coolant issues

chuckseabo · 05-08-2011, 09:52 AM

Yesterday traveling home my service engine light came on. Soon after the car started to hesitate. A little noticible at first and in ten minutes of driving it was impossible to drive. I pulled into the local highschool parking lot and tue car shut off as soon as I can to a stop. Unsure of what was going on I tried to start the car up and a big cloud of smoke, I think white however unsure, come out of the exhaust. I poped the hood and smelled coolant. It appeared coolentant was leaking somewhere on thebottom of the engine on the passengers side. The reserve tank had been empted. I filled it up again and started the car. When I gave it gas fluid come out of the exhaust along with smoke. It was really jumpy. I shut it off and again the reserve tank was empty again. I am unsure where to start looking. I checked the oil and it looks cloudy. I took off the oil cap and smalled coolant inside. Any ideas. It is just weird to me that the head gasket could just go bad all of a suddent with no warning.

Lucalare · 05-08-2011, 10:11 AM

Head gasket. Have fun.

AZFire316 · 05-08-2011, 11:50 AM

Sounds like a head gasket to me

JLw7123 · 05-08-2011, 02:00 PM

yep headgasket what engine is it.

heineck · 05-08-2011, 03:51 PM

pull the distick see if theres slime. most likely

chuckseabo · 05-08-2011, 04:47 PM

The engine is the 3400 v6. I pulled the dipstick and it was slimy. I just can believe the head gasket went bad with no warning.

Lucalare · 05-08-2011, 08:28 PM

Keep in mind your oil is probably at 60+ psi while driving, which is a lot of pressure, so a small leak becomes a big leak really fast.

zzyzzx · 05-09-2011, 09:03 AM

How do we know it's not just a LIM gasket?

a.graham52 · 05-09-2011, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zzyzzx

How do we know it's not just a LIM gasket?

What engine?

already posted its a 3400

zzyzzx · 05-09-2011, 09:45 AM

OK, I still want to know what year and if the LIM has already been done, and how many miles are on the engine.

chuckseabo · 05-09-2011, 11:17 PM

The engine is at 112000 miles. I haven't replaced anything on the engine since I owned the car. The fuel pump died this past winter. I was talking to my local buddy who works at a chevy dealership and is unsure if it is the intake gasket, which from what I understand is problematic for these cars, or the head gasket. Aftertalki.g with him we both feel it is probably the head gasket however he is going to pick up the car tomorrow and run a analysis on the car. What's goinon is coolant is coming out the passanger tailpipe with smoke, I want to say bluish, also the car losses power and is very jumpy. Atlease once I filled the reserve with coolant to drive a mile to my house. If it is the head gasket it almost makes sense to get a new engine with the cost of labor for the damn head gasket replacement however I guess I will have more information later. Just blows. Let me know what you all think. Thanks for the replys. I would like to make a correction. I have done normal up keep since owning the car as in spark plug replacments oil changes every 3000 to 4000 miles. I can not remember the exact brand but it was a synthetic oils for high mileage engines.

JLw7123 · 05-09-2011, 11:26 PM

you could change they headgaskets by yourself there are great directions of how to do it.
http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/sh...ght=headgasket

chuckseabo · 05-10-2011, 08:57 AM

Thanks. I will look at it.

cherrington17 · 05-10-2011, 09:34 AM

with the proper tools, the LIMG replacement isn't all that hard (i did it, and it was my FIRST engine work ever) Headgaskets are the next layer down. So with a decent weekend available and an empty garage, its not hard to do.

just remember to take pics of the disassemble so you can reassemble easier. And to lay the pieces out very neatly. (especially the rods) some things MUST go back in, in the order they came out.

zzyzzx · 05-10-2011, 10:53 AM

The amount of coolant you are using beyond the point where I wouldn't drive the car. True the labor to do it is very expensive, but at this point what do you have to lose except the cost of the gasket, a few tools, and maybe towing if you can't fix it right (I also question if you can just put the head back in or you want it redone at a machine shop, which would be extra). If you have another car to drive, and a garage, why not try?

It's always possible that in the tearing it apart process you'll find a major LIM leak and you might feel comfortable enoug to skip the head gasket part.

I also recommend the special pushrod tool for getting the pushrods out if not doing the head gasket. I also recommend a ratcheting serpentine belt tool. I have this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-59000-Ra...=pd_sbs_auto_2

Not only is it great for removing serpentine belts, but I also use it as a close quarters ratchet. On my LIM job I used it to rotate the crankshaft when I was using the pushrod tool to get the pushrods out.

JLw7123 · 05-10-2011, 12:51 PM

but he should get the heads checked out if they are warped because there is now sense on replacing the headgaskets if the heads are warped . the heads for my 3400 are getting resurfaced this week.

a.graham52 · 05-10-2011, 12:58 PM

place a flat edge acrost the heands in every direction you can, should be no more then .005" gap. there , heads checked. haha make sure to clean the mating surface first.