New head gaskets not over heating or dripping fluid but radiator is steaming and spraying a little fluid. What is wrong ?
New head gaskets not over heating or dripping fluid but radiator is steaming and spraying a little fluid. What is wrong ?
My car has 22500 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hello, thanks for writing in. The best way to determine what your issue is would be to find the source of your leak. There are a few places to check first. One of which is the top radiator hose. Holes typically form on this hose from the fan or engine heat. Also check your radiator cap and make sure it is working properly. The pressurized cap can cause steam and spray type leak patterns. Once you find the source of the leak, you will be able to take corrective action. For more help resolving the leak, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
If your coolant reservoir is boiling but your engine doesn`t overheat, then your coolant may not actually be too hot. Those bubbles you noticed are more likely air bubbles that found their way into the coolant reservoir—not from the piping hot coolant. In most cases, the issue is actually a leak in the radiator cap.
If the coolant level is dropping and there is no external leak evident, then the coolant is probably leaking internally, into the engine. If the car has recently overheated then this could have caused the head gasket to fail. If it has, it could be leaking coolant into the combustion chambers.
If you are asking whether you can get a blown head gasket without the engine ever having overheated (vs not overheat WITH a blown head gasket already present), the answer is yes.
Your problem may simply be a loose or damaged cap not keeping coolant where it needs to be. The radiator cap is designed to allow access to fluids in a `closed` system. The coolant used to cool the engine does so at maximum efficiency when kept at specific pressure. Check your owner`s manual for proper cap replacement.
Gurgling is most commonly caused by air bubbles in the system, and can easily be solved by bleeding your radiators. Get yourself a radiator key so that you can loose each radiator`s top valve. Once the system has heated up, wait for all the air to escape before closing the valve again.
However, you might notice a sound exactly like boiling water on the stove. This is the coolant in your radiator boiling. This mean there is a hose failure, or that a bad gasket has compromised the cooling system. When a hose fails, it makes a soft hissing noise like a balloon with a small hole.
When they blow, intake manifold gaskets and head gaskets will typically leak different substances. A blown intake manifold gasket may cause air or fuel to leak. A blown head gasket, on the other hand, will typically cause combustion gases, coolant or oil to leak.
Oil and coolant leaks are common issues on many vehicles. Just because you see a leak doesn`t mean you have a blown head gasket. If you see the majority of the oil or coolant seeping out from the engine block though, it could be an indication that the head gasket is no longer maintaining a seal.
In most cases, all you will need to do is bleed the radiators in your home using a radiator key to release some of the pressure. There is a pressure release valve on every radiator that you can easily find. Turning this will help release pressure from the boiler.
Air bubbles are usually caused by low fluid levels in the radiator. This could happen because of a leak or just because the coolant is getting old. Over time, it burns up and water is evaporated out, causing it to thicken and lose its desired viscosity.
Air bubbles are usually caused by low fluid levels in the radiator. This could happen because of a leak or just because the coolant is getting old. Over time, it burns up and water is evaporated out, causing it to thicken and lose its desired viscosity.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
New head gaskets not over heating or dripping fluid but radiator is steaming and spraying a little fluid. What is wrong ?
ANSWER : Hello, thanks for writing in. The best way to determine what your issue is would be to find the source of your leak. There are a few places to check first. One of which is the top radiator hose. Holes typically form on this hose from the fan or engine heat. Also check your radiator cap and make sure it is working properly. The pressurized cap can cause steam and spray type leak patterns. Once you find the source of the leak, you will be able to take corrective action. For more help resolving the leak, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
i have a 1994 z28 and i did a head gasket replacement for some blown head gaskets. I then tried changing the timing gears and when
ANSWER : Hi there. It really depends on the location of the motor (meaning if it’s installed in the vehicle or loose and on an engine stand), that would factor into the price and whether this is a project one of our mobile mechanics can complete. We can complete the oil pan gasket replacement, but some of the other jobs like wiring harness, intake and rocker arm installation is outside of our scope of service. In regards to estimates for those services, I would suspect it would cost anywhere from $400 to $1,000 based on where it’s completed and what supplies would be needed.
Engine over-heating and Radiator then overflows fluid or steam.
ANSWER : First of all, overheating the engine will damage it. The list of reasons why is long, but here is a partial list of reasons why overheating the engine will ruin it.
The engine oil becomes much thinner at higher temps.
The engine oil can bake on to metal parts
Engines have very tight spaces for pressurized oil to lubricate the parts. When the engine is too hot, these spaces become smaller, or disappear all together.
Gaskets fail easier.
