1989 grand am getting hot

I'm not a mechanic, so please forgive me if this sound stupid. Have you looked at the thermostat?

yes that was the first thing i did. I have put in 2 new ones any other ideas

Do you have confidence in your water pump's condition?

Could it be something as simple as an old hose that is collapsing and shutting off the water flow? Happened to me, I could go about a 1/4 mile and the motor would shut down, let it cool for 30 min and I could go another 1/4 mile. Made it back three miles to the house that way when the bottom radiator hose collapsed. Got the hose changed and the parts that melted when the motor overheated changed, been running fine since.

i kinda of thought that too but we just replaced it last year.

i don't know we are going to pick up the bottom hose this weekend. It feels like it is softer than the top hose.

How did you have the head "checked". You removed it, and took it to a machine shop? That's the only way. The "block test" fluid we use at work is not 100% certain. The Quad Four engine is notorious for blowing head gaskets.

If, OTOH, you really just have air in the system, you need to jack the radiator cap side of the vehicle up higher than the engine, and run it open for awhile, and also use any air bleed screws on the coolant pipes or t-stat. GW

Thanks for the help Geoff. We did have the head machine checked. And this makes the second quad that I have had so I know the deal with the head gasket.my car has a DOHC in it is it just as bad about the air? I only saw one screw in the thermostat housing. Will that work.

Thanks

Ueah, that's a bleed screw. Get the front end of the car wayyyy up in the air and run the car at about 2000 rpm with the rad cap off and the bleed screw open, while pouring pre-mixed coolant into the radiator. When there is a steady stream out of the bleeder, shut it, then top off the system and install the rad cap. Then let the vehicle cool for an hour, then check the rad again (still jacked up). If that doesn't solve your problems, then the problem is not air. Oh, btw, this method is quite messy, but necessary. GW

thanks GF i will try it. I put one side of it up on a ramp today and put antifreeze in it like u said i will tell hubby to do that with the bleed screw.