator hose is attached to the engine on the driver side that the then thermostat housing. there sghould be a blled screw on the top of that housing. One other thing I forgot to mention on these engines is there is a coolant bypass elbow that goes from the intake manifold to the water pump belt tensioner it's a black plastic piece and after manay many many heat cycles they tend to get brittle and crack and leak coolant take a look there for you leak as well.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I have replaced the thermostat in the car, thinking that it may be apart of the problem and it isnt... but what i have noticed is that the antifreeze is not even traveling through the hode to even get to the engine. I squeeze the hose as the car is running and its totally empty. Yet my radiator is full of antifreeze. Could it b the radiator that needs cto be replaced,or maybe a radiator flush?
AnswerDid you find where the coolant was leaking originally and fix that? You stgill may have an issue with an air pocket. try this take one of the heatre hoses of at the engine and fill the radiator up untill the coolant start to run out of the engine where the hose attaches. then re attach the hose and then start the car and see if that works to expell an air pocket. I doubt you have an issue with the radiator.
