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Followup To
Question -
I was driving my car and passed up another car. After a short while, I started losing power. My car overheated. Each time since, my car overheats within five minutes and has limited power.
I haven't had the oppurtunity to change the thermostat yet because my car is in another town and I've never changed a thermostat that's located at the water pump as the water housing assembly says.
I haven't heard any knocking noise that I've been told would be a problem with the rods. My knowledge in this area is limited. I have no leaking from the water pump or squealing noise. My temperature guage has seemed to go up in recent months prior to the problem.
Could this be just the thermostat or a more serious problem? If it is just the thermostat, do you have any suggestions on going about replacing it? If it's a more serious problem, what kind of financial set backs am I looking at and would it be worth it on a car with 150,000 miles? Thank you for your help.
Erin
Answer -
First of all, I need to know which engine you have in your Grand Am. There are 5 different ones that it could have and all have different locations for the stat and all have different problems. Let me know which one you have and I will help you further.
Harold,
I have a 2.3 liter, quad 4 engine. When I first brought the car in, the mechanic suggested it could be a stuck thermostat. Then after they looked at the car they replaced the battery. I took it out and had more problems with overheating and powerloss. The next day I was being told it was a blown engine. They said there was nothing wrong with the head gasket. The owner also said there was no water going to the engine from the water pump. Seeing as the thermostat is supposed to be located at the pump, would this affect the flow? Again, there was a slight rise in engine temperature about a month prior to the incident. Thanks for such a quick response! I hope I got all the info you need.
AnswerAnytime the stat is stuck closed, it stops coolant flow. It should not cause a loss of power unless you got it really hot. The 2.3 is known for blown head gaskets. The stat is located in a pipe on the rear of the motor. It sounds to me like you need to take it to someone who knows more about a quad4, like a Pontiac dealer. We know more about that motor than anyone. If it is a head gasket problem, it will be expensive due to the amout of labor involved. Take it to the dealer and have it checked out first.
