Diavolo Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I'm creating this thread as a resource for people, maybe it will help save someones motor. I'm having a problem with my car running slightly hot and over heating under load. Pretty sure its because the head is warped and allowing exhaust gas to enter the cooling system. Maybe you guys can confirm my suspicions and confirm that this is the way things work: My heater core clogged, (no heat on passenger side) stopping coolant from circulating properly, this doesnt allow the thermostat to open. Coolant doesnt flow, pressure increases, slowly warping the heads, allowing exhaust gas to enter the coolant. Now it runs slightly hotter around town and overheats under load. Symtoms: coolant looks milky. has bubbles in it. car over heats under load like when driving up a hill or long freeway drives. temp needle is halfway up. gurgling from heatercore behind dash. If this sounds right to you guys and you have any of these symptoms, replace your heater core or bypass it or take out the thermostat right away!!!! I didnt realize that the heater core problem was slowly causing my head(s) to warp until this bigger problem occured. I think i first heard gurgling behind the dash like 2 years ago. So now my question to you is, what do i do? I dont have funds for repairs. My options are: 1. Park it, drive one of my other cars. Until I can afford to fix it. 2. Just remove thermostat / bypass the heatercore and drive it, or other simple fix? Will it be ok to drive with the head gasket leak? 3. I'm fucked, need new heads. 4. (Another answer) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 If your coolant is milky, you have oil it (?) I thought the oil gets milky when it has coolant in it. Bubbles is a sure sign of a HG failure. When you have the engine out for its rebuild. Try and flow water through the heater core, they don't normally clog up. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diavolo Posted July 12, 2015 Author Share Posted July 12, 2015 The coolant looks cloudy. At idle the upper reservoir bubbles. I tested for exhaust gas in the coolant but it came up negative. Provided I tested correctly. I then bypassed the heater core and tried to get the air out of the system. It just kept bubbling. Took it for a short drive. It started to get hot. The lower radiator hose never got hot. I could hear gurgling still (heater core bypassed). Not sure where to go from here? Just remove the thermostat completely? Or replace it? Or what? Heater cores clog all the time. I tried flushing it like crazy a few months ago. Its possible at that time I may have contaminated the coolant or have gotten air in the system. Other fun stuff... the car got hit in the front about a month ago. Just got it back from the body shop. New bumper, grill and fog light. It took some impact on the lower radiator support. Could that have somehow jammed the thermostat closed? Anyone ever hear of that happening? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djtoasty Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Bubbles = Head gasket failure. Pressure and electricity are somewhat alike, they both like to take the path of least resistance. When you have engine compression of 170psi it wants to get out. Through the cooling system is the way it will go. You can try taking out the thermostat and refill and drive around. If it overheats again then you are gonna have fun doing the head gaskets. Or go to a smog shop and have them put the sniffer in the recovery bottle to test for hydro carbons. If there's any then you have your answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diavolo Posted July 12, 2015 Author Share Posted July 12, 2015 Thanks toasty. one of my friends suggested having a smog shop check it out too. I will do the test I have again just to double check first. There's a smog place right down the street I can make it to without overheating. I wonder if I should do that before taking out the thermostat. If the heads are fucked then I'm going to have to let the car sit while I save money for parts. no point in putting in the work draining coolant and taking the thermostat out just to do it again I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 If it fails the HC test, you have a HG leak, then its just figuring out which one. Don't bother wasting time removing the T'stat. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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