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Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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narhic_fd
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Dec 17, 2011, 8:28 PM
Post #1 of 27
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Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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Hello, I'm hoping someone can give some advice on what might be wrong with my car.
Couple weeks ago after driving for a while, going here and there I started to smell the sweet smell of Radiator Coolant. I looked at my Radiator Temperature gauge and noticed that the needle was half way between C and H. Higher then it normally gets. For some reason my car was getting hotter and i was smelling radiator fluid to go along with it. I Parked my car at my moms house to let it cool ,thinking i would need to get it towed home. I chilled at my moms house for a while then thought i would check the car out. I turned it on and started to drive it home, expecting the same but I drove it home without smelling fluid or it getting hotter or the needle climbing past where the needle normally stays. I didn't know what to think. Well, over the next week my car would start doing the same thing but happen quicker and quicker, without letting me drive it far before it started to happen. Then Friday, I started the car, started to drive and it happed within 5 min. It would rise 3/4 way up toward H then go back to normal. Gradually and Gradually the needle would go higher and higher and jumping back down but not as far down because the car was getting hotter.
Tonight i tried to drive the car home and manged to but it was difficult. The needle went from normal, then it got hotter and hotter then went down a bit. I could drive for about 5 mins before the needle would get to close the Red zone H then i parked my car for about 40 mins to let it cool down. My roommate thinks the thermostat is sticking which is why it will climb then go back down. It's like the fluid gets clogged then finally gets through and so on or something like that. I looked under my Hood but couldn't see where any fluid is coming out. It's weird that the temp will rise then go back down, rise little further then last time then go back down, then the same so on and so on.
Like i said, I can only drive a bit because the car eventually gets to hot and i have to park to let it cool down. I hope someone can help me on this. I'm going to replace the thermostat tomorrow in hopes that it is the problem. I have a 1995 Ford escort wagon 1.9 liter with 133,000 miles on it. The Radiator fan isn't attached by Drive belt by the way it's the sepperate motor that turns the fan when need be.
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zmame
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Dec 17, 2011, 8:35 PM
Post #2 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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Check coolant level if it's low top up and you will need to pressure test it and find where it's leaking.
If there is no leak there it could be flow issue caused by:
Blockage in rad, hoses, jackets and etc
faulty thermostat
flow issue from faulty water pump
Air being introduced into the system(leaking headgasket)
First thing I would check is coolant level before doing anything.
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Discretesignals
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Dec 17, 2011, 8:36 PM
Post #3 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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You need to find out where the leak is at before going after the thermostat. The system may need to be pressure tested to find the leak. You don't want to drive it anymore until you have resolved your problem or you'll have major engine damage.
Z beat me to it 
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Dec 17, 2011, 8:37 PM)
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narhic_fd
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Dec 18, 2011, 8:12 AM
Post #4 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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okay, got up this morning to work on car. The fan is working fine so i know the issue isn't with the cooling fan. Looking for leaks, none to spot of as yet. I'm going to check out the fluid in the radiator to see what color it is and check the oil to make sure there isn't any leak internally into my oil.
Checked the coolant level and it is fine so problem not there. Looked on carpet in car and see no wet spots so i'm pretty sure it isn't the Heater core as well. It does the same problem with or without the Heater on.
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narhic_fd
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Dec 18, 2011, 8:35 AM
Post #5 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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Bad news guys. I drained some of my radiator fluid out and it came out with oil in it. That means i blew a head gasket. I'm going to have to fix this but not sure on it. This is something i've never done but believe i can do it. Ill have to take the top of the engine off and check it out. Now the question is after i fix the gasket how do i get all the junk out of my radiator?? Do i do a big time radiator flush???
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Discretesignals
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Dec 18, 2011, 12:53 PM
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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I also think your jumping the gun on this.
If the transmission fluid is leaking in the coolant system, hopefully the coolant isn't getting into the transmission. If coolant gets into the transmission, you'll be needing another tranny.
I'd disconnect the cooler lines at the radiator and then pressure test the system to see where the leak is. If the cooler is leaking, you may see coolant coming out of the cooler fittings. Sometimes leaks don't occur unless the engine is running or under pressure.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Dec 18, 2011, 12:57 PM)
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Hammer Time
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Dec 18, 2011, 1:42 PM
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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Lets first determine what kind of oil you are seeing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Discretesignals
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Dec 18, 2011, 1:47 PM
Post #9 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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He probably already has the head ripped off. 
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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narhic_fd
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Dec 18, 2011, 4:00 PM
Post #10 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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Okay, Stoped going any further on removing stuff. I did remove the Rocker arm(valve) cover but stopped there to first find out if it's transmission fluid or Oil. From what i read i hope it's oil because i don't need transmission problem. I just bought this car used and UHGGG!! Ihope it's oil. Would have known by now but i couldn't locate the stupid oil plug drain, and still can't find it. I bought a Haynes manual so Ill check which one it is Tomorrow.
(This post was edited by narhic_fd on Dec 18, 2011, 4:05 PM)
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Hammer Time
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Dec 18, 2011, 4:19 PM
Post #11 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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I don't see how motor oil in the radiator is good news.
If you can't find the drain plug, then I'm afraid you shouldn't be laying a wrench on this car. Send it out for repair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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narhic_fd
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Dec 18, 2011, 5:51 PM
Post #12 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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I've only had the car for over a weeks and i haven't as yet got to really look good under and learn the car and so on. I just didn't want to pull the wrong drain plug out. The problem is that are many things under the engine that look like plugs. I'm not saying oil in my radiator isn't bad it's just that compared to having to get a new Trans getting a new radiator is far cheaper and easier to put in vs. having to get a Tran and paying someone to put it in.
