Alright. So here's my symptoms, folks. When the car idles after being driven, like at a stop light, the temperature gauge starts to creep up. However, when I drive it again, it almost instantly drops back down to normal, presumably since enough cool air is being forced into the engine bay to cool it off a bit. Last time this happened, it was a collapsed radiator hose. But my hoses are all in fine shape. I'm losing coolant at an alarming rate, but I don't know where it's going. No visible leaks. My thermostat was just inspected, no problems. All the fans work. I have not observed the problem when the a/c is off because it's just too damn hot out. I also found a lot of silver flakes in the coolant when I went to top it off, but at this point I'm thinking that that may be an unrelated problem. For those of you unfamiliar with my car, my a/c condenser is located in front of my radiator, and both have bend fins and are covered in bugs. I just hit 191k on Friday, both the condenser and the radiator are original. So...help? Alex suggested the water pump.
headgaskets maybe, or it could be a leak you just cans t see somewhere else. you need to get a coolant system pressure test and leakdown test.
Make me an offer on my WRX radiator. It's just taking up space and I need gas money. I'll even help you swap it out Well good morning sunshine! Same Post time FTW! Yea Xan, cross your fingers its not a headgasket :sx: Jut take it to Steven to get checked out, i think he's working today actually
bottom line if you want to save ALOT of time and money, get it fixed NOWWW!!!! otherwise you will need at least new heads, if not a new complete engine (if not already)
Now that to me sounds like there is a *SLIGHT* possibility that your radiator might be clogged to the point of overheating. At this point if you can find a known good radiator to drop in...I would swap that out, change the thermostat and gasket and put a fresh and properly mixed coolant in. If you still have issues, headgaskets. My vote is still 95% headgaskets.
-small thread jack- Guess I need a "leakdown" too. Just to be on the safe side... who can help me out?
Yes...but coolant just doesn't disappear. It is not overheating because you replaced the coolant that had been lost. Your coolant system should appear to be back to normal, until enough coolant is lost to where it can't keep your engine cool. There is a leak, internal or external, but there is a leak somewhere in your system.
I had similar issues with another vehicle. I was loosing coolant about 1/2 gallon every tank of gas, noticed metal in the coolant and over average amounts in the oil. As well as coolant in the oil. It was my head gasket. My suggestion is to drain your oil and examine it, if you find more metal than normal and water in it, that would be a positive on the gasket. They are right to if you ignore it you can count on replacing that engine. I waited to long.
I took it to a local place today before I get Steven to look at it. Everything looks fine to them, it's not overheating, and it didn't overheat on the way there or back. The saga continues...
continue checking your coolant levels. if it leaked before, you can be almost 100% that it will leak again.