Troubleshooting an engine.
The Pontiac 3.1-liter six-cylinder engine was used on the 2000 Grand Prix. The Grand Prix was Pontiac's best selling vehicle for many years until the Pontiac brand was eliminated by GM. You should perform routine maintenance on your Grand Prix to keep it in its best shape. Maintenance is best done after you have troubleshooted any problems with the engine. Troubleshooting the engine may take some basic mechanical skills.
Instructions
1. Check the cooling system of your engine. The radiator in front of your engine should contain 2-3/4 gallons of a 50/50 mix of coolant and water.
2. Check the amount of motor oil you have in your engine. Check the motor oil by removing the oil dipstick and cleaning the oil off. Stick the clean oil dipstick back in to check the oil levels. If the oil is closer to the "L" than the "H" on the dipstick, you have a low amount of oil. If the oil is closer to the "H", you have enough oil. You should have 4-1/2 quarts of motor oil in your engine. Add some 5W-30 motor oil if your engine is running low.
3. Check the six wires extending from the distributor, connected to the spark plugs. You can alter the gap with a gap tool. Use a feeler gauge to obtain the precise measurements of the gap.5.
Make sure these wires are connected properly and aren't damaged.4. Check the spark plugs located in the cylinder head of the engine. There should be a gap of 0.06 inches between the the two electrodes on the spark plugs.
Use a torque wrench to make sure the exhaust manifold bolts are tightened with the proper amount of torque. The heat shield bolt should have 7 foot-pounds of torque, the exhaust manifold nut should have 12 foot-pounds of torque, and the exhaust manifold stud should have 13 foot-pounds of torque.
