2000 Pontiac Sunfire engine and engine cooling problems

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. HE MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND EXIT THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT BURST INTO FLAMES. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS PRESENT AND NO PREVIOUS FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FOR THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE THE FIRE BEGAN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY THE DEALER. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 77,284.”

“WHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE SHUT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. AFTER GETTING BACK ON THE ROAD VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SHUT DOWN. HOWEVER, IT RESTARTED. AFTER ARRIVING HOME THE VEHICLE WAS STILL DEFECTIVE.*AK”

“LOW COOLANT LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AT DIFFERENT TIMES. I HAVE HAD THE COOLANT SYSTEM FLUSHED ON 2-26-05 AND SENSORS CLEANED, AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE CENTER THAT THE DEXCOOL POSES A PROBLEM IN THE GM CARS. THEY SAID THAT IT MAKES THE SENSORS STICK AND RESULT IN THE LIGHT COMING ON FOR NO REASON. JUST THIS WEEK THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT IS BACK ON. GM WILL NOT RECALL THIS, AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE DEXCOOL MAY LEAK INTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE ENGINE BLOWING UP. *AK”

“PONTIAC SUNFIRE 2000 WILL BE DRIVING THE CARS, IT STALLS OUT, THEN RESTARTS WITHOUT TURNING THE KEY. HAVE TALKED TO THE PONTIAC DEALER. BRINGING IT IN ON 12/20/2004 FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM RELATED TO A COLLAPSED FUEL STRAINER THATWILL CAOST IN THE AREA OF $200 TO REPAIR. ODI ACTION NO. PE02-66 WAS FILED IN 2002, NEEDS TO BE PUSHED FORWARD TO HOLD PONTIAC ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR POOR DESIGN. SEE (HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_42762.HTML) FOR FURTHER CONFIRMATION.”

“RECENTLY MY LOW COOLANT LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON IN MY 2000 GRAND AM GT (3.4 LITER). I ADDED COOLANT TO THE TANK BECAUSE IT WAS LOW, BUT WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHY I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY PUDDLES FORMING UNDERNEATH MY CAR. ALL WAS FINE TILL A FEW WEEKS LATER MY LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I LOOKED AT THE TANK AND IT WAS LOW AGAIN, BUT NO SIGNS OF WHERE THE COOLANT WAS GOING. SO, I WENT ONLINE TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. AS IT TURNS OUT, MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THEIR INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS GO BAD AT FAIRLY LOW MILEAGE, RESULTING IN COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE OIL. SURE ENOUGH I TOOK OFF THE OIL CAP AND DISCOVERED A MILKY RESIDUE INSIDE WHERE THE OIL WAS. EVEN MY COOLANT TANK HAD SOME OF THIS IN IT. I HAD JUST CHANGED THE OIL A MONTH PRIOR AND SAW NO SIGNS OF IT, SO IT OBVIOUSLY JUST OCCURRED. I'M JUST SHOCKED THAT MY CAR HAS AROUND 50,000 MILES ON IT AND SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS HAPPENING TO WHERE IT COULD LITERALLY DESTROY MY ENGINE. I AM TAKING IT IN FOR REPAIRS IN A FEW DAYS BEFORE IT GETS WORSE, ESTIMATED AROUND $500. PRETTY MUCH THE GASKET IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH FLUSHING THE COOLANT SYSTEM AND CLEANING THE OIL. I'M JUST AMAZED AT…”

“THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN ON ITS ON. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATE. THE ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED. *JB THERE WAS LEAKING BOILING UNDER THE DASH ON BOTH SIDES. *SC”