Metal parts can become warped.
You can overheat the transmission by overheating the engine. First of all they are bolted together and share the heat. Second, the cooler lines from the transmission go to the radiator to be cooled. When the radiator is boiling, this cooks the transmission fluid. Too much heat is the number one problem with transmission failure.
Second, there really isn’t such a thing as weakening it, it’s either runs well, or it doesn’t. Considering that the engine is over heating in such a short time and distance, I would assume that the coolant is not circulating. The first and easiest part to check or replace would be the thermostat (as needed). While the engine is running and full of coolant, feel the upper and lower radiator hoses. If one is hot, and the other is not, the thermostat might be stuck closed.
Finally, I believe, based on my gut feeling, that the the water pump has failed. I have seen the impeller that circulates the coolant come off before. When this happens, the coolant does not circulate. It will heat up quickly when it can not reach the radiator. It will then boil. This does not happen at 212 degrees. A 50/50 mix of coolant and water, under 16 psi of pressure, will boil around 260 degrees. This creates extra pressure in the system. The radiator cap is designed to release any pressure over it’s rating into the coolant reservoir. It will quickly overflow under these circumstances. The cooling fan that you hard wired will not do much of anything because the hot coolant in the engine never gets to the radiator, until its too late and boiling. You can confirm this when the engine is hot, the fan will be blowing cold air.
I would not delay having this repaired. Consider having a certified mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, come by and address your overheating concerns.
How to check which (valve/head)gasket is not working& what is the price to fix head gasket ?
ANSWER : The problems you describe (leaking radiator, overheating) often lead to a "blown" or leaking head gasket. For your vehicle, there is only 1 head gasket, which would need to be replaced. This is in addition to any failure of the radiator or other cooling system components.
I recommend having a YourMechanic mobile, professional mechanic come to your location and perform a car is overheating inspection. This inspection will identify failed cooling system components (radiator, head gasket issues) and recommend/quote needed repairs.
My car a.c. won’t work and I have to turn the heat on in order for the car to not over heat.i have gotten A new radiator a new fan
ANSWER : Hi there. In most cases, when you turn on the heater to avoid overheating, the issue may well be with the heater core itself. Sometimes engine sludge will collect inside coolant tubes. When you turn on the heater, a heater control valve opens to expand the circulation of hot radiator fluid to the heater core which supplies the heat. However, the issue could be due to a thermostat that is not opening the coolant flow as it should, a fan that is not activating when it should, or a water pump that is damaged. I would recommend having a professional mechanic come to your location and complete a car is overheating inspection, so they can pinpoint the root source and complete the right repairs.
Can i make a new sump gasket for my 98 lancer from cork or rubber gasket sheet or do i need to buy a new one?
ANSWER : Hello. If you have reason to believe that your oil sump may be sludgey, due to waiting too long in between services, then it may not be a bad idea to clean it out. Cleaning the pan / sump out would only help extend and maximize the engine’s service life. You may be able to make a new gasket on your own, however a custom molded oil pan gasket, specifically made for that vehicle can likely be found with little difficulty. If you choose to make your own gasket be sure to do so using a sufficiently oil resistant material.
Can you drive a car that had the ARP head studs honed and the val
ANSWER : Hi there:
Let’s simplify some of the things he’s suggesting. If he broke a connecting rod on his 1.6 liter engine, that probably caused a lot of internal engine damage to occur. Installing new pistons, piston rings, oil pan gaskets and installing new head studs (ARP are nice but irrelevant here) and honed the cylinders (a needed job anytime pistons or rods are replaced) and rebuilt the valves; that’s just the basics for any engine rebuild. If he also installed new valve guides, new timing belt, camshaft, crankshaft, main bearings and all new cylinder head hardware, and the engine was never "windowed" (meaning the broken rod broke through the engine block) then the rebuilt engine should be good. Without knowing if all that other work was completed, it’s impossible to tell you whether or not the repairs are good. In regards to oil changes, during a break in period, replacing every 100 with filters at 500 is a bit excessive (for a street motor). Once broken in correctly, it should be every 3,000 for oil and filter on any rebuilt engine.
My car is overheating. I ve changed water pump.bought new radiator,bought new fan.
ANSWER : Hi there. In some cases, an overheating problem after an accident is caused by an obstruction inside the coolant system, such as engine sludge, or perhaps air bubbles. It may also be caused by an engine tuning problem, where the air / fuel mixture is running lean. It’s also common for a heater core to be damaged; which can also create an overheating problem. The best way to know for certain, is to have a professional mechanic complete a car is overheating inspection at your location.
