Help!

[BwolfGT]

The anti-freeze in my car has just been kind of...dissapearing. There's no leaks anywhere or dripping under the car. It almost overheated again today so I took it to a shop, and they said it might be a blown intake manifold or head gasket.
Are there any other possibilities before I spend $400 fixing something that big??

[stlmo_gtp]

check your oil you will be able to tell if it is a blown head gasket

[BwolfGT]

check your oil you will be able to tell if it is a blown head gasket

How?

[stlmo_gtp]

the oil will be broken down you may see some separation, it will be really watery and just run off the dip stick, and then if you feel it, it won't feel as lubed or as thick as it should

[firstdue]

Coolant in the oil can also make the oil look milky.....

Do you have white exhaust smoke? smell of coolant in the exhaust?


Have you replaced your plenum? From what i have been reading the stock original ones tend to fail around the EGR from heat. And there are coolant passages that run close to the EGR. I have the same problem on my 2000 GT. I replaced my lower intake manifold gasket because I had coolant puddling under the car. Now I no longer have any noticable leaks but my radiator needs to be filled with coolant from time to time. There is an aftermarket plenum...called a Dorman that is thicker around the EGR.
If you lower intake gaskets have not been replaced, you'll probably want to do them too while you have everything apart. Its pretty easy and theres a video "how-to" around here somewhere.

[BwolfGT]

Plenum? Not even sure what that is, but I guess I could give it a try ha.
I hope its not a head gasket or the whole manifold...expensive :[

[blueguy]

Plenum...that huge black plastic thing on the top of your motor.

[BwolfGT]

Plenum...that huge black plastic thing on the top of your motor.

Lmao ok thanks for clearing that up

[blueguy]

Lmao ok thanks for clearing that up

Yup

Check the back of it for hairline cracks/leaks...when my Mom bought a LeSabre a few years ago (it's an '03) it started to smell like coolant was burning...found a small spot on the rear manny and it turned out to be a crack in the upper plastic plenum. Bought a new one and installed it...problem solved. And IF you have the funds...get a HV3 while your in there...it is the shiz...

[GPSims39]

you could have a little crack in the rad itself, i had a pin hole in the plastic peice of the rad, after a while it was running really hot and the over flow was empty, it was pissin out slowly but drying up quick cause it wasnt a lot, used some Plastic Weld on it and so far so good!

[BwolfGT]

you could have a little crack in the rad itself, i had a pin hole in the plastic peice of the rad, after a while it was running really hot and the over flow was empty, it was pissin out slowly but drying up quick cause it wasnt a lot, used some Plastic Weld on it and so far so good!

I'll have to check into that, it'd deff. be a much quicker fix lol.
Is it easy to take out the radiator?

[GPSims39]

i didnt have to take it out, it was pissing right where the fins at the top of the rad meet the plastic sides, by the upper hose, so it was an easy find, let it cool, and so far the plastic weld has held up until i have time and money to replace, you have to wait for it to get up to temp to see if anything is going on with it tho,

[BwolfGT]

Thanks gpsims this could deff. be my problem, my car is outside every day and I've never seen a leak, but I did garage it for a day and there was a tiny puddle of something that I never saw again outside.

[GPSims39]

yeah i had the same thing, i would smell it but not see it, and if the car sat and ran long enough it would build up on the scrape guard and start to drip off, so small that you wouldnt see but after a while your empty and your cars on fire LOL, use a flashlight and check the plastic side runners, you should see residue from trailing from the source (since my coolant was old it was kinda brown) hopefully that helps! and the plastic weld if it is on the plastic you can get at any ACE hardware or Home Depot, can handle like 1300 PSI and temps over 250 F

[blueguy]

Put a board or something under it to catch the small spills...taste it...if it is sweet/sugary then it is coolant.

[GPSims39]

Put a board or something under it to catch the small spills...taste it...if it is sweet/sugary then it is coolant.

or coffee!

[GPSims39]

BWolf did you find it?

[BwolfGT]

I think it's the lower intake gaskets burning it up, I'm getting the GM gasket kit soon anyway and getting all of them replaced so hopefully that'll solve the problem.