jco1385
5,000+ posts
expert jcologist
how long until you trade it in? leak stop will fubar an engine if you use too much. personally i'd try to find the problem and fix it right.
negativezeroz
5,000+ posts
Nothing Is Promised
You shouldn't just add to dirty coolant. Take like an hour and completely flush the radiator and reservoir then start over with new coolant and water.
- Thread Starter
- #4
i know, but i mainly use it to get to work and back (5 miles round trip) as soon as it would get hot i would be at work. i plan on trading it in by the end of the year.
ill check my haynes manual and probably flush it out tomorrow. i was just hoping there would be an easy fix. its more than likly is a leak though , right?
negativezeroz
5,000+ posts
Nothing Is Promised
how long has it been since it started over heating? if its been a slow process then it might just be usual loss but if its all the sudden then get under that bish and check all the lines
You need at the very least a coolant backflush, switch to green coolant and a new radiator cap.
However you stated that you are loosing coolant, you could have a crack in black plastic radiator side tanks, but since you said your coolant is nasty and you have a leak, it sounds like your intake manifold gaskets are leaking and that's a big $ repair and will result in engine damage if you don't repair it.
However you stated that you are loosing coolant, you could have a crack in black plastic radiator side tanks, but since you said your coolant is nasty and you have a leak, it sounds like your intake manifold gaskets are leaking and that's a big $ repair and will result in engine damage if you don't repair it.
- Thread Starter
- #7
its been like this a few weeks. it gradually got hotter and hotter till my 'check gauges' light came on which was a few days ago. ill see about getting it flushed tomorrow. dunno about a backflush though. ill crawl up under it tomorrow and inspect everything.
jco1385
5,000+ posts
expert jcologist
there shouldn't be a gradual loss in the cooling system. it's a sealed system, where would it "go"? either a leak somewhere (fairly simple to fix) or head gaskets (not so much). check the oil and see if it looks like a chocolate milkshake. if so thats bad news.
- Thread Starter
- #9
id hope its not the head gaskets, ill run that bish into the ground. but wouldnt it be blowing smoke out the exaust if the coolant mixed with oil?
on the bottom of your water pump is a wheep hole you could be loosin coolant from their check all your hoses and clamps if its a head gasket sell that chit to a dumb sob lol you will know if its a head she will smoke like a train
Ferendon
10+ year member
Proabbly drukn
A crack in a side tank would result in the truck heating up rather quickly, as there would be a severe loss in pressure. If it's a hose, the leak is most likely only going to be apparent when there is LOTS of pressure, i.e.: when it's already warm. And on the intake manifold gasket comment... You're an idiot. The intake manifold gasket makes not contact with ANY fluid. The only gasket that could cause a coolant leak AND mix fluids is the head gasket. Otherwise, if it is a gasket, then it's a cooling system gasket or seal. And intake manifold gasket are NOT a pricey repair, and they hardly ever go bad, unless they're re-torqued repeatedly. In the event that it is a head gasket, it's ALREADY a big repair bill, the motor will hydrolock sooner or later, because there is coolant seeping in the cylinders... and coolant doesn't compress. (Bent rod, cracked piston, blown rings, warped/cracked head, or any combination of those things will result, just to name a few).
You might also check to see if the car has a fail-safe thermostat. If it does not, it can fail and lock into the closed position, creating tremendous back pressure on the open loop section of the cooling system. That results in cracked hoses or other leaks. If it is a fail-safe, then the vehicle would take quite some time to get warm, and the entire cooling system would be open, making it difficult for the system to heat up.
Jeez... Read your post. Again. Now think about the qualifications required to call someone a "dumb sob". I'm ashamed that you're from Texas. A blown head gasket does not always smoke. Smoke is created by oil getting into the cylinders, steam is from the water in the coolant burning off. Most of the time, with coolant in the cylinder, you will get a stream of coolant at the exhaust tip. Also, the color of the smoke can tell you a lot. White/Blue smoke is not smoke. It's steam. It's from water. Darker colored smoke is usually from oil. But again... A blown head gasket DOES NOT always smoke.
This place is the blind leading the ****ing blind.
jco1385
5,000+ posts
expert jcologist
hey man, i was dead on with what you said. i've had HGs go on me before. if it gets really hard to turn over, or has white/blue smoke it's probably HGs. also check the weep hole on the w/p like someone above said. could be a bad radiator. just have to check everything.
i'll second that intake gaskets will not cause coolant loss
i'll second that intake gaskets will not cause coolant loss
hey i have two heads go out on me over heated once cracked the head and smoked like a train i am just going on my own exp... i am not a a.s.e. i just drove a pos haha
Put a piece of cardboard underneath where you park your car for the night and park over it. See where abouts the leak is coming from in your engine compartment. This way you can atleast pinpoint which side of the engine you may be leaking from.
As stated before, your cooling system is operated via pressure, so when full, it should stay full. If you are low on coolant, its going somewhere, ie leak, burning in the combustion chamber.
Without looking at the vehicle we really can't help you, could be anything; leaky hose, water pump failing, head gaskets, etc.
Sounds like coolant should be replaced soon anyways by the way you described it, but find out if theres a leak first and fix that. Use the coolant stated in your manual.
Good luck!
Michael
As stated before, your cooling system is operated via pressure, so when full, it should stay full. If you are low on coolant, its going somewhere, ie leak, burning in the combustion chamber.
Without looking at the vehicle we really can't help you, could be anything; leaky hose, water pump failing, head gaskets, etc.
Sounds like coolant should be replaced soon anyways by the way you described it, but find out if theres a leak first and fix that. Use the coolant stated in your manual.
Good luck!
Michael
Ferendon
10+ year member
Proabbly drukn
Coolant does not burn. Water will evaporate, but the coolant itself, unless propelled through the exhaust valve, with either back feed into the oil, or remain in the cylinder. If the truck is running ok, you're just loosing coolant, then you need to find your leak.
Activity
No one is currently typing a reply...
About this thread
