Thread: 2000 Pontiac Grand Prixx SE Knocking noise and tempature escelation

HI.
So I have a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prixx SE with a v6 what I think is a 3.1 Liter Engine. I am slowly learning to work on cars. I was driving and the car made a sound like someone was knocking in the engine and I noticed the tempature gauge was almost to the max so I pulled over and shut it off. My husband (who knows nothing about cars) got it home. We know that there is a coolant leak but we dont know where from. We suspect either the hose, or the bottom of the resoivior.'

So 1. How do I find out where it's coming from?
2. How do I repair it?

Thanks!

check your oil and coolant for the presence of one of those that isnt supposed to be there.
visually inpect the engine compartment to try to figure out where the coolant is leaking from

If you over heated it the head gaskets blew. Usualy what happends is the intake leaks, it looses enough coolant to overheat and the headgaskets blow. I see it at the shop probably 10 times a year. Check your oil and make sure it isn't milky. If coolant got into the oil, it probably washed down the bearings and you could have spun one(hence the knocking sound). Your best bet is to find a motor at a salvage yard, and replace the whole thing.

In any case I'm not sure if this is a job for an amature mechanic. But if you arn't scared I'd say give it a try.

Well my husband said he saw coolant on the ground from the back (like it might be coming from the tailpipe) and we may have noticed more smoke,kinda hard to tell in the winter. So I think its a blown headgasket and a job for the shop. Can anyone tell me at how much Im looking at?

1500-1700 is usualy about what it costs with sending the heads out to be macheined. If a head cracked it will be more. A head gasket wont cause a knocking sound directly(excesive heat will though). That comes from mechanical failure. If you have a rod knock as well as a headgasket than your best bet is to just find a diffrent motor, or a diffrent car. Should be able to find a decent car on craigslist fairly cheap.