OT: 2004 Grand Prix GTP overheating

Well, I really need some help on this. My daughter called today and her car was over heating over an hour away. Loaded up some tools and headed out to get her. Got there and added some water to the rad and took off, went about 5 miles and the temp gauge was showing about 3/4 hot. Let it sit for a few minutes and did the same thing, got about the same distance. this time I let it cool down and added water, drove about 20 miles before it over heated again. Let it sit did the same got about another 20 miles and did the same, finally got it home.

1 thing I noticed was that when pouring the water into the radiator, with the car off,it would shoot it right back out. you would hear some gurggling and it would spray it out the fill hole. Can"t see it leaking anywhere. Don"t ever hear the fans come on and there not on when I pull over to put in more water.

I am thining one of two things, either the fans are not coming on and the car is not cooling at all or the radiator needs to be professionally cleaned.

Let me know where to start with this guys. She told me she has $20 to her name so I will be footing the bill. I don"t want to go cheap but don"t want to spend a fourtne either. Help need ASAP.

check the fan fuse first

With the cooling system full, start it and check if the thermostat is opening and water circulating. Checking the fuses and if the fan motors are not seized would be at the top of my list as well.

If you had to add water each time you stopped where did it go?
You don't see a leak BUT IT HAD TO GO SOMEWHERE.
My suggestion: check the radiator cap.
If you want to troubleshoot first then fill the system with water and run it sitting still until the car gets hot--now what's happening?
Could be a number of things:
1) radiator plugged (both inside and outside) or too small
2) Fans seized or motor burned out/fuse blown
3) hoses collapsing
4) system leaking somewhere--into engine maybe?
5) raditaor cap failed--will not hold presure.

I would change the thermostat first to see if that helps, not likely, but possible.

The most likely scenario is it has been leaking coolant for a long time from either the water pump or intake gaskets (common failures on these cars). Since she has no money, she has been ignoring it or just topping it off. She forgot once, and now it has a blown headgasket.

Check the water pump to make sure it's circulating the coolant. Touch the bottom hose to see if it's getting hot when it overheats. Hal

does the car have ac if so there are two switches for the fan. one engine temp switch the other high pressure switch. engine fans should come on more with the ac on. fan should cycle more? without the ac on the fans will not come on till the engine get hot enough. newer cars run all that thru the computers now days. sound like you could have had a fan problem? our car runs hotter with the ac off and we did have a bad radiator cap a few times. hope since it has overheated you don't have deeper problems?

I have a 2004 GTP/Comp G. If it was shooting water right back out when you added it, did you open the air bleed ontop of the thermostat housing? If not, it probably has an air trapped in the cooling system, which could cause your problem. What worked for me was to open the air bleed, squeeze the upper radiator hose, tighten the bleed and let off the hose. This would suck the coolant level down. Repeat until you get all the air burped out.

As was mentioned before, if it is losing water and you dont see a leak, I would bet 100:1 that the intake gaskets are leaking. If I remember right, it was about $150 for the parts and you can do it in an afternoon. When I did the intake gaskets on mine, I flushed all the Deathcool antifreeze out and put green back in.

You should not need the fans while driving. I think those cars are bad on head bolts and gaskets.