3.1 97' Grand AM --- leak & overheating.. what is it?

[Grand_AM_GT]

What's up, new here and before you ask, yes I searched :balla:


I have a leak around the engine area... it's wet on both sides when you look straight at it. I suspect the water pump, or maybe just a gasket?

Symptoms: Car did overheat once, i added water as a temp solution and it ran fine afterwards for short distances, even idled for 30-40 minutes without overheating. Oil level is fine. Oil doesn't have any coolant in it, nice and clean so it's not the head gasket, right?


When you squeeze the large hose on the right side it's really soft (no pressure) and you can hear air moving in and out of the coolant tank..
I am not sure what the issue is for sure and how to go about in singling it out.

Most of the things that came up in the search pertain to the 3.4L not the 3.1.... any help is appreciated. thanks!

[gobraves00]

i dont know the exact wording, but it might have sumthing to do with the lawsuit thing about the coolant, sumthing bout the lower manifold gasket.search coolant and it might pop up. i had same problem in my 97

[Shad0wguy]

Yeah, sounds like the ever popular LIM gasket. You will want to get that fixed ASAP. Just hope you have a mechanic that you know personally, cause my LIM fix ran me $900.

[coupe]

Yup LIM leak

[digitalballz]

def. LIM gasket

[digitalquirk]

Yeah, sounds like the ever popular LIM gasket. You will want to get that fixed ASAP. Just hope you have a mechanic that you know personally, cause my LIM fix ran me $900.

I hope that's in Canadian dollars, 'cause the stealership that did mine (under extended warranty) noted that it was $850. Cdn.

[Shad0wguy]

Nope, that was US dollars.

[Grand_AM_GT]

any chance that I could do this on my own with regular tools? How much work is required? I'm trying to picture this in my head...

Also how can I make sure it's not the water pump? Symtoms seem to be pointing to that too.

[Shad0wguy]

You could do it yourself if you feel competent enough, automotivly speaking.

There was a HOW TO on here or gaownersclub forums. Pretty time consuming if you ask me.