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narhic_fd
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Dec 18, 2011, 7:20 PM
Post #13 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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okay, I drained some of the oil from the drain plug. Oh, and i found it at night time. I was confusing a drain plug as a bolt holding the oil pan on(Hey haven't had it long enough to know whats what under the car good enough yet, LOL). I will have to pull out the transmission pan tomorrow to check the transmission fluid for contamination. Now, though the oil looked normal out of the drain, the oil coming out of the drain plug and the oil looking mixture in my radiator fluid had same color and smell as that of the oil by itself, minus the dilution of the radiator fluid and so on. Now, i know transmission fluid can look and smell like oil but the familiarities of the radiator oil mixture and oil alone is worth noting. Bought a book but according to the problem diagnostic on the Autozone site. IT said contamination was from Head gasket. It didn't give transmission leak or anything like that as a problem, but That's a computers analysis and i prefer that of real people(aka you guys). Thanks.
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Hammer Time
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Dec 18, 2011, 7:24 PM
Post #14 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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I'm telling you, you need to stop taking things apart. You are really screwing things up. There are other ways to identify the problem.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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narhic_fd
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Dec 18, 2011, 7:37 PM
Post #15 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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whoaa, wait. I haven't taken anything else apart but what i said up top on the Rocker arm(valve) cover thing. All i did was drain some oil out from the drain plug and put the plug back in. I'm guessing you are mentioning the transmission pan. according to what i read online, my car doesn't have a transmission drain plug. quoted from online "No it uses a 4EAT and memory serves there is is pan to remove to drain some of the automatic fluid off the bottom of the transmission." I thought the only way to see if the transmission fluid was what was in the radiator was to check the transmission fluid???
Okay, what do i need to do next then to see what is what??? I repeat, i haven't removed anything else but the Rocker arm thing. I haven't pulled of the head or anything. The engine has plenty of radiator fluid(if you can call it that anymore, lol) in it to do whatever need or how i should do it.
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Sidom
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Dec 18, 2011, 7:42 PM
Post #16 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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If it looks like a chocolate milkshake.....it's engine oil..........If it looks like a strawberry milkshake, it's tranny fluid....
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Hammer Time
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Dec 18, 2011, 7:43 PM
Post #17 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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You can check the condition of the transmission fluid by simply pulling the dipstick. You can also tell what is in the radiator by just looking at it and the color of the fluid. You're going to have half this car apart and end up just needing a radiator and trans flush.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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narhic_fd
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Dec 18, 2011, 7:55 PM
Post #18 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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the radiator fluid mixture looks like chocolate milkshake or better yet, the radiator mixture looks like Hersey's chocolate syrup. Even my roommate did the sniff and consistency test and the chocolate milkshake was his opinion to.
(This post was edited by narhic_fd on Dec 18, 2011, 7:58 PM)
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narhic_fd
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Dec 18, 2011, 8:02 PM
Post #19 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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ahhh, good idea Hammer Time. I never thought about checking the transmission dip stick. Thanks dude. I'll do that tomorrow and let you all know. Thank you guys for all your help.
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Sidom
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Dec 18, 2011, 8:47 PM
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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This is online so we can't see, touch, smell or whatever.....
At this point it might not be a bad idea to have someone (trained tech) who is familiar with what oil in the water looks like check this out before you go any farther.....
It's entirely possible that coolant in your system has been ignored for so long that it has deteriorated to this level all on it's own and there is no oil in there at all..
(This post was edited by Sidom on Dec 18, 2011, 8:47 PM)
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narhic_fd
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Dec 18, 2011, 9:22 PM
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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I have someone i can bring the mixture to that will know for sure. I'm pretty sure this isn't radiator fluid that has deteriorated in to this blah of a mixture. The smell is to much like my oil and the way it looks. The person i got the car from didn't have any issues like this and drove the thing with no prob. This happened to quick, but the main reason i believe it is oil is because my oil level in my car had dropped quite a bit. I thought i had some bad oil leak somewhere or something. This, maybe, at least explains why my oil level dropped. I will have a trained profession look at the mixture and let him tell me.
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cdalbec
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Dec 18, 2011, 10:16 PM
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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Like someone said check the hoses n level but also make sure the fan works too. U may have a bad cap or fins on radiator might be folded in n the core might be bad clog with gunk. Also try pulling thermostat out n run like that once if that's it bad thermo.doubt it be head gasket or ud have water in oil or vice versa.
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zmame
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Dec 19, 2011, 5:38 AM
Post #24 of 27
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Re: Car getting Hotter, smell fluid and needle climbing
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You need to pull the dipstick for the transmission and see if it's contaminated. Like mentioned above it will look like strawberry milkshake if it is.
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narhic_fd
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Dec 19, 2011, 7:44 PM
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yes, I'm going to do that in about couple of mins. I'm going to check all the things everyone mentioned this weekend since i'm off for 4 daysand find out what is causing the problem before i do anything. I'll probably bring it in to have someone look at it but I'll have to fix it because i CAN'T afford to have it fixed professionally right now. I'm not dumb or stupid, just little nervous about getting fix with the little funds i have, LOL. Thanks for everyone's help and I'll let you know what i come up with.
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