Car overheating and now dieing.

Tiny
DORKSK8TR3
  • MEMBER
  • CHEVROLET CAVALIER
I own a 97' chevy Cavalier and it has ben over heating. It has around 115000 miles on it. I flushed the radiator and noticed signs of stop leak in it. I can add water to the car and let it sit and there will be no signs of a leak. Once I run it for 20-30 minutes though it will over heat and be completely out of water. The belt seems ok but could be replaced. There is no signs of water in the oil at all. Simply my problem was when I got it the temp gauge sat at 3/4. After several months it crept towards hot. Then it got to hot but ran ok. Then once in a while it would go to hot and the check guage light would come on and then immediatly the temp guage would drop back down to 3/4. There was no physical signs of overheating though. I checked everything and though it could be a guage or sensor. There is also no thermostat in the car and had none when I bought it.
Friday, August 17th, 2007 AT 8:36 AM

3 Replies

Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Get it block check or pressure tested to ID a blown headgasket. Its burning the coolant-White smoke on the tail pipe or drips water.
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Friday, August 17th, 2007 AT 8:56 AM
Tiny
DORKSK8TR3
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
There is no smoke at all and no dripping. I am sure it is a head gasket problem. I was going to junk the car but I think I will try block seal first. I understand how it works and the problems I can run into if I do it wrong but I plan on getting rid of it so I figure it's a last ditch effort instead of getting into the problems that lay ahead.
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Friday, August 17th, 2007 AT 9:57 AM
Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
This is the key to the problem.

I can add water to the car and let it sit and there will be no signs of a leak. Once I run it for 20-30 minutes though it will over heat and be completely out of water.

No leaks, its not an airflow or circulation problem, than it has to be burning in the combustion chamber.
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Friday, August 17th, 2007 AT 4:07 PM

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