So the wife calls me this morning and tells me the car overheated. 1999 Cadillac Catera with about 87,000 miles. So I filled up a jug and ran over to where she was stopped. Opened the hood, slowly opened the overflow canister and the fluid had leaked out, it's a pressurized system. I filled the overflow tank and started up the car and noticed the gasket for the cap had not shrunk, it had gotten bigger and didn't fit in the cap anymore. It also had a spot where it was deteriorated and was about to fall apart. So I got things under control and I told her, "follow me down the road, there is a Cadillac dealer right close".
We go to the dealer and man what a nice, fancy dealership, reel purty. So I ask the parts guy about the gasket and cap. He goes back, brings the part and says "you're probably not going to like this, it's $58". I said no way am I paying $58 for a plastic overflow tank cap". I thanked him and left shaking my head.
I went home and found a thin rubber beer can cover. I cut our a gasket and put the cap on after filling the overflow cannister again. No radiator light, no overheating. The whole episode was caused by a worn out little gasket which you can't buy. Only the cap AND the gasket.
We go to the dealer and man what a nice, fancy dealership, reel purty. So I ask the parts guy about the gasket and cap. He goes back, brings the part and says "you're probably not going to like this, it's $58". I said no way am I paying $58 for a plastic overflow tank cap". I thanked him and left shaking my head.
I went home and found a thin rubber beer can cover. I cut our a gasket and put the cap on after filling the overflow cannister again. No radiator light, no overheating. The whole episode was caused by a worn out little gasket which you can't buy. Only the cap AND the gasket.
