Not an old Caddy, don't know exact model or year but it's the more expensive model and has the Northstar engine. An elderly lady with the hood up at the bank so I asked if I could help; She said noticed engine hot light and she shut it down immediately. Never ran hot before and they had already put some water in the reservior. They had called some 'mechanic' and he arrived and said he sees green coolant in the reservior and it will eat up the head gaskets. HUH? I know if you change from pink to green you are suppose to do a flush before going green but I had no idea mixing the two would cause eat up head gaskets. Yup, sez mr mechanic, he has put about ten motors in Caddys with the Northstar engine and might as well go ahead and get a rebuilt engine and tranny for $6,200. installed.
Say what?
No engine diagnosis and just because there's green in the reservior that means the engine is NFG? Come on Dude, . . . gim'me a break and I'll give you a clue. So it barely turns over and she says he AC compressor has been shot for sometime. Maybe the battery has a weak cell, maybe the starter is shot or maybe the engine is to hot to crank. Then I get that burnt electrical smell telling me the starter is hot as blazes reaffirming my suspicions about the starter. I see a bumper decal saying, "Stik-It-2U Motors Fine Used Cars." Says she hadn't had it that long and ran good until now. One of her friends arrived so they called a tow truck and I took her to the side and said, "Ma'am, I know enough about engines to know you don't just throw in the towel before getting a qualified technician to diagnose the problem, then go from there." She knowingly said that is what she planned to do and she appreciated the advice.
I know GM had some problems with DexCool eating up intake manifold gaskets but there was no water in the oil and none leaking unmderneath and no signs of leaks anywhere. But this thing about green anti-freeze eating up head gaskets is all new to me so if that is right please give me a clue. Thanks and have a nice week end.
09-14-2007, 11:46 AM
