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I have been told that the head gaskets are going to blow and that the radiator is not getting cooled b/c the lines are clogged. so i was a given an estimate for $1900 to fix it but that would not be a repair that solved the hole problem b/c the lower engine would need repair soon after and the total would be $3,400-3,900 but i feel like is this even worth repairing when it sounds like i need a new engine. what should i do fix it or replace engine....... or better yet save $ and buy new car .........Iove my cadi.
Not worth putting that kind of money into a car that has a blue book value of $1000 in good working order.....that year ws bad for head gaskets and a lot of electrical problems
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Check for water in the oil (gooey foam after running) - blown head gasket. Check for exhaust smelling bubbles in the radiator - blown head gasket. Otherwise heat activated fan switch (on the radiator) is not coming on soon enough or at all. No fan will overheat an engine especially if a lot of stop and go or idling on warm days.Most common is a stuck thermostat, blocking circulation. Other causes are a blocked radiator - shut a warmed engine off and feel the radiator all over - if too cool in some areas, it is possibly getting clogged up inside. If you are getting radiator antifreeze smell inside the car (fogging the windshield when the car starts in cool weather) your heater core is leaking.
removing the thermostat is a sure recipe for overheating as it allows the coolant to circulate too quickly to allow the heat top transfer to the air
have a compression test done to check for head gasket
The power steering pump failure would not cause a water pump seal to fail so I suspect that you were "had" there
check that the coolant level is at the radiator cap . You may have to bleed any air out of the cooling system as that will cause overheating and no heater hot air.
Hi, I've been working on cars for over 40 years and found that all radiator stop leaks are a waste of time and money. Radiators have small cooling lines in front of the cooling fan which need to stay open. Stop leak products stops up radiators, engines and heater coils. If the radiator is not able to remove the heat for the engine, you'll most likely blow a head gasket. Replace the radiator $200.00. You'll have to do it anyway after you blow a head gasket ($1500-2500).
most common causes of blown head gaskets are engine overheating. could be caused radiator cooling fans inoperative, cooling system leaks, clogged radiator passages,or sticking thermostat. if a head gasket is severely blown the cooling system will pressurize very rapidly on cold engine startup. other more rare cases of head gaskets blowing could be loose head bolts. make sure new head bolts are used and torqued correctly if service manuals recommend new head bolts.
are you sure that the radiator is not clog ,also check the cap for broken gasket also check the hoses for stiffness i would also wanna run it without thermostat to see what happens ,some times they come defected from manufacturer good luck
water in the oil will turn the oil brown like mud,is that what you see? if so,then you have a blown head gasket,do not run motor if this is the case as the motor wiil spin a crank bearing or lock up.are you sure about the water in the oil? look for real brown oil just like mud with bubbles on the oil dipstick. if the heats stopped working it may be because the radiator's low on fluid. look in the radiator for low coolant,if you can't see the coolant when you remove the radiator cap,it's low. with engine cool,remove the radiator cap 1st then start the engine. do you see steam and fluid blowing up frome the radiator? if so,you have a blown head gasket in the motor. head gaskets can blow and leak water into the oil or oil into the radiator. or blow and leak into the exhaust sysytem and blow coolant out of the tail pipe. three different ways for a head gasket to blow. usually the head gasket only blows when the engine has been run really hot!!! hope this helps.thank you for choosing fixya .com
Several things ... best guess, in order:
1. (very likely) Radiator fan is not blowing (turn on car and a/conditioner. When compressor kicks in, the radiator fan must blow). If it ims not blowing, the radiator fan motor may be burned out ($40).
2. Check / replace "cooling fan" fuse ($1) and / or "cooling fan" relay switch ($7).
3. Could be (not likely) thermostat sticking shut. Replace thermostat ($20)
4. Could be radiator hose collapse (not very likely) ($18)
5. Radiator clog or hose leak (possible)
6. Head gasket broken (not likely unless you don't fix current problem) ($150)
The more detail of the symptoms, the better we can assist you.
Head gasket blown, leaking exhaust into antifreeze.
Clogged catalytic converter.
Thermostat: If the Van heats up, then feel the upper radiator hose. If it's cold, then your thermostat is closed. Replace thermostat.
Coolant: If low, simply fill with distilled water and coolant. Low levels will let engine over heat.
Radiator: If there are cold-to-the-touch spots on the radiator after it should be warmed up, then a clogged is probably occuring. Have radiator flushed.
Head Gasket: If you smell exhaust fumes in your coolant reservois tank, then you got a blown head gasket.
Cat Converter: Only can be tested if off the car. Or you could try a non-contact thermometer. These are also good to testing cold spot on radiator or if thermostats are open.
Cooling fan: If mechanical it'll be spinning. If electrical, it should come on automatically with the A/C, or when it gets hot.
Water pump: Will be leaking from the front if it needs replaced. On a van, it's a tough job.
cloged radiator or head gasket blown
clogged radiator let cool then run car without radiator cap when warms up the water should be running fast in direction without bubbles
if slow the there is a clog in radiator
the other things of over heating tranny low on fluid
oil fluid low
drive line fluid or grease low
binding brakes
warped fan blades or improper fan clutch or defective
hope this helped its off the top of my head since im not there
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