Lsx1999

Hey guys. Just picked up a 2000 corvette with 170k miles for a great deal. Anyway when I got home yesterday water/coolant was coming from the top of the surge tank. Temp was only 199. I drove the car all day today with no problems, normal temps. Until I drove home from work at 10 at night. Car was getting to 220-230 going 45-60. I pulled over and as soon as I stopped it dropped down to 190-195 while idling. Again there was water near the lid on the surge tank (not as much). I haven't looked at it yet but I'm sure the radiator has plenty of debrees. Another problem it has is when you turn the ac button on it blinks and goes back off. Do you think the two are related?? It doesn't seem to be leaking coolant anywhere. Thanks for any help, I'm new to here.

imma_stocker

iTrader: (19)

C5 tend to have A/C issues. Could be several things, my dad has basically replaced his entire system twice. Wasn't a fun summer drive when the system got stuck on full heat!

As for the coolant overflow, it could just be from overfilled making its way out OR sign of additional trouble. I would replace the water pump and thermostat (cheap insurance) as well as doing a full coolant flush.

Paying for radiator cleaning service probably isn't worth the money, depends how much crap you see come out with a basic water hose flush through the core then through the motor. Concentrated vinegar is my weapon of choice to remove corrosion.

Verify fans are working.
Verify no blockage to radiator and check air dam is intact.

Good luck

Lsx1999

Well guys, looks like I need to replace the head gaskets.

imma_stocker

iTrader: (19)

Damn that sucks

RockinWs6

Great deal huh

Lsx1999

im not upset I only paid 4K. Thank god

G Atsma

Put some goodies into it as long as you're in there!

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

Before you jump in, have the oil tested for coolant. That just may be discoloration from mileage. Check radiator/condenser for debris. In order to see the radiator itself, you need to really get under there with a flashlight. The condenser is basically a vacuum cleaner, any bags or other debris on the road will get pulled in.

Lsx1999

I checked the radiator out there was nothing in it besides a few pieces of grass. Do you think I should flush the radiator and change the oil before? I really don't want to waste money on that when I could be putting it toward the headgaskets and all the head bolts exhaust manifold gaskets all that.

JackrabbitSlim

If it were my car, I'd flush all of the fluids. As it stands, they're an unknown factor which could be eliminated very easily, allowing you to better troubleshoot the underlying cause of the issues driving the overheating issues.

Like was said above, slow down a tad bit. Check the easy stuff first- are the fans coming online? Is the coolant flowing? Is the cooling system properly burped?

Again, going off of the hypothetical "if this were my car" soapbox, I'd definitely drain and fill the oil, and would flush the coolant. Then I'd run it, see if the problem was still present, and then check the fluids for signs of contamination. Best case scenario, the problem goes away; worst case scenario, the problem is still present, perhaps without even reflecting in the coolant or oil- but you've at least ruled out a couple of possibilities.

If nothing else, fresh fluids are a better starting place than where you're currently sitting, with a bunch of unknowns.

Ls1Ryan2002

Going off what Jack said, personally I would flush all fluids. Especially when the car is at 170k miles, it's hard to tell how long it's been since any fluids have been changed. First things first would be to flush coolant and change the oil. Also I would flush the tranmission fluid just for reassurance although it isn't factoring into your problem, it is still one of the most overlooked fluids on a car that people rarely change. If you are trying to get the most longevity out of the car I'd do the simple. While doing so it can help you troubleshoot your problem.

RonSSNova

iTrader: (3)

The oil cap would have milky white goo if there were water in the oil. That brown color is rather normal.

Lsx1999

Before I change the oil and coolant, I have one more thing to add. In this video it shows some white smoke blowing up, blow by? Also when I open up the overflow tank while it's running there was a little but it dissapereard after a few seconds. I bought 2 gallons of dexcool, and I have the oil filter. Just have to get the oil. I'm just not looking forward to put new coolant and oil for it to need it again after the headgaskets(maybe).

Lsx1999

https://youtu.be/-CaQVASqYsk