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Car overheats, cools, air heating problem, started leaking coolant
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afleming97
New User
Oct 25, 2008, 6:10 PM
Post #1 of 2
(1625 views)
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Car overheats, cools, air heating problem, started leaking coolant
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Hello, I have a 1998 Chevy Malibu, 6 cylinder, 4.1 liter (I think, maybe 3.5 or 3.7). Several months ago temp gauge started to redline, then would go back down to normal. I would check my coolant and add some because it would be low. Then, a little while later, I wouldn't have any heat in the car until after it redlined and went back to normal. This was a very common problem the later half of last winter. Spouse thought thermostat, but has yet to do anything about it. Problem seemed to go away and the temp gauge would only start to climb if coolant level was low. I would check my fluids, add coolant and the problem would go away. Recently I have been having to add coolant monthly. When I stop at my destination, I can smell coolant so I believe there is a leak somewhere when it's under pressure. There has not ever been a puddle under my car. Today, because my temp gauge climbed yesterday, I added the only coolant I had at home (car calls for Dexcool, only had regular antifreeze, don't know the difference myself but tank was extremely low and needed to get to town and was afraid to drive with tank level so..so low) and after taking a trip into town, 3 miles, took longer than normal due to high traffic, my car overheated. Car didn't have time to heat up before leaving home... heated up extremely quickly though sitting in traffic. I could hear a funny noise coming from that side of my car where the tank is located, not exactly a boiling sound though, and the temp gauge started to climb until it totally redlined. I pulled into a store parking lot and could see the trail of fluid leading to my parked car. Opened the hood and coolant tank was totally wet and practically empty. I bought some Dexcool, and after 20 minutes, filled the tank to the marked line, did not tighten cap completely (ran into friend said to try that, something about pressure and running car heater at full blast... very hot) and drove about a half mile to my next destination. Tank was again totally wet and about half empty this time. After waiting over an hour, I didn't add any more coolant, drove 1/4 mile to next destination, there was no change in fluid level and temp gauge went just over half way. After an hour I drove home the 3 miles, didn't overheat although gauge was a little higher than normal, allowed car to run in driveway for about 5 minutes, outside of tank remaining dry, there were several drops of fluid under the car but car didn't over heat and the temp gauge barely moved from the second hash mark past half. I then drove the car down the road and around the block and the temp gauge settled down to half and remained there. Please tell me it's not a head gasket.... hope I gave you enough info...
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 25, 2008, 8:28 PM
Post #2 of 2
(1619 views)
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Re: Car overheats, cools, air heating problem, started leaking coolant
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When filling at the recovery tank only you are not making sure it's full in the engine which you may not be able to do so easy on this car as I don't think the radiator has a cap there.
No heat - the purging of coolant, erratic temp readings all strongly suggest a head gasket problem (I know you didn't want to hear that) but that high on the list.
Dexcool or regular EG anti-freeze matters not by itself for the while - one is just a brand trademarked by GM and pink but essentially EG=Ethylene/Glycol.
System should be pressure checked and checked for leaks which may not show up. It may just be blowing out of the recovery tank with hot vapor pushing anti-freeze out first - then a period of cool where it draws some back to engine and results are it reads low again and again.
Heaters will fail the heat when low on coolant and oddly but true when overheating and boiling vapors alone are passing thru which doesn't transfer heat so it's a indication of true overheating.
Have it checked and expect the diag to show head gasket troubles - sorry,
T
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