If it is a head gasket you are unlikely to get more than a few days from your car before you have a catastrophic failure. I have never known of a miracle cure that works so caveat emptor. If you are in a position to do so I would go trade it now!
The VW and the Mazda might be good choices, but I wouldn't buy a Mitsubishi. I have come across too many premature failures.
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- Fri Sep 18, 2009 12:11 am
- Forum: Off-Topic
- Topic: More car troubles... need advice
- Replies: 47
- Views: 4931
- Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:52 pm
- Forum: Off-Topic
- Topic: More car troubles... need advice
- Replies: 47
- Views: 4931
Re: More car troubles... need advice
Unfortunatley AutoZone will not be able to test for head gasket failure. You will need to but gauge or pay a mechanic to do it for you.
"If it was a blown headgasket, would it continue making that boiling sound even with the car shutoff?"
It might do as the excess pressure finds it way out of the system.
If you are in or around Austin I'll test the cyclinder pressures for you.
"If it was a blown headgasket, would it continue making that boiling sound even with the car shutoff?"
It might do as the excess pressure finds it way out of the system.
If you are in or around Austin I'll test the cyclinder pressures for you.
- Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:32 pm
- Forum: Off-Topic
- Topic: More car troubles... need advice
- Replies: 47
- Views: 4931
Re: More car troubles... need advice
I would suggest that you do not remove the thermostat. This will increase the water flow through the system but it may increase the flow to the point that there is insufficient time for the water to lose heat while in the radiator. The chance of both the original and replacement thermostats being faulty is remote. But no harm in testing as mentioned in a previous reply - although I wouldn't bother.
A common sign that the head gasket has failed is coolant bubbling because of cylinder pressure leaking into the cooling system. You mention that the system is "boiling". This is unlikely in a pressurised cooling tank (the type with the pressure cap on the tank rather than the radiator) as the system pressure is designed to prevent this by raising the boiling point. The cap should relieve the pressure before the boiling point is reached.
So if I had to guess I would think that you do have a head gasket problem. The best way to check this is with a cylinder pressure gauge (about $20 at Harbor Freight). Pull all the plugs, prop the throttle wide open and screw the gauge into each plug hole in turn. Record your readings and compare them. You should see no more than about 10-15% variance from the highest to the lowest. My guess is that you will see one or more that is much lower than the others.
Good luck.
A common sign that the head gasket has failed is coolant bubbling because of cylinder pressure leaking into the cooling system. You mention that the system is "boiling". This is unlikely in a pressurised cooling tank (the type with the pressure cap on the tank rather than the radiator) as the system pressure is designed to prevent this by raising the boiling point. The cap should relieve the pressure before the boiling point is reached.
So if I had to guess I would think that you do have a head gasket problem. The best way to check this is with a cylinder pressure gauge (about $20 at Harbor Freight). Pull all the plugs, prop the throttle wide open and screw the gauge into each plug hole in turn. Record your readings and compare them. You should see no more than about 10-15% variance from the highest to the lowest. My guess is that you will see one or more that is much lower than the others.
Good luck.