# Overheating engine on '06?



## hsv (Jun 11, 2007)

Hi All:

I got in my GTO this morning, started her up, and sat for about 5 minutes waiting for the windows to de-ice (it was a cold morning < 32). After 5 minutes the windows were still icy and I noticed there was no hot air coming out of the air vents (I had the heat on full). I noticed the engine temp rise, and then the engine overheat warning came on...

I turned the car off, popped the hood, and noticed the engine fan was still on (key was out of ignition). I felt the engine and it wasn't really that warm. Got back in the car, started her up, and then reved the engine a few times. Engine temp came down to normal.

Any ideas? Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks,

HSV.


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## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

Maybe a bad t-stat?


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## hsv (Jun 11, 2007)

05GTO said:


> Maybe a bad t-stat?


Thanks Randy. I'll check it out.

I like your GTO collection btw. Very nice!

Dave.


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## 6QTS11OZ (Mar 27, 2005)

05GTO said:


> Maybe a bad t-stat?


My thoughts exactly.


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## jdhinds1234 (Nov 15, 2008)

same deal with my 06 im laying blame to the therm and am gonna replace it soon n let ya know if it helpd


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## hsv (Jun 11, 2007)

Thanks guys.


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## jmd (Sep 29, 2006)

agree, stat


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## jdhinds1234 (Nov 15, 2008)

well maybe not cause mine was doing that exactly n while i was waiting for a new therm to get shipped engine light came on and i lost power for a short while so..... not sure if the therm can read so high it screws with the system or what.


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## jdhinds1234 (Nov 15, 2008)

ok im about to panic now after that fiasco i popped the hood and looks like i lost about 1-2 quarts of oil. not only that i went and checked the coolant and it was bone dry except some dried up brown gunk.... wtf? it deffinitely wasnt like that when it first started reading a high temp


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## hsv (Jun 11, 2007)

I took it in to the dealer today to get them to have a look at it. They couldn't reproduce the problem (but the engine was warmed up). I'm going to leave it in overnight and see if they can reproduce it first thing on a cold morning.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

jdhinds1234 said:


> ok im about to panic now after that fiasco i popped the hood and looks like i lost about 1-2 quarts of oil. not only that i went and checked the coolant and it was bone dry except some dried up brown gunk.... wtf? it deffinitely wasnt like that when it first started reading a high temp


How many miles have you put on the motor since the last change? Are you doing a lot of engine breaking, redlining it? The harder you work your engine, the more oil it will consume. If you are driving "normally" 2 quarts at a few thousand is a lot. If the engine was not broken in properly from new, i.e. constant gunning of the engine or running the snot out of it, its possible the rings etc didn't set properly which could cause excessive oil usage. 

As far as the coolant, the brown gunk is normal DON'T remove it. Were the fluids topped off when you purchased the car? Try filling the coolant with DEX-COOL and monitor it. 

Brief overview from the manual;

*Engine Coolant*
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL® engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in the vehicle for five years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs first, if only
DEX-COOL® extended life coolant is added.
The following explains the cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If there is a problem
with engine overheating or if coolant needs to be added
to the radiator, see Engine Overheating on page 5-26.
*A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water *and
DEX-COOL® coolant will:
• Give freezing protection down to −34°F (−37°C).
• Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
• Protect against rust and corrosion.
• Help keep the proper engine temperature.
• Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
Notice: Using coolant other than DEX-COOL® may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs first. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL® (silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.

*What to Use*
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one-half DEX-COOL® coolant which will not damage
aluminum parts. If this coolant mixture is used, nothing
else needs to be added.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL® coolant.
Notice: If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
*If coolant needs to be added more than four times a
year, have your dealer check the cooling system.*
Notice: If you use the proper coolant, you do not
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim to improve the system. These can be harmful.


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## jdhinds1234 (Nov 15, 2008)

yea it was right near the 3000 mark took it in and they said it was a bad water pump and needs a coolant flush so we'll see what we got


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## EEZ GOAT (Jul 9, 2005)

hsv said:


> I took it in to the dealer today to get them to have a look at it. They couldn't reproduce the problem (but the engine was warmed up). I'm going to leave it in overnight and see if they can reproduce it first thing on a cold morning.


took mine in for the same thing last week. they could not reproduce but said my fuild was a little low. the also presured it and they said every thing checks out.


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## kolleonidas (Jan 11, 2009)

I have an 05. Same thing happened to me one fine day. Water pump went bad at basically 36,001 miles. Warranty expired. Sucked!


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

kolleonidas said:


> I have an 05. Same thing happened to me one fine day. Water pump went bad at basically 36,001 miles. Warranty expired. Sucked!


If the warranty expires and something like that happens soon after, a reputable dealer will do a "courtesy repair" and not charge you. You may have to ask if there is anything they can do first and depending on your rapport with them they can at their discretion take care of you.


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## NoBMWforME (Apr 12, 2005)

Lost my water pump today at ~31,500. Extended warranty for me.


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## Rdbizzle (May 2, 2009)

*similar problem*

While on my way home from work i started up my '06 GTO and turned on the heat to full blast as it was a little chilly. As i waited for it to warm up it just kept blowing cool air, so i started to drive home. About 5 min later the overheating alarm came on and the needle was in the orange. As soon as i saw that hot air started blasting and the engine temp went to normal. Checked the oil it's good, but i'm not sure about the coolant i checked the dipstick but it has just a bunch of circles and triangles on it. Was that the right one and if so how can you tell where the right level is? Any help is appriciated.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

The coolant dipstick has a down arrow, and an up arrow, in between those arrows are a series of holes. The down arrow located at the top of all those holes is your full line, and the up arrow at the bottom of the dip stick is the add arrow. If you see no coolant on that stick you are LOW. Those holes will have a bubble of coolant in it if there is sufficient coolant which indicates your level.

Use only DEX-COOL. Do not be alarmed if you see a brownish "sludge" on the bottom of the stick, its supposed to be there. If you are not seeing any "sludge" it may indicate the previous owner flushed the radiator out. In that case double check to see if DEX-COOL (red liquid) was reinstalled, or anti-freeze (green fluid) replaced the DEX-COOL. DO NOT MIX DEX-COOL and antifreeze.


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## Rdbizzle (May 2, 2009)

I'm going to need to add some it is completely dry on the stick, i see the reddish sludge you're talking about it's dried up a little but i see it, how do i check to see if there's DEX-COOL or blue antifreeze when i can't seem to find the overflow reservoir usually on most cars it's easy to find? Thanks again for the help.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

If you cannot get to the draincock to open it try loosening up a radiator hose and let some coolant seep out. If the inhibitor is still in the tank chances are DEX-COOL is in it.


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