Hey everyone --
I have a 93 Grand Prix LE with the 3.1 V6, VIN "T" engine. I have two
problems that I haven't been able to figure out yet:
1) The voltage steadily drops when from cold start to driving. At a
cold start, it's at about 14V... it steadily drops down from 14V to
12-13V (while driving and hot) and to about 10V when at idle or a
breaking stop. It doesn't go back up to 14V until it has been sitting
and cooling down for 8 or 9 hours (well, that's my work shift at least
:)).
I've tried replacing the alternator (in december), the ECU (in June
when the car died completely and wasn't getting any electricity), and
the battery couple weeks ago. The ECU replacement seemed to keep it
above 12V for a few weeks, but it's right back to where it was before
now. Any ideas? Where to start?
2) The coolant is leaking out from underneath the coolant reserve tank.
The leak is below the ECU, but it's leaking like a sieve (a full
gallon in 10 miles of driving.) There is a metal line underneath there
that I want to call a "coolant return line", but I haven't been able to
find anything at the car parts stores or online stores to replace this.
Or am I going about this the wrong way? They have this $60 bottle of
"blue" sealant that is supposed to seal up everything nice and tight...
or is this just a waste of money? The cheap-o coolant system sealers
seem to be useless regardless of the situation from what I've found.
Thanks!
Shaun
joe_goodart@sbcglobal.net - 01 Sep 2006 21:51 GMT
> Hey everyone --
>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> Thanks!
> Shaun
I take it your Battery is going dead during this time ? hard to beleive
the 10V because of the battery unless it is going dead. What is drawing
all that current to cause this ?
joeG
shaun@c-think.com - 02 Sep 2006 06:22 GMT
> > Hey everyone --
> >
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
> all that current to cause this ?
> joeG
The battery actually doesn't go completely dead usually. (it's happened
twice I think in about 6 months.)... which is strange to me too.
I have no idea what's drawing all that current... it's really strange
because it's not low all the time... it's fine at a cold start and gets
progressively worse.
Maybe a short would cause a drain like this? But then why is it fine
on a cold start? And where to even start if it is??? I just am out of
ideas after all I've replaced and putzed around with on it to get it
going. Would a bad relay cause this maybe?
I hooked up a code reader to it today and got a code 12 and a code 32.
The code 12 is an "all pass" indicator I think... the code 32 has
something to do with emissions maybe?
shiden_kai - 02 Sep 2006 17:55 GMT
> 1) The voltage steadily drops when from cold start to driving. At a
> cold start, it's at about 14V... it steadily drops down from 14V to
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> above 12V for a few weeks, but it's right back to where it was before
> now. Any ideas? Where to start?
Are you just looking at the guage and believing what it's telling
you, or have you actually checked what the voltage is doing right
at the battery. I say this because the clusters in the older W cars
were notorious for inaccurate guage readings.
> 2) The coolant is leaking out from underneath the coolant reserve tank.
> The leak is below the ECU, but it's leaking like a sieve (a full
> gallon in 10 miles of driving.) There is a metal line underneath there
> that I want to call a "coolant return line",
Another common problem with the W cars, that line "is" the return
line from the heater core, it runs along the passenger side of the
body inside the engine compartment and usually rusts away at the
points where there are brackets welded to the pipe. You probably
can only get that hose from the dealership. It's also fairly nasty to
replace if you have never replaced one.
Ian
Bon·ne·ville - 03 Sep 2006 00:40 GMT
> Hey everyone --
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> and cooling down for 8 or 9 hours (well, that's my work shift at least
> :)).
What are you using to come up with this voltage? The gage on the dash? I
cant imagine your under the hood taking these readings and driving at
the same time.
> I've tried replacing the alternator (in december), the ECU (in June
> when the car died completely and wasn't getting any electricity), and
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> or is this just a waste of money? The cheap-o coolant system sealers
> seem to be useless regardless of the situation from what I've found.
$60 dollars??? Return that thing if you can! The only stop leak I use
and recommend is the tablets GM provides. Can you take a picture of this
line because I cant visualize what or where your leak is but if its a
bad leak no stop leak in the world will seal it.
counterparts12 - 23 Sep 2006 20:55 GMT
I have a 93 Grand Prix and had a coolant leak as well, sounds like right
around the same spot. Here is a cheap fix. I took the tank out, then let
the car sit over night to dry out the line. After that just mixed up a lot
of J.B Weld and put it on. I had to use a mirror, but i used a bunch. Let
that dry for about 8 hrs. I did that about 2 1/2 years ago and have had no
problems ever since.
>Hey everyone --
>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>Thanks!
>Shaun