So...you guys are suggesting that the leaking head gasket is causing 2 different spark plugs in 2 different cylinders on 2 different banks to stop firing?
And I've checked my reservoir after a week of driving with the new cap, and it's only down a half a pint? Shouldn't it be emptying the reservoir, if it's dumping the antifreeze into the cylinder(s) on a regular basis?
Would this be making my exhaust extremely hot, where you can smell it and feel the heat at the rear of the car?
Rob
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So...you guys are suggesting that the leaking head gasket
is causing 2 different spark plugs in 2 different cylinders
on 2 different banks to stop firing?
not necessarily -
I believe Tankboy and I share the same thought -
IT DOESN'T MATTER what's causing the misfire -
UNLESS you are planning on spending the BIG BUCKS to repair the head gaskets -
you are simply wasting time and money -
as I said a long time ago -
the BLOCK TEST is the definitive test
for failed head gaskets in the Northstar motor -
and you FAILED the test - so your head gaskets are leaking -
And I've checked my reservoir after a week of driving with the new cap,
and it's only down a half a pint?
it's been 2 years and 10,000 miles -
since I last flushed the coolant in my '03 SLS -
it hasn't lost or needed a drop -
it is a sealed system and should NEVER need additional coolant -
Shouldn't it be emptying the reservoir,
if it's dumping the antifreeze into the cylinder(s) on a regular basis?
it depends on several things -
the extent of the failed head gaskets -
the location of the breach in the head gasket -
the cylinder pressure when the engine is running is upwards of 30,000 PSI
when on the power stroke -
the cooling system has a MAX pressure of 18 PSI -
it COULD be that the coolant doesn't get into the cylinders
until the engine is shut off -
Would this be making my exhaust extremely hot,
where you can smell it and feel the heat at the rear of the car?
NO - if it were "burning" a lot of coolant -
you would see a lot of white smoke - water vapor -
the exhaust would have a very distinct coolant smell -
and if the temperature of the exhaust gas might actually be cooler -
BECAUSE of the water vapor - if there was any change at all -
regarding your misfiring -
personally - I still think you have an ignition problem -
when you had 1 cylinder identified - I suggested swapping the coils -
if the misfire followed the coil -
you would have had PROOF POSITIVE the coil was bad -
but now you have 2 used coils on it - and more misfires -
but do you know which cylinders are misfiring?
again - none of this makes any difference -
UNLESS you are going to fix the head gaskets -