[Oolie]

my upper radiator hose exploded today, when i bought the car, the original was ballooned. a few days before the hose blew my radiator overflow resivoir overflowed, but when i opened it, it was almost empty.

my dad thinks it's a sign of a bad head gasket or cracked head with a crack between two valves across the seat.

fluid was still green.

what do you guys think?

 

[SIMER]

sounds like HG's. whats the mileage? does your HVAC blow heat?

 

[Oolie]

126k

i live in san diego, we don't use heaters.

 

[Supers587]

These aren't typical signs of a blown headgasket. Start with the simple things first.

Did you check the thermostat? Make sure it's an OEM thermostat and replace it if necessary. Are your fans turning on? Does the temperature gauge go all the way to "H"? Do you smell anything burning? Is there white smoke coming from anywhere? Is there any coolant underneath the car, leaking?

 

[Oolie]

the temp gauge alerted me that something was wrong, i saw that it was higher than usual, about 3/4 of the way up.

where's the thermostat?

the fans sometimes come on at idle.

coolant doesn't normally leak, and i don't see white smoke.

i didn't smell anything burning until the hose exploded coolant all over the place.

 

[SIMER]

have you tried flushing your coolant system?? i wonder if your radiator or a coolant passage is partially clogged...which could prevent flow causing the coolant to heat up and blow hoses...

nonetheless, a coolant flush is a simple and easy check

 

[ALL NATURAL]

I am going to do a coolant flush this weekend, I am having the same problem with the resivior tank and and the heat gauge. I am just going to do it myself because places want around $100 to do it. Plus, i like to do my own work on my car.

 

[GC4-RS]

aftermarket t-stat could be the culprit, seen it before at the dealer

 

[tekgnosis]

aftermarket t-stat could be the culprit, seen it before at the dealer

+1 sounds like the thermostat

 

[ALL NATURAL]

Sometimes the heat gauge would be all the way up and I would floor it and it would go back down to normal temp instantly

 

[myhobbes25]

Sometimes the heat gauge would be all the way up and I would floor it and it would go back down to normal temp instantly

that is usually form a hot air bubble in the syslem reaching the temp sensor. That could be a blown HG, or just air in your system. Pull your oil dipstick and hope that it isn't milky colored!

also, pull out your thermostat, boil some water and put the thermostat into the boiling water... if it opens instantly, then you have a different problem. If it dosent open then go buy an oem thermostat. Be sure to test the new one before you put it in! I've had a brand new one not work before!!!!!!!

 

[GC4-RS]

that is usually form a hot air bubble in the syslem reaching the temp sensor. That could be a blown HG, or just air in your system. Pull your oil dipstick and hope that it isn't milky colored!

also, pull out your thermostat, boil some water and put the thermostat into the boiling water... if it opens instantly, then you have a different problem. If it dosent open then go buy an oem thermostat. Be sure to test the new one before you put it in! I've had a brand new one not work before!!!!!!!

seen that at the dealer too.....

 

[ALL NATURAL]

Pull your oil dipstick and hope that it isn't milky colored!

The oil looks fine, there is a bunch of gunk in the coolant resivor tho. It looks and smells like oil. I'm almost thinking that the lady that had it before me poured some oil into the coolant (usually I wouldnt think that but my sister dumped coolant into the oil on her car so really its not impossible.)

I am going to do a coolant system flush this week and see what happens....

 

[Oolie]

that sucks

 

[ALL NATURAL]

well my hg is f'd