chevy the kid

Hi,
I'm french and i need advice for my 3.8L camaro.

I loose a little coolant, maybe 25cl in 200km.
I have water on my oil cap, don't know if it's coolant or condensation. (the temp is between 0-5°C)

The car run great, never overheated, start in a second.
It smoke a very little when hot but it's cold outside and it rain.

Some guy in us tell me it's the intake gasket, i have bought all the parts to do it.
In france they tell me it's the head gasket.

But for me the headgasket will affect more the car, no?

Could you help me?

Thanks

Black99T\A

iTrader: (17)

It could be eather or, Im leaning more toward intake gasket, did you check your oil for coolent and your coolent resivor and radiator for oil? I dont know the best way to tell you to check, but Id diagnoise it more to find out, and intake gaskets going to be alot cheaper to fix

chevy the kid

I have a little oil on radiator cap, but it could be old dexcool no?

I know three persons in france that have oil on rad cap.

I consume 0.5L of oil in 4000km.

The oil on dipstick look normal, no moisture on it.

I could see water on the front of the engine, behind the pulley, on the left side.

Black99T\A

iTrader: (17)

yeah the old dexcool can look like sludey old oil, I know mine did before I changed it, maybe someone else will chime in and give there opinion, i dont want to give you false information, might pull a couple a plugs out and check them to see what they look like, if you have a blown head gasket the side of the engine the head gasket is blown on could have coolent on the plugs, and if the plugs are clean on the oppisite side it could be a pretty good give a way you have a blown head gasket

chevy the kid

Ok, but with coolant on plug the car won't start no?

How hard is to remove the heads, i mean i have to remove the intake...

Black99T\A

iTrader: (17)

it would still run if there was coolent on the plugs, if there was alot then it would run really bad or prob have a mis. and blow white smoke out the tailpipes. yes you will have to remove the intake to take the heads off its a pretty big job, but i have never done one on a 3.8 or an Ls1 for that matter. If the intake gasket was just leaking a bit it would'nt affect the running of you car but you would loose a bit of coolent. Im not sure on this one. im sure someone else will chime in by tomm and maybe can help you out better than me.

chevy the kid

Ok many thanks for your help.

Does it will smelt strange on the tailpipes

BLACK2001SS

Can you get your OIL check for coolant maby a dealer can send it off for you. IF you have coolant in the engine its most likely a blown head gasket but worst case is you have a crack in the block or heads.
I'd check for leaks in the radiator and hoses maby you have a leak and dont know it because when the car is running you have more pressure in you coolant system and thats when it could be leaking but when its sitting it might not show signs of leaking at all.
Most all cars have white smoke when you start it, its just condensation but if it smells sweet then you have a problem ( you dont have to stick your nose in the tail pipe you can just stand buy to see if it smell sweet).

BLACK2001SS

Oh buy the way I'm German/Czech/Irish and probly some other junk just thought I should let you know since you told us you were French haha.

chevy the kid

ok..
No strange smelt.
Maybe it's an external leak.

I see water on front of the engine, but my coolant is green and on the engine it's clear

BLACK2001SS

My coolant is orange. Thats another thing if your car came with orange and you mixed with green that might be your problem. Today its all supposed to mix it says But I would never do it. Have you looked inside your radiator are thier like chunks and stuff in it.
Their is somthing about the green mixing with the orange that causes it to gel up the water will just evaporate. I've seen this problem several times my friend had a blazer where it did that just a month ago he said it was overheating and he had to put coolant in it, the guy befor him Mixed it and then he put more Green into the orange big no no in my book.
If you have this problem get your radiator and whole engine flushed 2 times at least then put a new radiator on, thats what I'd do.

You can also do a pressure check on your radiator/thermostat most all radiator shops can do this for cheep.
just some ideas.

chevy the kid

I have check, i have remove the rad cap. Coolant with the pressure go to the reservoir and level go down.

There is no bubbles on the rad when the car is idling but the level raise up so i replace the cap.

At wot i couldn't see smoke on exhaust.

When i flushed the coolant i couldn't flush more than 3/4.
My coolant was clear but with the time the oil reappeared.

If this is a head gasket it will be more noticiable no?

My engine temp is behind the 1/4 when i running, when i let the car idling it raised on the 1/2.

BLACK2001SS

Well normaly you get Water in your oil with a head gasket that Why I say go take it to a dealer and get an oil analysis done.
A bad head gasket leak you will see that your oil is milky and over full.

chevy the kid

ok, i will follow your advice. My oil is dark brow when cold and a litlle more clear when hot, but nothing strange for me