burned head gasket ?!?!

[mike_infiniti27]

Hi I just bought a CRX 88 si 2 days ago and we were from montreal to laval but I think the engine is heating its smell like radiator coolant...
Me and my friend just found that the antifreeze was at the lower lever
I don't know if it's enought to run it so the car is sitting I don't want to scrap my engine or head gasket How can I know if my head gasket or engine is not damaged by this stupid seller error ??

[Hybrid1990crx]

do a compression and leakdown test.

[amy@af]

if your head gasket is bad you oil will look cloudy like chocolate milk.

if it's overheating and it's not the head gasket, it's the thermostat.

if water is leaking out of the block around the timing belt cover it's the water pump

if you put more coolant and have not more troubles, you are lucky

[Hybrid1990crx]

you could easily overheat with a bad headgasket. if you have exhaust gases leaking into your coolant it will make air pockets and cause you to have a air lock, which will act like a closed thermostat. You also dont have to have grey, or "milkshake" oil to have a bad headgasket, you could leak just oil into the coolant, that happened on my 89. Pull off your rad cap and look on the bottom of it for any stuff that doesnt look like it should be there.

[amy@af]

Originally Posted by Hybrid1990crx

you could easily overheat with a bad headgasket.

:

apparently you don't read, i said....

Originally Posted by LadyNRedSi

if it's overheating and it's not the head gasket, it's the thermostat.

Originally Posted by Hybrid1990crx

You also dont have to have grey, or "milkshake" oil to have a bad headgasket, you could leak just oil into the coolant, that happened on my 89.

if the gasket between the head and the block (the head gasket) goes bad, there is nothing to keep the oil and coolant seperate. hence the oil and coolant mixing causing it to look cloudy or like chocolate milk. common sense: if there is oil in the coolant it's going to look the same as coolant in the oil.

i love how you just give a generic answer like "do a leak down test".... which most common people asking about overheating don't even know what a leak down test is. then come back repling to me A) not fully reading my reply B) saying the same thing but vice versa. your reply was as helpful as saying it's the main relay

[Hybrid1990crx]

well im sorry ami for mis reading your post, i thought it said that you cant overheat with a bad headgasket, sorry again.

and you can have oil getting into your coolant without it getting into your oil, cause it happened to be before. i had a ton of oil going into my overflow and on the bottom of my rad cap, but there was nothing in the oil.

and he asked how he could find out of the gasket was bad, and thats how I would do it after checking the other ways.

[amy@af]

Originally Posted by Hybrid1990crx

and he asked how he could find out of the gasket was bad, and thats how I would do it after checking the other ways.

but you didn't even tell other ways. you just said do a compression leak down

i'm not trying to argue or disagree

[Hybrid1990crx]

tru tru. sometimes i know im rather blunt with questions when they get asked like 3 times a month and no one searches.

[mike_infiniti27]

ok thx I've bought a new termostat so it cost me 23$ but i have to install it by my self lol .... thxall

[Hybrid1990crx]

what, did you think it would install itself or something?

[j1nks]

another way to see if it is blown is when its cold fill the radiator with watter leave the cap off start your car and see if air bubles come out of the radiator. sometimes this works it depends on where its blown or how bad it is. does it smoke white after you drive for a while and turn off your car for a miniute and start it agian?