2001 Pontiac Grand Am coolant reservoir problems

JESSI12

MEMBER
2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM
3.4L
V6
AUTOMATIC
175,000 MILES

How can you tell if the coolant reservoir is bad? There are no holes or actual leaks coming from it from what we can see. It looks somewhat warped and the reservoir cap is stripped. I replaced the reservoir cap once before but it ended up becoming stripped just like the last one.

3 Replies

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,747 POSTS

You need to answer a question for me. Is the reservoir the only place to add coolant? In other words, there is no cap on the radiator? Is this a reservoir that is pressurized or just an overflow bottle that collects coolant then returns it to the motor when needed?

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Monday, June 2nd, 2014 AT 5:48 PM

JESSI12

MEMBER
7 POSTS

I have no radiator cap. Just the reservoir.I believe it is pressurized.

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Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014 AT 5:00 PM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,747 POSTS

Okay, the reservoir on your vehicle needs to be able to pressurize. If the cap is stripped, that can't happen. As a result, you may lose coolant or the engine could overheat. Can you tell me if the cap or the tank is stripped? Since this is the 2nd cap, it sounds like the threads on the reservoir may be bad.

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Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014 AT 5:34 PM