Need help ASAP
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: Savannah, GA
Need help ASAP Tonight when I was on my way to pick my wife up from base, my car decided to blow coolant all over the road. It's parked in a parking lot now. Anyone know of any shops that would take a look at it and not charge me an arm and leg? Or if anyone would like to help me with it? I could pay you for the help. I just can't work on it where I live and I don't have any of my tools or anything as they're still in TN. As it sits right now, I don't believe it's driveable. So it would most likely need towed. Any help would be greatly appreciated as it's my DD.
My number is 731-445-5130 if you want to help. Text's are the quickest way to reach me. I live in Savannah, GA .
Thanks guys,
Tarpley
My number is 731-445-5130 if you want to help. Text's are the quickest way to reach me. I live in Savannah, GA .
Thanks guys,
Tarpley
Well, if I was there I could do it. Sounds like a simple coolant issue we've heard a million times.
Did it overheat....or just blow coolant out?
Where exactly did the coolant come out? If it came out the plastic overflow tank, you probably just need a new radiator cap. Not the cap to the overflow tank.
You probably just need a new cap. You probably have been slowly loosing coolant over time and creating a larger and larger air pocket in the system.......then it finally threw up.
I would go back there with a new radiator cap. Enough water/coolant to fill it up, and then some. Top it off. Let it run with the cap "OFF" till it gets to normal operating temp, waiting the whole time for the coolant level to drop down...then "immediately" top it off with water/coolant.
After the level has dropped and you topped it off....put the cap on and go. Watch the temps......
Then the next time the engine is dead cold....check the level and top off if needed.
***IF...it starts getting too hot and the level has not dropped.....rapidly squeeze the upper and lower radiator hoses till that level drops, then top it off.
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Did it overheat....or just blow coolant out?
Where exactly did the coolant come out? If it came out the plastic overflow tank, you probably just need a new radiator cap. Not the cap to the overflow tank.
You probably just need a new cap. You probably have been slowly loosing coolant over time and creating a larger and larger air pocket in the system.......then it finally threw up.
I would go back there with a new radiator cap. Enough water/coolant to fill it up, and then some. Top it off. Let it run with the cap "OFF" till it gets to normal operating temp, waiting the whole time for the coolant level to drop down...then "immediately" top it off with water/coolant.
After the level has dropped and you topped it off....put the cap on and go. Watch the temps......
Then the next time the engine is dead cold....check the level and top off if needed.
***IF...it starts getting too hot and the level has not dropped.....rapidly squeeze the upper and lower radiator hoses till that level drops, then top it off.
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Last edited by LS6427; Feb 9, 2012 at 08:22 PM.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: Savannah, GA
I was driving down the road and smelled it first. Didn't think it was me due to all the beaters driving around. But I looked out back when I left the stoplight and there was a trail of coolant following me. I pulled into a parking lot, by this time the temp was around 220-230 so I cut it off. (The fans were on and it had NEVER been that high before) I got out and popped the hood and saw that all of my accessories were covered in coolant. I checked under the car (well as far as I could stick my head) and I could see coolant just steadily dripping down my air dam. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rolled the car backwards. There was a big puddle of coolant where my car used to be. I'm in Savannah, GA for anyone who got confused by the initial post. Just moved down here a few weeks ago.
I was driving down the road and smelled it first. Didn't think it was me due to all the beaters driving around. But I looked out back when I left the stoplight and there was a trail of coolant following me. I pulled into a parking lot, by this time the temp was around 220-230 so I cut it off. (The fans were on and it had NEVER been that high before) I got out and popped the hood and saw that all of my accessories were covered in coolant. I checked under the car (well as far as I could stick my head) and I could see coolant just steadily dripping down my air dam. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rolled the car backwards. There was a big puddle of coolant where my car used to be. I'm in Savannah, GA for anyone who got confused by the initial post. Just moved down here a few weeks ago.
It probably all shot out of the overflow tank........
But a hose could have split also and you wouldn't see it unless you squeeze the upper and lower hoses everywhere looking for it.
I can tell you this.....its not an expensive thing.....its something very simple like a split hose or a bad cap. Don't let someone screw you over for allot of money.....
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: Savannah, GA
Alright. I'll try that tomorrow morning I guess. Looks like I'll be enjoying my first bus or taxi ride lol. I'll let you know how it checks out and then maybe you can shoot me some more ideas if It ends up being something else.
Just top it off....squeezed the upper and lower radiator hoses a bunch of times. If the level drops top it off again.....THEN start the engine......leave the radiator cap off, keep going back and forth checking the temp gauge.
But no need to go nuts. These engines can idle for a long time with no coolant and nothing will happen. It will take a good 5-8 minutes just to get any movement on the temp gauge. But if most of the coolant came out of the heads it will go up a little faster.
The level in the radiator fill neck will drop down by the time the temp hits 225*F......if it doesn't shut the engine off. This means you have an air bubble in there. You will have to squeeze those radiator hoses rapidly to move it past. When the level drops a little, top it off and start it up again. Then wait again for the temp to rise.
What you're doing is waiting for the thermostat to open up from the rising engine temp. As soon as it does, thats when that level will drop fast.......IMMEDIATELY top it off. If this happens.....you're good to go. Top it off and put the new radiator cap on.
