Well you would need to find out if the head gasket is bad and then replace the radiator. Your radiator could have cracked from age or a jolt of some kind. The loss of fluid would have caused the car to overheat. If the head gasket is bad, have them check the head for warpage and cracking as well. There are a number of causes but you really won't know what happened until you figure out if the head gasket is bad..

Answered by Bruce Hunt (expert)
3,803 answers provided

You said your engine overheated and now it won't start. Go ahead and fill the radiator with water and try to start the engine. If it doesn't start then remove the spark plugs. If you see water/coolant in the cylinders then your head gasket is shot. The reason your car won't start is because the spark plugs are soaked with water and won't allow the plugs to spark. The defective head gasket allowed exhaust pressure into the cooling system and probably cracked your weak radiator.

Answered by captain hank
1 question asked