1988 Chevy Celebrity appr. 80,000 miles. Started overheating, stalling.It had a radiator leak, which I repaired. I also replaced the thermostat, and spark plugs, flushed and refilled the radiator. Now, it starts and runs for a short time, maybe 5 minutes before it overheats, idles rough, stalls and then will not start again. After it cools off it takes several attempts before it will turn over. Any ideas, anyone?
2006-07-19 14:08:30 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Is there any way of knowing if it is the head gasket? For example a test I could do. Also someone mentioned an upside down thermostat. Does anyone know the direction it should be in? Put it in spring side down.
2006-07-19 14:19:45 · update #1
Also noticed coolant all around the reserve tank after it overheated.
2006-07-19 14:24:04 · update #2
This is a pure "shot in the dark", but it sounds like you may have a defective head gasket. Take it to a trustworthy shop and have them check for combustion gases in the coolant. There must be an excessive amount of air in the cooling system to overheat that quickly. Normally, the system should "bleed" itself, and suck coolant from the overflow reservoir. But if the head gasket has a small hole into the coolant system, that will act as a "bleed" and not allow coolant to be sucked from the reservoir. Also, if it's sucking small amounts of coolant into a cylinder, that'll make it run poorly. HTH!! Good Luck!! PS, the thermostat goes spring side down.
Yep, sounds like a bad head gasket or warped head. Too much pressure is building in the cooling system and forcing the antifreeze out of the overflow jug. A mechanic can confirm this by doing a "block test" which involves putting a special canister filled with dye on in place of the radiator cap. He will then start the engine, and if the dye changes color, that confirms hydrocarbons are present in the cooling system, and it's time for an engine tear down (or possibly a trade if you were thinking about it anyways). Good Luck!!
2006-07-19 14:20:34 · answer #1 · answered by lugnutz59 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
This vehicle cools itself with a cooling fan is this working?
You have a sensor on the block that controls the operation of this fan as well as a sensor that tells the temp.
you sound like you have gone to far and the head gasket if damaged. Check the fans for operation. you can do a block test for the head gasket. there is a special solution that you put in a container and place over the radiator neck where the cap goes. if exhaust gases are escaping into the coolant the fluid will change color.
the thermostat has a big spring in it and an arched area the arched part goes up with most of the spring down.
I hope this helps.
BE CAREFUL COOLANT CAN BURN REMEMBER THERE IS ALWAYS TIME FOR SAFETY!!!
2006-07-19 15:11:51 · answer #2 · answered by scoutaboutpack26 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like the radiator leak and overheating before the repair caused your head gasket to blow, possibly a warped or cracked head due to overheating. It will run now until the cooling system builds up pressure and starts leaking coolant into the cylinder, which causes an engine miss, and combustion gases leaking into the cooling system will overheat the engine. It will not turn over after it cools of because the pressure that was in the cooling system has filled up the cylinder(s) with coolant, and water in the cylinder does not compress, it will not turn over until it pushes all the coolant out of the exhaust valve or past the rings, and trying to start an engine with coolant in the cylinders can bend connecting rods, making the damage worse.
2006-07-19 14:19:03 · answer #3 · answered by yugie29 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chevy Celebrity
2016-10-06 09:02:00 · answer #4 · answered by rotanelli 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a quick check is to let it cool off completely and then remove radiator cap. crank it up and look at water in radiator if you see lots and lots of bubbles it is probably a head gasket or you can just pull the spark plugs and see if water comes out of any of the cylinders when you spin it over. If you find a spark plug that is really clean white that is most likely the cylinder where the gasket is bad.
2006-07-19 15:02:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Was the themostat installed upside down? This would prevent the coolant from circulating through the engine block and back into the radiator. Is there any coolant coming from the area where the water pump is located? It's sounds as if your water pump is bad.
2006-07-19 14:16:57 · answer #6 · answered by tdl78 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
could be your watter pump is bad and not pushing the coolant threw check the thermostat to make sure that it isn't in backwards sounds silly but it has happened before it could be your fan is not working if it is electrical it should turn on around 180 to 210 degrease if it is a head gasket your oil will be contaminated a yellowish col or and you would be pushing coolant into your coolant reservoir
2006-07-19 14:14:44 · answer #7 · answered by john b 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Burnt Piston
2006-07-19 14:13:05 · answer #8 · answered by Farmer Chic 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Blown head gasket.
2006-07-19 14:11:54 · answer #9 · answered by jata2001 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Definitely AVRIL LAVIGNE! She is so much fun. Have you seen he new music video Here's TO Never Growing Up It's awesome!
2016-03-27 00:27:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