Losing power and overheating

2003 BUICK CENTURY
235,000 MILES • 3.2L • V6 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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JESSE CAVINS
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
My car is losing power going uphill with the pedal to the floor and starts overheating but turning on heater helps keep from getting too hot. It does it on flat ground too. sometimes it is shifting past its normal way and kind of chugs a little.
Jun 10, 2022 at 1:41 AM
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
  • 110,190 POSTS
Hi Jesse,

This can be the result of a few different things. By chance, is the check engine light staying on when the engine is running? If so, have you had the computer scanned for diagnostic codes? If not, I suggest that first. Here is a quick video showing how it's done:

https://youtu.be/b2IJGfImVvw

The issue you described is interesting. If the fuel pump was weak, it could do this but not cause overheating. It could be a head gasket issue or even a plugged catalytic converter. Have you ever noticed any odd odors from the exhaust? Is there any smoke from the exhaust? Are there any strange sounds?

Do me a favor. Take a look through this link and let me know if anything discussed mirrors what you are seeing on your vehicle:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/bad-catalytic-converter-symptoms

Let me know.

Take care,

Joe
Jun 10, 2022 at 9:02 PM
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