1996 Toyota Tercel Blown head gasket?

MAKAYLALANAE

MEMBER
1996 TOYOTA TERCEL
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
137,000 MILES

A few nights ago my dad looked at my engine and we saw that there was green coolant on top of it. It was mainly on the right side and a lot of it was on the battery. We then proceeded to check the radiator and found that there was no coolant inside of it. The next day we put more coolant in it and the morning after the radiator cap was empty yet again. We put some more coolant in it yesterday and this morning the overflow tank was full, the radiator cap was empty, and the oil looks as if though it has a milky substance to it. I took my car to this guy who works on cars on the side and he put some of that radiator stuff in it that will patch small holes to see if that could of been causing the coolant to leak. It obviously didn't work being that there was no coolant in the radiator this morning. What could be the cause of this? We can't find any leaks from any hoses and there are no puddles under my car whenever it's parked for long amounts of time. I live in Arizona and am supposed to be driving to California in 10 days but if my engine is messed up badly then that can't happen.

1 Reply

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
108,179 POSTS

Okay, I have a couple things for you to start with. First, check the engine oil to see if the coolant is mixing with it. See if there is a creamy tan / white substance. Since you said the coolant is on the battery, that makes me think there may be a hose leaking and spraying the coolant. Call your local parts store and see if they lend tools. If they do, tell them you need a pressure pump to pressurize the cooling system of your vehicle. Once you get the tool, with the engine cold, fill the radiator with coolant and then pressurize the system. Once the pressure is there, check for leaks.

Do this and let me know what you find.