Head Gasket

Tiny
ANGELATHOMAS
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 SATURN VUE
  • 6 CYL
  • AWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 94,000 MILES
This question is for saturntech9. On my 2002 Saturn Vue, when the mechanic changed my plugs, and had to replace the gasket b/c of the way he had to get to them, was that my head gasket? When he told me he had to order a gasket I started to google gaskets, and was reading signs of a blown head gasket. Now I'm real paranoid about my car, b/c I'm so afraid of breaking down, so when I read something that has signs to indicate thats what might be wrong with my car, and I have some of the sings I automatically think that is whats wrong. First, if I had a bad head gasket would it have shown up on the computer when they was scanning it? Also, my coolant light was on before I took it to the garage so I checked the coolant and it was 2in below the fill mark, so I filled it back to the line and the light went off, well now the coolant light is back on, so I checked it again and it was almost all gone. I had read that some signs of bad head gasket is coolant loss. And white smoke out the tail pipe with a sweet smell like antifreeze, I have white smoke, but I noticed that almost all cars do, but I can smell like a sweet smell. I really don't know where to go from here I can't afford to take it to a garage, so what do you think? Is there anything I can do to find out for sure myself?
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 AT 4:14 AM

7 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
He was possibly replacing the gasket to the ignition module. Or he maybe replaced the intake gasket because you have to pull the intake to replace the spark plug's. But you can reuse the intake gasket and there is no need t replace it. You would have to ask him which of those two he replaced. There would have been no reason to replace a head gasket while replacing spark plug's on that engine. So you have a coolant leak?The two most common place's for that to leak coolant is the water pump and the oil cooler plate under the intake manifold. You would have to have someone pressure test the system and see where the coolant was coming from. Is it still under warranty from when you bought it?
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Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 AT 4:25 PM
Tiny
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I havent noticed any spots where it would have leak at on the concrete, I dont have a warranty on the car, but I have a warranty on the engine he had the timing belt replaced and its a warranty from that. It was the intake gasket that he had replaced. So should I be worried about the head gasket? Oh I was thinking when he changed all that could I have lost coolant? Because I thought maybe if it does he might not have filled it back up.
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Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 AT 11:36 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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It's possible you could have had a air pocket in the cooling system those engine's do get them when the coolant is drained. Keep an eye out for the coolant level dropping again. If it doesn't then I wouldn't worry about it. Keep me posted.
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Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 AT 11:45 PM
Tiny
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Okay thanks so much for the help.
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Friday, March 4th, 2011 AT 3:05 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
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Your welcome that's what were here for.
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Friday, March 4th, 2011 AT 4:42 AM
Tiny
ANGELATHOMAS
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Just keeping you updated okay since we last talked the coolant light has come on its come on several times I can fill the coolant up then exactly a week it will come on again and so on. So do you think I might have a slow leak somewhere, if I do will it eventually get worse?
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Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 AT 3:01 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
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If you keep having to add coolant every week you have a leak somewhere most likely a water pump or your oil cooler plate. Yes it will get worse it is best to have it checked out.
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Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 AT 6:08 PM

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