My coolant fans don't work. What should I look for? I'm bringing it to a repair shop a mile away. Will it be safe to drive it that far? The temperature here is about 100 degrees outside now.

no, it is dangerous

May be a defective thermostat or place in the wrong direction. If it's properly installed, might want to check the fan operation which may be producing the overheating.
If fan is good, one way to remove air in the coolant system is to run vehicle while all heaters on. take extra coolant and stop along the way to top off if needed. While driving, keep listening for the fan to begin running when vehicle reaches high temperatures.
If you continue to experience overheating, may want to take to a local known repair shop for further troubleshooting.

they are known for bad head gaskets and intake gaskets, have it diagnosed at the shop and don't drive it or you can do serious damage to the engine.

Do you have any OBD Check Lights on your dash?

Any stored codes?

Don't see the intake question,same,
worse,still has to be fixed

I would suggest you drive around with a mechanic
& have that person bring along a professional grade
scan tool or software & see what data shows up.

If that isn't done, there is a good chance you will be told
they couldn't find anything,that happens way too often

You don't get what you go to a repair shop for & they don't
seen to understand why your there.

The ECM gets it messages for heat from the engine coolant temperature sensor. The sensor is probably bad. Since the fans come on right away the ECM is in a safe mode for the engine. Meaning it turns the fans on because it can't read the coolant sensor. As far as the fans staying on for a couple of minutes this is normal when the engine is hot. The ECM does this.

Driving a car without coolant doesn't often blow a head gasket (but a blown head gasket can be the reason for losing coolant). But driving a car without coolant can quickly ruin an engine.
Your best option (if there is no possibility of freezing temperatures where you are) is to top up the cooling system with plain water and drive it to where you need to go. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge/light, and stop and add more water if necessary.
After repairs are made, refill the cooling system with proper coolant.

I assume it's the 3.8 V6? They are notorious for intake gasket problems. The fan problem could be a few things, fuse, relay, ECT (electronic coolant temp sensor), ECM, Do the fans come on when you run the A/C? Hope this gives you some ideas. Let me know a little more and I'll try to help. TJ

did you ever put coolant back in the system?? water is only a temporary solution to get to a shop or home......you say no leaks?? then why was the coolant low in the first place?? how old is the car and how many miles on the car..GM lower intake manifolds are know for leaking .. also possable head gaskets are blown and coolant is leaking internal and burning away.. are the cooling fans coming on?? they should turn on as soon as you turn on your a/c ..if your a/c is broken youll have to let the vehicle run to operating temp and see if they come on ..definatly need more info to help with diag.

The cooling system shouldn't be losing much coolant.

If you're putting in coolant regularly
If you're seeing slick oil in the coolant
If you're hearing noise in the engine while driving

You may have a crack in your engine block and your engine isn't being lubricated properly anymore. This will cause noise and leaks, make a motor run really rough and cause rough starting.

I suggest you bring your vehicle in for a coolant system pressure test and a chassis leak check. This should be a free service from any auto shop that wants your money for repairs.

Spark plugs usually degrade your performance slowly and don't make noise while doing it unless in extreme cases.

Good luck!

First I would check the coolant level. How many miles are on the vehicle? If the overheating is just being caused because of a leak. Then as long as your not in freezing temperatures. You can fill the radiator with water and easily get it 3 or 4 miles. If it's a head gasket problem then that is another story. You would want to get it looked at right away. So just check your oil and make sure no coolant is in it.
Thank you,
Lee