Cooling System Problem on 93 STS

josh42892 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-25-07, 09:41 PM

Hi I am having a big problem with my cooling system on my car. It continuously overheats recently and has been leaking serious amounts of coolant. It seems after the car warms up that it is all dumping out the overflow. I just bought a new cap for the tank that is the right one... 16 pounds. It has a new radiator, thermostat and lower radiator hose. The strange thing is that when I turn the heat on in the car it stops leaking almost instantly, does anyone know what could cause this. I have no error codes etc. It leaks out at a rate of about a gallon every 3 to 5 minutes. Sorry I am just at a loss of what to do and the car is my everyday driver so I cannot afford for it to be parked. Thanks in advance for any replies and if you all need further information just let me know. The car is old and has 244,000 miles on it but runs strong and has no problems except this and oil leaking all over so please help I can't afford a new or new-er car.

**Playdrv4me** · #2 (**permalink**) 04-25-07, 09:52 PM

First of all, welcome to our fine Forum.

With everything that you have replaced, I would say it is likely that youve just become acquainted with the other common Norhtstar problem outside of the oil leaks, which is headgasket failures. That being said, I think your car has lived a LONG and useful life as far as Northstar mileage goes. I know that isnt much consolation, but we usually see this problem alot earlier in the car's life.

There is an outside possibility that you may have a serious clog at the heater core due to your claim that it stops when you turn on the heat, but I find this unlikely, and Im willing to bet money that even when you do this, the temperature still sits very high. What you need to do to confirm the diagnosis of headgaskets is take the car for in a cylinder leakdown test, and/or a combustion byproduct test of the coolant itself. This will confirm the headgasket failure.

Unfortunately, the headgasket issue is NOT cheap to fix, and for a good shop to do it PROPERLY your looking at minimum 2500.00 on up, and for that, you could just get a new motor on Ebay, or probably just another reliable car, Caddy or not. Again, I dont know how long YOU'VE owned this Caddy, but 244k for a Northstar Seville is actually an impressive number.

Do a search for "overheating" or "headgaskets" and you will find all you need to know.

Good luck,
Ian.

josh42892 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-26-07, 12:55 PM

Thanks Ian. I have owned the car for about 3500 miles now. I have not had any problems and the car is in good shape for how many miles it has. I do not see any obvious signs of the head gaskets going bad, white smoke etc. I do plan on buying a newer car in a month or two. I just was hoping there was a way to put some duct tape on it so to speak. I am still in high school and can only work 2 days a week and for that matter at Disney World... so yeah lack of cash. I love my car just hate the problems. Thanks for the advice though.

**Playdrv4me** · #4 (**permalink**) 04-26-07, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by josh42892

Thanks Ian. I have owned the car for about 3500 miles now. I have not had any problems and the car is in good shape for how many miles it has. I do not see any obvious signs of the head gaskets going bad, white smoke etc. I do plan on buying a newer car in a month or two. I just was hoping there was a way to put some duct tape on it so to speak. I am still in high school and can only work 2 days a week and for that matter at Disney World... so yeah lack of cash. I love my car just hate the problems. Thanks for the advice though.

I hear you. Get those tests done, they are CHEAP to have done and that will confirm for you for sure. There is still hope yet it may not be that, but you wont know unless you find out.

The fact that you are not seeing any steam is a good thing, but weve seen the headgasket problem appear here with and without several different symptoms... if you simply can not pinpoint the cause of the overheating this is usually the final stop.

josh42892 · #5 (**permalink**) 04-26-07, 03:07 PM

Ok and where do you get these tests done? Also yeah today I drove to school and it went up to about 244 and dropped then up and down then overheated in the parking lot without the heat or defog on. With it on this afternoon after i filled it with 2 gallons of water in the scorching Florida sun it stayed at about 190 to 203 peak. Thanks in advance for the help.

**Playdrv4me** · #6 (**permalink**) 04-26-07, 04:24 PM

Check the local Radiator Shops. They will do it for very little or even for free sometimes! There are also home kits you can buy at the auto parts store but they run about 50 bucks.

