I have a 2000 Pontiac Grand AM SE V6 and during the winter season, the heat hardly works and it does not matter if you turn the car on for sometime before you start driving. I drive 23.5 miles to work (one way) and by the time I get there it is just warm and the engine heat temperature is right after the first marking. My 2001 ford explorer v6 does not have that problem so my question is, what can cause that and how to fix it?
Thank you
One thing that can cause this is a partially stuck open thermostat. When this happens the coolant isn’t held in the engine long enough to allow the coolant to heat up. Instead the coolant is allowed to be pumped out of the engine as soon as the engine is started. And this results in little or no heat from the vent system.
Tester
I had a 2000 Grand Prix with V6 with the exact saqme problem and it did turn out to be the thermostat (as mentioned). Pretty cheap fix.
This is usually caused by a stuck thermostat, as others have said. Not only is this uncomfortable, it’s also bad for your engine. A cold engine runs rich, meaning it burns more fuel than it would when warm. This wastes gas and can damage the O2 sensors and the catalytic converter.
Have a new thermostat installed. You and your Grand Am will both be happy.
Thank you very much, yes it was the thermostat and after it was replaced everything heats great.