Help!! Car overheated!!

[rice(er)]

hello everyone, my car overheated on me on the highway and died, someone helped me pushed it to a burger king parking lot, how can i get my car running again?? is my car done or is there still hope?? i opened my hood and coolant in the overflow tank is brown and boiling *sigh* is there still hope to revive this car?? it is the waterpump, it was leaking on me a couple months ago, if i towed it to a shop and have them replace the waterpump, will the car run again? thank you

[beef_bourito]

what did the engine sound like when it died? it's very possible that your engine is siezed and you'll have to replace it to get it to run.

[rice(er)]

update: went to start the car and it started out fine, i poured some antifreeze/coolant in the radiator cap and reservior tank, hopefully i'll get it to run tomorrow morning and drive for 10 mins to the local shop for them to replace the waterpump ($500) *sigh* anybody have helpful tips or precautions before i make this move? (good idea to replace the thermostat? etc.?)

or what should i do? is the head gasket gone? the coolant in the reservior tank is as brown as a choclate milkshake! am i going to have to replace the head gasket? *sigh

[curtis73]

Head gasket is toast. Don't drive it. The coolant has oil in it which means that oil most likely has coolant in it. Coolant doesn't lubricate very well and you might destroy bearings.

Best case scenario you blew a head gasket and all you need is a new head gasket, oil flush, and coolant flush. Worst case scenario is you have a cracked head or block which will require replacement. Sorry for the bad news, just giving it to you now so you don't run it anymore and risk more damage.

[rice(er)]

Originally Posted by curtis73

Head gasket is toast. Don't drive it. The coolant has oil in it which means that oil most likely has coolant in it. Coolant doesn't lubricate very well and you might destroy bearings.

Best case scenario you blew a head gasket and all you need is a new head gasket, oil flush, and coolant flush. Worst case scenario is you have a cracked head or block which will require replacement. Sorry for the bad news, just giving it to you now so you don't run it anymore and risk more damage.

thanks curtis.........the car died while i was going uphill, any conclusions for my problem? right now the car's in a parking lot, the plan was to drive it to a repair shop 10 mins away and have them replace my water pump (which i believe was the source of the problem, it finally gave up on me) and when i have enough money for a head gasket repair, i'll get a shop to do it. I need this car, its my only one, to school and work, what do you guys think??

[beef_bourito]

have it towed to the shop, obviously you shouldn't be driving it.

[curtis73]

Yeah. Definitely tow it. The water pump was not the source, the blown head gasket is the source. Sometimes they just go.

The fact that it might not overheat in the 10 minutes to the shop doesn't mean that its safe to drive. The next time you hit the key, it could lock up on the first revolution turning an easily repairable engine into a worthless boat anchor. If that happens, you can't even use this engine to turn in as a return core to purchase a remanufactured one. Not worth the risk.

[rice(er)]

thank you. my waterpump gasket has been leaking the past couple months, and since it was not over-heating then, i figure i'd continue driving untill i save enough money to repair the whole pump. This morning there was coolant under my car as usual, but i was use to it, i would just add coolant to the reservior (i forgot to add coolant to the radiator which was probably empty) I started the car for 10+ mins and it was running cold, it should be warm by now but its not, so i continue driving for a couple minutes and my temperatur gauge started acting really funny, going up and down and all over the place, so i thought my thermostat was going and i would replace it when i get home (30 mins away) While on the highway, for about 5-10 mins, my temperature gauge was all the way up to the HOT area, but I ignore it because a while ago it was at normal temperature, then while slowing down and going uphill, it died on me

after reading what everyone has posted, it has come to my conclusion that I should use the money to replace the headgasket first, and the leaking waterpump in a few months, everyone agree?? i'm sorry, i'm very frustrated and concerned right now and just want the next best step to take! i'm still undecided and will call around shops tomorrow for estimates, anymore suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thank u

[curtis73]

Definitely head gasket first. That is a deal-breaker. That engine absolutely cannot survive at all with a leaking head gasket, but a leaking water pump is just annoying.

[drdisque]

but its a toyota, toyotas are reliable

just goes to show you, even the most reliable cars break down sometimes.

[mazdatech177]

just get it to a good shop first... let a qualified tech actually get their hands on it and advise you what to do. but overheating an engine till it quits is never a good thing. you may have warped a head and the block, so there could be need for further labor during the repair. it may be cheaper to get a used engine from a salvage yard (some come with warranties). or call japan direct. pretty green coolant also turns brown from lack of service, it then becomes very acidic and eats away metal things such as vanes on your water pump. we have a nifty little piece of equipment called a block tester. it uses a blueish colored liquid that will turn yellow in the presence of carbon dioxide. you put the liquid in a container with a what looks likea turkey baster pump on the top of it. it seals over the radiator opening and you squeeze the bulb at the top as the engine runs. this draws in the air from the radiator into the liquid, if the blue turns yellow, you have a head/block concern.
just get it looked at before you go telling someone to replace this and that... you may not need to...