2001 Grand Prix - Low coolant light and white smoke

MR.ANDERSON

MEMBER
2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX

I have a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP (supercharged) with about 85000 miles. About 2 months ago I had the low coolant light come on and so I refilled the reservoir (with green coolant) and then about 3 weeks later the light came on again, so I refilled it and the again 3 weeks later it came on. It still seems to be leaking, and now when I drive the car I get a sweet coolant smell in the cab and white smoke will billow from under the hood. When I open it up it looks as though there is a leak on top of the engine, passenger side, where the temperature sending unit is (I'm not actually sure if that is what it is, a friend of mine said that it is what it is). Today I took it out for 15 minutes and there was a lot of smoke. When I opened the hood the smoke was coming from the driver's side now too. This has me very concerned that it is something major and I really don't have any cash to fix it. Does anyone know if this is a common problem and any DIY tips to fix it?

Thanks

1 Reply

TAILFIN

MEMBER
8 POSTS

White smoke is just coolant burning off. If it's not coming out the tailpipe, then it's not as major an issue as it could be.

You obviously have coolant leaking from somewhere under there. If you're getting all that white smoke, it shouldn't be too tough to locate it. Keep in mind that the source of the leak might be above where the smoke starts, as it may leak/drip down onto the hot engine block, then burn off. Start the car and hold the throttle open some from under the hood, and watch for where it starts leaking. Given there's already a significant leak, I'd wear protective gear, especially safety goggles in case a hose bursts or something. Check all the coolant hoses, connections to the radiator, water pump, and thermostat (this might be the "temperature sending unit"). As the car warms up, the problem should occur again, and if you watch it happen, it shouldn't be hard to notice where the leak is coming from.