**Ranger** · #7 (**permalink**) 04-26-07, 05:37 PM

Check the purge line to be sure it is clear and flows coolant. Also check the water pump belt tensioner. If that is OK, have the tests performed that where previously mentioned.

misfit6794 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-26-07, 06:21 PM

Put some stop leak in it and run it till it blows up. Definetly sounds like a headgasket, look for coolant in your tail pipes, or a check engine light to pop up when the coolant in yor exhaust ruins the o2 sensor. Also since you are leaking oil in combination with coolant, thats pretty much a death sentence. Check to see if your oil is milky. Turning the heat on will cool down the engine a bit, but once it gets over 250 it will turn off the heat.(at least thats what my deville did when the hg's blew and it spiked at 265) Whoever sold you that car knew the headgaskets were bad, kick them in the nuts.

**Playdrv4me** · #9 (**permalink**) 04-26-07, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by misfit6794

Put some stop leak in it and run it till it blows up. Definetly sounds like a headgasket, look for coolant in your tail pipes, or a check engine light to pop up when the coolant in yor exhaust ruins the o2 sensor. Also since you are leaking oil in combination with coolant, thats pretty much a death sentence. Check to see if your oil is milky. Turning the heat on will cool down the engine a bit, but once it gets over 250 it will turn off the heat.(at least thats what my deville did when the hg's blew and it spiked at 265) Whoever sold you that car knew the headgaskets were bad, kick them in the nuts.

Oh yea! I was about to say that too! Definitely find the SOB who sold you that car (hope it wasnt a family member

) and drive it into their living room.

josh42892 · #10 (**permalink**) 04-26-07, 08:29 PM

Haha! No it was not a family member... trust me I would have shoved the car back up their butt if it was. However I only paid 2k for it so its not that big of a deal but still I have $156.00 to my name so yeah it is I guess sort of a big deal. It just has to last me about a month or two till I can work enough to pay the payments on a newer car. Also thanks for the tips Ranger ill check up on that stuff. It is my first car I did not think it would last long anyway.

**Playdrv4me** · #11 (**permalink**) 04-26-07, 08:47 PM

Well I wish you the best of luck either way. Regardless, that is a hell of a nice car for a first car. My first was a 1996 Lincoln Continental. I wish I would have kept it

misfit6794 · #12 (**permalink**) 04-26-07, 09:42 PM

Honestly from the way you describe it, id be surprised if the car lasted a week in its current condition. You will either crack a head or a block, or your pistons are gonna hit your valves. Id atart figuring out another mode of transportation.

josh42892 · #13 (**permalink**) 04-27-07, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by misfit6794

Honestly from the way you describe it, id be surprised if the car lasted a week in its current condition. You will either crack a head or a block, or your pistons are gonna hit your valves. Id atart figuring out another mode of transportation.

Pessimist... I can make it last 500,000 miles. I think I know what it is, I still have not yet had time to take and get the tests done but I think it may be the whatever that bypasses the heater core that is plugged... I do not know the name of it. Because after testing my theory again today and talking to my dad who has been working on cars since he was like 12 I have come to the conclusion that the cooling system on this car is a friggin mess but can be fixed . And do you REALLY need those sealant pellets that people keep mentioning?

However im still taking it to get the tests done.

misfit6794 · #14 (**permalink**) 04-27-07, 04:09 PM

Yea you really do need those tabs. Crush them i put them into the upper radiator hose, if you put them in the overflow theres a good chance it'll clog .good luck

**Ranger** · #15 (**permalink**) 04-27-07, 09:15 PM

There is nothing that bypasses the heater core. The core has constant coolant flow. Heat is controlled by an air mix door. When no heat is required the heated air is dumped overboard.

The sealant tabs are preventative in nature. They are used to seal porous aluminum castings (in the event that there is one) and/or minor gasket leaks, other than head gaskets.