Triple check the radiator if its clogged-feel the fins for cold spot at all areas should feel the same temperature if okay-bring her in and get it block and pressure tested-

Answered by rasmataz
68 questions asked

I vote to turn rasmataz's suggestions around. Get it checked first for a leaking head gasket and avoid all the other misleading symptoms. I think you're trying to fix the results, not the cause.

Answered by caradiodoc (expert)
17,285 answers provided

Okay, what I withheld from you guys is that before my upper radiator hose blew off, my car overheated unexpectedly and was stuttering when I gave it heavy gas. I had a compression test done, and cylinder 1 and 2 were low. I had a hydrocarbon "sniffer" from an emissions tester placed in my overflow tank, and it detected abnormally high hydrocarbons. I also had an oil sample sent to a lab, which found extremely high amounts of water and ethylene glycol (antifreeze). This tells me that the vehicle has a faulty head gasket and a cracked head between cylinders 1 and 2. I used Bars Heavy Duty Stop Leak (crystal glass) as per instructions, and it seemed to fix the problem. No more over heating, no more stuttering. Then the upper radiator hose blew off. Skip forward to the radiator flush and now the heater works again. I purposely didn't mention the faulty head and gasket, because I wanted to see if anyone else suspected that could be the issue. Since 3 of us think its the head and gasket...what can be done other than replacing the gasket and replacing the head? Just the gasket is a $1200+ job and even more for the head, and the car isn't even worth $1200.

Response from fackiner
1 question asked

Doc, you can take over this thread its over for me-thanks for the back-up

Answered by rasmataz
68 questions asked

I think I'd look for a second opinion. $1200.00 seems awfully high but I do know there are some GM four-cylinder engines the mechanics hate working on. It's not a given that you'll need a new head. That is only if yours is cracked or warped. Overhead cam engines can't be milled like on older engines. That would still leave the cam journals out-of-line.

$500.00 to $800.00 would seem more reasonable unless I've been out of the industry for too long. You might look into a nearby community college with an Automotive program. We were always looking for live work to give the kids real-world experience. They are well-supervised and the cost is very low, but the trade-off is you won't see your car for at least a few weeks. Also, they will only do engine work while they're teaching that subject.

Answered by caradiodoc (expert)
17,285 answers provided

Before you spend a ton of money, Your temp sensor that kicks on the fans may be working intermittently. You may want try to wire your fans on a relay so that when the key is on your fans are on.. Just my two cents:)

Answered by alansmith1
0 questions asked