My car broke down the other day heading back to NH from RI. I was 1/2 into my drive on a hot day & the A/C Stopped working. I looked down & noticed the temp gauge was maxxed out.
I shut the engine down & pulled into a parking lot. I opened the hood & the plastic Air bleeder screw was gone out of the corner of the radiator. I didn't have a replacement or AAA so I had to make the trip back to my friends by filling the radiator with water & driving untill the temp gauge would start to go up. I repeated the process with warm water until I made it back.
The next day I replaced the bleeder plug & had the radiator flushed & filled. The day after that I changed the oil.
I figured I was all set & attempted the drive back to NH & within 30 miles my car started overheating again. This time it seemed worse. I could only make it a few miles before I would overheat. I had my car towed back to my friends.
I have a check engine light that's been on for a few months saying "Misfire on Cylinder 4". The CAT is also signaling a code.
I noticed before changing the oil that there was some grey/white smoke coming from the tail pipe. The overflow tank was filling & shooting out radiator fluid & water when I attempted to drive. I didn't let it get over 3/4 temp before shutting it down.
What do you think the cause may be for all my troubles? A few people are saying head gasket, thermostat, water pump, Radiator & various other things.
If it is the headgasket & I've been leaking antifeeze & water into the cylinders....do you think I may have caused alot of damage by driving the car? I never let the car overheat past 3/4. (When I changed the oil & radiator fluid it was running silent & smooth with good power).
I shut the engine down & pulled into a parking lot. I opened the hood & the plastic Air bleeder screw was gone out of the corner of the radiator. I didn't have a replacement or AAA so I had to make the trip back to my friends by filling the radiator with water & driving untill the temp gauge would start to go up. I repeated the process with warm water until I made it back.
The next day I replaced the bleeder plug & had the radiator flushed & filled. The day after that I changed the oil.
I figured I was all set & attempted the drive back to NH & within 30 miles my car started overheating again. This time it seemed worse. I could only make it a few miles before I would overheat. I had my car towed back to my friends.
I have a check engine light that's been on for a few months saying "Misfire on Cylinder 4". The CAT is also signaling a code.
I noticed before changing the oil that there was some grey/white smoke coming from the tail pipe. The overflow tank was filling & shooting out radiator fluid & water when I attempted to drive. I didn't let it get over 3/4 temp before shutting it down.
What do you think the cause may be for all my troubles? A few people are saying head gasket, thermostat, water pump, Radiator & various other things.
If it is the headgasket & I've been leaking antifeeze & water into the cylinders....do you think I may have caused alot of damage by driving the car? I never let the car overheat past 3/4. (When I changed the oil & radiator fluid it was running silent & smooth with good power).
Aug 20, 2009 at 6:20 PM
