engine problem
8.9
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$793.00
Average Mileage:
128,737 miles
Number of complaints:
7 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replaced water pump, manifold, gasket, oil, coolant, thermostat (3 reports)
- not sure (2 reports)
- change the gaskets (1 reports)
- replaced manifold, gaskets and thermostat (1 reports)
Helpful Websites About 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix leaking coolant, cracked intake manifold
2007Jul 10
Grand Prix GT 3800 V6
- Automatic transmission
- 154,000 miles
Excessive over-heating. Dexcool looks like coffee. Radiator fans not running. Fans run with 12v applied, bypassing relays. Replaced relays..nothing. Don't know where the temp sensor is. Went through 3 water pumps in 10 years. Have not replaced manifold gasket thank God. I will continue driving this vehicle until it seizes up. I feel lucky to have a Pontiac last 10 yrs 154k miles. For the last 5 years I have had a hole in the exhaust resonator about the size of a golf ball. CAR SOUNDS GREAT!!! I call it the free Flowmaster.
2008Jun 16
Grand Prix GT 3.8L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 145,000 miles
I must say I have owned this car for 10 years and truly have not had a bunch of trouble, but now it is at the point that some of the repairs could possibly cost more than the car is worth!! I have replaced 2 alternators, 1 torque converter, one electric window button, and now will have to spend 450+ to fix this problem. Also, the Delco coolant really makes for a gummy mess and I feel that is why the car runs hotter at times. I will also have to flush the radiator when I get the gasket replaced.
2007Nov 18
Grand Prix SE 3.1L
- Automatic transmission
- 129,537 miles
I have a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix SE and I had to have my intake manifold replaced at about 129,000. One day I was in a drive thru and I had the break applied and the enginge was revving really hard on its own, all of a sudden my car just shut off. I was ale to get my car to start back up and make it home (I was about a half a mile from home) but on the way my car quit and I had to start it back up again. When I brought it to the shop they told me I had to replace my intake manifold and they also advised me my oil was full of antifreeze. I had it fixed about two weeks ago and now I am having problems again.
2007Aug 25
(reported on)Grand Prix GT 3.8L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 166,000 miles
Typical for this Pontiac engine. Leaking more and more coolant as time rolls on then finally... poof... it just quits. Told by GM mechanic that it is a more than 'typical' problem known by GM for some time, but nothing is being done about it. We just had the same problem fixed on the same engine in our 2003 Montana, which fortunately was done under warranty. Anyone know of a permanent fix to this problem?
2007Feb 16
(reported on)Grand Prix SE 3.1L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 85,625 miles
The first time I noticed the temperature gauge spiking at almost 125C and then within minutes dropping back down to 40C I took the car in immediately. My mechanic said the water pump is leaking and it was replaced for $400+ and then a month later the symptom (engine temperature spiking) was noticed again. Now the cost is $900+. This is ridiculous. Pontiac should have really published this knowledge if it could lead to critical quality issues with their products!!
2006Jul 28
(reported on)Grand Prix 3.8 L
- 120,000 miles
Apparently, there is a design flaw in the 97-98 models of the Grand Prix in that the intake manifold/manifold gasket is plastic, and over time, will crack. Some symptoms I had was the engine overheating, sometimes running at 230 degrees after less than a mile of driving, and the engine idle sound/frequency was much higher than normal (normal sounding: bass, new sound: soprano). When the manifold cracked, it caused a coolant leak, possible water pump damage, and who knows what else. I spoke with a mechanic about it, and he said that Pontiac knew about the design flaw, and that it would normally crack around 80-100k miles, but there wasn't enough intances of the problem to warrant a recall, basically obsolving them of the financial responsibility. They, Pontiac, fixed the problems in future models by making the manifold out of metal. Unfortunatly, there is no easy way around this problem, except to replace the manifold completely.
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Jan 23
Grand Prix GT 3.8L
Very common problem with the 3.8 Series II motors. It is a manufacturing defect in the thickness of the walls of the water and air ports that run through the manifold. Heat and Dex-Cool break down the plastic and failure is only a matter of time. I replaced the 195� thermostat with a 180� (a 170� is available however I do not recommend it this will cause other problems) and purchased a replacement manifold on e-bay for $69.95, free shipping and lifetime warranty! Did the work myself, took about 3 hours. The replacements are designed with thicker walls so they will last longer. I was lucky my failure caused an external leak. BTW a lawsuit was just finished regarding this problem and some folks can get a buck or two back if you are eligible check for a settlement from California on Google.
Paul S.
Carlsbad, CA, USA
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