I lent my caddy to my older sis...

[Krashed989]

Okay so here's the story. I went on vacation for a couple weeks, and lent my car to my sister in the meantime. Well I got back home yesturday and she was bringing me my car back today when all of a sudden I get a call... She was stuck on the side of the road with the engine overheating. Damnit!... She knows nothing about cars, absolutely nothing. So talking her through diagnostic procedures over the phone was too frustrating. My mom then lent me her truck so I could go have a look at it. And so I drove the hour to where she was stuck with a truck bed full of tools and coolant jugs. I was totally expecting a major leak. Well I looked at it, and noticed it was a little wet down near the lower radiator hose. I changed the radiator not very long ago and I know that hose clamp was a b#$%h to tighten so I fgured maybe the hose clamp wasn't tight enough. So, I'm there loosening and tightening this hose clamp for over an hour trying to find the best way so i can get it on there good. Meanwhile, it's getting dark and the wind is chilly. Finally I'm sure the hose clamp is tight enough, so I refill the resovoir and follow her down the road. Not even a block down, it starts overheating again. Gah... So I look at it. The coolant is still full. No steam. Fans are working hard, but the temp is skyrocketing. Finally I get fed up with it (And the now freezing wind that I had to bear with no jacket) and call a tow guy to come pick it up.

So... I'm really really really hoping it's the thermostat.... But right now I'm kinda leaning towards it being a blown head gasket.

I lend my sister my car and it breaks. Coincidence? I kinda get the feeling that she and her boyfriend drove it like a rental car. I mean she did call it a POS while I was trying to fix it. If that's any reflection on how she treated it while she had it she's never borrowing anything from me again.

Right now it's too late, but I'm gonna try to diagnose it tomorrow and see what's wrong.

[misfit6794]

Hopefully now you've realized that most women and cars don't mix, I've been burned a couple times. When yous ay overheat, how hot did it get? and did it go into limp home mode? Also the year and model will help. There's a couple ways to check for blown hg's. Coolant in the exhaust, milkey oil, white spark plugs, will all be signs of a bad hg. The easiest and best way is to get a cylinder leak test. The hose probably got blown off as a result of the overheating. Usually the coolant will come out the overflow and the car will lose alot of coolant. Get the cylinder leak test done, it will save you alot of headaches.

[Ranger]

If it IS the head gasket, she didn't do it by "driving it like a rental". Remember, "drive it like you stole it"?

[clarkz71]

Originally Posted by Krashed989

Meanwhile, it's getting dark and the wind is chilly.

Finally I get fed up with it (And the now freezing wind that I had to bear with no jacket) and call a tow guy to come pick it up.

Where were you that it's "chilly" and "freezing" in summer??

[WarrenJ]

Originally Posted by Krashed989

So... I'm really really really hoping it's the thermostat.... But right now I'm kinda leaning towards it being a blown head gasket.

Relax! HG symptoms develop slowly over a period of time. Sudden catastrophic failures like yours are of the more pedestrian type.

I see a new thermostat or some such in your future.

Regards,
Warren

[Krashed989]

Originally Posted by clarkz71

Where were you that it's "chilly" and "freezing" in summer??

In Hawaii. It would've been a nice 82 degrees without the mountain wind comming down, but instead the temp gauge was reading 67 because of the wind. And considering I was wearing a teeshirt and shorts, I was shivering. lol

It's a 94 eldo.

[Krashed989]

I took out the thermostat today to rule it out and I found that it's definitely not the thermostat. I let the engine run and watched the temp gauge climb fairly rapidly untill it reached 236 and I decided to shut it off. But then I went to remove the cap from the resovior to release the pressure so it would cool down faster and I found that the cap was actually cold to the touch! Not only was the cap cold, the engine wasn't hot either, and niether were any of the coolant pipes/hoses. So a big smile is on my face right now because I'm pretty sure it's just a wacky temp sensor.

[Ranger]

Originally Posted by Krashed989

In Hawaii. It would've been a nice 82 degrees without the mountain wind comming down, but instead the temp gauge was reading 67 because of the wind. And considering I was wearing a teeshirt and shorts, I was shivering. lol

It's a 94 eldo.

He he. I guess it is all relative. I remember once diving in Truk Lagoon. In talking to one of the natives I asked if he had ever been to Hawaii. He said no, too cold there. Come up here in about 6 months and I'll show you what freezing is and you'll learn to appreciate 67 degrees.

[Krashed989]

Ohh my freaking god! I never realized how freaking hard the temp sensor is to get at in these cars. I need to get at it with a multimeter but I have to dig to get to it. Gah!

Has anybody else had to deal with the temp sensor like this? If so, any advise?

[Krashed989]

Well I managed to change the temp sensor with the one off of my parts car. No luck. It still overheats. Gah.... I'm at a loss. I guess the next step is to check for a blown headgasket.... or start looking in the classifieds....

[chazglenn3]

From my recent experience with overheating due to head bolts/head gaskets, your symptoms sound different. My car would idle all day and not overheat. The car wouldn't push exhaust gases into the coolant until it was under load. Also, the head gaskets pushing exhaust gases into the coolant overpressurizes the system and you would have noticed the huge hissing when you went to remove the surge tank cap. With cold hoses, maybe a plugged radiator or failed water pump???

[WarrenJ]

Originally Posted by Krashed989

I'm at a loss. I guess the next step is to check for a blown headgasket.... or start looking in the classifieds....

NO! STOP!

Why are you expecting the worst? You've no evidence for that. NONE!

There's far more to check first. The waterpump? The water pump belt? The purge line? The Tooth Fairy?

C'mon, don't give up so easy.

Regards,
Warren

[Ranger]

Yeah, you haven't checked the basics yet and have been reading too many head gasket threads.

[Playdrv4me]

Sorry to hear about it. Hopefully it's not the HG's.

I agree though, dont blame your sis if it is, she certainly couldnt have driven it hard enough to have anything to do with headgaskets. If anything, the harder the N* is driven the happier it is.

[Krashed989]

The radiator is brand spanking new, so I doubt it's that. The waterpump I replaced a year ago along with its belt which still looks new. The waterpump belt tensioner was replaced along with the waterpump. No codes. Haven't really checked the purge line but I assume that it's clear because when I refill the resovior I always squease the upper radiator hose to get air out through the purge line, and the air does come out. I took the thermostat out of the system and it still overheats. Also changed the temp sensor to make sure it wasn't a faulty sensor....

Now, the two coolant pipes around the back of the engine were replaced with rubber hoses about 4-5 years ago. Although, I haven't yet experienced any problems with that change, they do arch up above the level of the resovior cap and if they have air in them could pose a restriction. That's my next educated guess, but I would think the waterpump should have enough power to push that bubble through and purge it. I mean it's never given me problems before.