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But no need to go nuts. These engines can idle for a long time with no coolant and nothing will happen. It will take a good 5-8 minutes just to get any movement on the temp gauge. But if most of the coolant came out of the heads it will go up a little faster.
The level in the radiator fill neck will drop down by the time the temp hits 225*F......if it doesn't shut the engine off. This means you have an air bubble in there. You will have to squeeze those radiator hoses rapidly to move it past. When the level drops a little, top it off and start it up again. Then wait again for the temp to rise.
What you're doing is waiting for the thermostat to open up from the rising engine temp. As soon as it does, thats when that level will drop fast.......IMMEDIATELY top it off. If this happens.....you're good to go. Top it off and put the new radiator cap on.
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Oh....if the problem is a split in a hose....you can easily check before doing anything while its all cold. Just grab the large upper and lower radiator and squeeze them from end to end....try to see if a split reveals itself.
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If you can't see a split, top it off and then squeeze the hoses to see if coolant comes out. Also, check to see if the small coolant crossover tube by the intake is leaking. Its metal and probably not, but if you find that, look to see if the small rubber lines coming off of that are leaking. Don't forget to check the coolant like that runs through the bottom of your throttle body if that's still stock.
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Yea:
Could be a seized pump
Blown head gasket
Stuck t-stat
Lost serpentine
Clogged system
Pin hole leak somewhere
Slow leaking water pump
But a bad cap is also exactly what causes this. Might as well check that first, he doesn't have tools or a place to work on it. Don't know if he can take a belt off to spin the water pump bell.......
Bleeding the system of air is gonna be hard enough.....since he's never done it before.
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Could be a seized pump
Blown head gasket
Stuck t-stat
Lost serpentine
Clogged system
Pin hole leak somewhere
Slow leaking water pump
But a bad cap is also exactly what causes this. Might as well check that first, he doesn't have tools or a place to work on it. Don't know if he can take a belt off to spin the water pump bell.......
Bleeding the system of air is gonna be hard enough.....since he's never done it before.
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If your water pump seized you most likely would have had your temp gauge buried into the red.......our temps will go all the way to 270*F before any coolant starts to steam out.
Boiling over of coolant means one thing and one thing only......air is in the system, a void. Coolant must be topped off to operate properly and maintain normal temps. As they lose coolant slowly over time, or fast, they reach a point where it will all of a sudden throw up their hands....and throw up the remaining coolant out of the radiator cap, into the line going to the overflow tank, into the overflow tank, and out of the overflow tanks filler neck........
Of course a split hose will cause a pretty good pouring out of fluid too....lol.
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Boiling over of coolant means one thing and one thing only......air is in the system, a void. Coolant must be topped off to operate properly and maintain normal temps. As they lose coolant slowly over time, or fast, they reach a point where it will all of a sudden throw up their hands....and throw up the remaining coolant out of the radiator cap, into the line going to the overflow tank, into the overflow tank, and out of the overflow tanks filler neck........
Of course a split hose will cause a pretty good pouring out of fluid too....lol.
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: Savannah, GA
I found it guys. I filled up the radiator with some distilled water and pulled it up on the curb. I let it run for a while and the temp was fine. I got down and poked my head under while my wife watched the gauges. All of a sudden it started leaking again, and the temp started to climb. She cut it off and I found where it was. On the bottom driver's side of the radiator there was a rubber nipple over a spout on the radiator. It was pretty dry rotted and tightened on with a worm clamp. It was dripping after the car was shut off so I pushed on it and it started squirting out coolant from it's sides. So the pressure of the coolant running through the radiator was causing it to spray everywhere out of that cap and I guess the wind from driving was what caused it to cover the underside of my car and the accessories. Long story short: I fixed the problem thankfully due to my pocket knife having a phillips head and having some rubber caps in the trunk. Do you think the previous owner had replaced the radiator at one point and that spout wasn't needed? And is there a better way at keeping this sealed? or is this about as good as I'm going to get?
I found it guys. I filled up the radiator with some distilled water and pulled it up on the curb. I let it run for a while and the temp was fine. I got down and poked my head under while my wife watched the gauges. All of a sudden it started leaking again, and the temp started to climb. She cut it off and I found where it was. On the bottom driver's side of the radiator there was a rubber nipple over a spout on the radiator. It was pretty dry rotted and tightened on with a worm clamp. It was dripping after the car was shut off so I pushed on it and it started squirting out coolant from it's sides. So the pressure of the coolant running through the radiator was causing it to spray everywhere out of that cap and I guess the wind from driving was what caused it to cover the underside of my car and the accessories. Long story short: I fixed the problem thankfully due to my pocket knife having a phillips head and having some rubber caps in the trunk. Do you think the previous owner had replaced the radiator at one point and that spout wasn't needed? And is there a better way at keeping this sealed? or is this about as good as I'm going to get?
If so....its a good thing. Some put a 1997 or earlier LT1 radiator in your LS1. Better cooling radiator than the LS1....
LT1 radiators had that extra port, so we just clamp them off. Makes for a great flush port.
Glad you're back and running......
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****Make sure you check the coolant level one or two more times, in the radiator, next time its dead cold to make sure all the air works itself out.
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Last edited by LS6427; Feb 10, 2012 at 09:23 PM.
The picture above shows my first white plastic plug.....now its a brass plug.
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: Savannah, GA
