I've had my 97 Sunfire GT for just over four years and many minor problems have accumulated that I really would like to take care of. They are listed randomly, so anyone who can help me with any of these problems will basically be my hero. The main points I need help with are in boldface.

1. If the sunroof happens to be open during a rainstorm, the headliner leaks for a long time. Searching has led me to believe the drainage is poor, and that I should blast some compressed air into the drainage tube...but I cannot find any post that tells where it is or how to get to it.
Do I need to remove the headliner or can I get to the tube from above? If I need to remove the headliner, how can I do so without totally ruining it?

2. The engine has a propensity to want to overheat if I drive for a long time and then sit in slow moving traffic (e.g. a long drive to the local stadium followed by a long line for parking, lane closures causing very slow moving traffic, waiting in lines for toll booths, etc.).
The problem seems to be the fan does not want to turn on. I have replaced both the fan itself and the relay...and I learned that turning the AC on will cause the fan to turn on and the engine temp to drop, but why does the fan not turn on by itself?

3. The brakes are the worst. Many times, when I first apply the brakes in dry weather, the car lurches forward in a very choppy manner as it tries to stop. This is accompanied by an extremely loud clunking sound. This seems to occur even if I depress the brake pedal lightly. Wet/Snowy weather seems to intensify the problem, as the brakes will behave this way constantly.
It's almost as if the brakes are always trying to lock up and unlock, so I think it might have something to do with the ABS; I removed the ABS relay last winter because I was so fed up with it, but then the brakes would almost always immediately lock up on me. I was forced to replace the relay for fear of launching off the roads at the slightest touch of the brake pedal.

4. The ETS OFF light has been almost as long as I have owned the car. The CEL had not been on until recently (I think it's a small leak in the exhaust system or something), so it doesn't seem to be related to many posts I have seen here. I remember reading a long time ago that there are sensors near the wheels that are related to the problem. Where are they and how do I get to them?

That's pretty much it. The car runs like a dream, even at 165k, but I am almost to the point of buying a new car because I just can't take it anymore. I'd rather not have a car payment again, so I would really appreciate the help.

1. the drainage tubes are visible from the top of the car, no need to remove the headliner. Open the sunroof completely, and look for the little holes around it's lip. Be careful with the compressed air, as you can blast the drain tube, which attaches to the holes and directs water to the outlet, off of it's little mount.

2. GM set the fan turn on temp insanely high to improve emmisions. It may not be that its not turning on, just that its turning on a lot later than you think it should. If your coolant gauge gets to red, and its still not kicking in, then and only then do you have a true case of broken engine fan. And yes, turning on the a/c will automatically turn on the fan.

3. You have a serious/dangerous brake problem, and should take your car to a mechanic. What you describe could be anything from horribly worn/damaged pads and rotors, to wheel speed sensors, or the abs computer itself.

1.) Can't help ya, my sunroof never had leak issues...

2.) The fan doesn't come on until I think either 218 or 222 which on most gauges is around the 3/4 mark. I got all worried about mine as well and had it taken into the dealership to have it all tested. They proved that the fan does come on and said the gauge may have "adjusted" over the years since I didn't remember it ever getting that hot before.

3.) Which brakes are locking? Front or back? Or all? I am going to guess the back are locking up. Sometimes can be fixed by pulling the drums and cleaning it all out, but more than likely there is a small leak and need to be rebuilt. My '99 liked to lock up the rear brakes when it was humid or raining. Usually had to drag the brakes a bit when first starting out to dry the drums off.

4.) So if the "ETS OFF" light has been on and the CEL is on now, just take it in to get the codes scanned. A small exhaust leak rarely will set off a CEL. The ETS uses the ABS sensors so it all is probably related.

Thanks so much for the replies. I'm very relieved to see that the fan "problem" isn't a real issue. I just have a few more questions on some problems I didn't ask about because I was in the process of fixing them...or so I thought:

1. I replaced the blower motor resistor (which wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought based on some posts), and it worked when I tested it...But now I when turn it on the only speed that works is "four". So, by replacing the resistor, the problem actually got WORSE! I'm frustrated, but I'm going to tinker around again with it today. Any thoughts?

2. This isn't so much "maintenance" per se, but my CD player took a dump so I was going to replace it with the stock one until I felt like buying a new deck. Well, the stock deck didn't like my burned CDs (weird, since they are just regular audio CDs, not mp3 data discs). I tried to replace it with the old aftermarket deck I first replaced the stock one with, but it didn't power on (which was a problem I sometimes had with it before...it was pretty old and on the fritz). So, then I decided to just put the stock deck in anyway just to have at least the radio, but it wouldn't power on anymore. I was so fed up I decided to suck it up and shell out some money for a new deck, but it does not work. I've installed car stereos countless times, so I'm 100% positive all the wires were properly connected and it's not the fuse. What could the problem be?

If this car didn't run so well engine-wise, I'd be shopping for a new car right about now.

UPDATE:

Fixed the CD player issue, so the only thing I'm concerned with is the blower motor resistor being weird. Maybe I got a defective one, but I still need to check it out. I'll keep y'all posted.

UPDATE:

Turns out the cable that plugs into the resistor disconnected...probably when I replaced the cover for the blower. It's all fine now, so I guess the original three issues (only two of which are actual issues) remain.