So I'm driving up to the mall to sears to get the socket I need for the cartridge filter case to change my oil. I get off the highway, and am sitting at the light on the off ramp, behind a 2000ish malibu. Suddenly, a blast of steam from under the hood, and underneath the car, like clouds of steam. Concerned, I motion for him to pull over (he's about my age, a little older. He has a sticker for a local college on his back window, for this past semester). Well, turns out he's a classmate in one of my classes so I help him out. He starts it, still spewing steam, and limps a quarter mile to mcdonalds, 4-ways on, me following him (I Have nothing else to do today really, so why not?)
Anyway, he parks it and I park next to him. His girlfriend parks next to me in her new mercedes. It's a 2000 Malibu, [censored] condition. Rust, beat up, etc. They were moving to a new house, and he said that it had been acting up, it seemed to be working really hard to maintain highway speeds. Then, BAM it just dies and starts spewing at the light.
Pop the hood, and it's coolant steam. You can taste it. It's the 3.1L V6, with 169k miles. The steam is emnating from the back of the engine, underneath the ignition coils and stuff, behind the rear bank. There is just a ludicrous amount of steam, and coolant leaking onto the ground underneath and all over the engine. He has no idea if the LIM gasket has ever been changed, he's had it for 8 years.
So we go into the gas station next door, fill up a big bucket with water, bring a cup back. The coolant resovoir is completely empty. He lives about 2 miles away, and I ask him what he wants to do. He asks what I recommend. I tell him I'll let him know.
So I dump the water into the coolant resovoir, (no point in adding AF as it's clearly just dumping straight out) and good lord, that engine must have been HOT, I've never seen anything like it. It leaks out, and I try to crank it. It barely starts, but it's not happy about it. I shut it down again, and check the oil. chocolate milk. Lovely. So at this point I figure either his LIM let go, or headgasket. I can't really tell easily on this engine. Let the engine cool down for a minute. I leave my car there, and he goes with his girlfriend. It's almost impossible to keep it running, he wants to park it in his driveway, and is going to junk it, he's been wanting to trade it in for a while, and just hasn't gotten to it.
Fine, I figure. So I drive it. Spewing steam, interior is falling apart. Temp gauge busted. CEL glaring orange. Amazingly, it starts to run okay, even though all the water I dumped in had drained right back out again. It runs the 2 miles or so to his house, and it continues to idle in his driveway. I tell you though, that engine was hot. You could feel it from 10 feet away with the hood open. But it still ran. Parked it, they dropped me off back at my car and thanked me for the help.
So what's the verdict, LIM or headgasket blew? It's just incredible to me that the engine ran, and ran as well as it did at the end considering there was ZERO coolant in it. Those engines are tough, even if the gaskets suck.
Anyway, he parks it and I park next to him. His girlfriend parks next to me in her new mercedes. It's a 2000 Malibu, [censored] condition. Rust, beat up, etc. They were moving to a new house, and he said that it had been acting up, it seemed to be working really hard to maintain highway speeds. Then, BAM it just dies and starts spewing at the light.
Pop the hood, and it's coolant steam. You can taste it. It's the 3.1L V6, with 169k miles. The steam is emnating from the back of the engine, underneath the ignition coils and stuff, behind the rear bank. There is just a ludicrous amount of steam, and coolant leaking onto the ground underneath and all over the engine. He has no idea if the LIM gasket has ever been changed, he's had it for 8 years.
So we go into the gas station next door, fill up a big bucket with water, bring a cup back. The coolant resovoir is completely empty. He lives about 2 miles away, and I ask him what he wants to do. He asks what I recommend. I tell him I'll let him know.
So I dump the water into the coolant resovoir, (no point in adding AF as it's clearly just dumping straight out) and good lord, that engine must have been HOT, I've never seen anything like it. It leaks out, and I try to crank it. It barely starts, but it's not happy about it. I shut it down again, and check the oil. chocolate milk. Lovely. So at this point I figure either his LIM let go, or headgasket. I can't really tell easily on this engine. Let the engine cool down for a minute. I leave my car there, and he goes with his girlfriend. It's almost impossible to keep it running, he wants to park it in his driveway, and is going to junk it, he's been wanting to trade it in for a while, and just hasn't gotten to it.
Fine, I figure. So I drive it. Spewing steam, interior is falling apart. Temp gauge busted. CEL glaring orange. Amazingly, it starts to run okay, even though all the water I dumped in had drained right back out again. It runs the 2 miles or so to his house, and it continues to idle in his driveway. I tell you though, that engine was hot. You could feel it from 10 feet away with the hood open. But it still ran. Parked it, they dropped me off back at my car and thanked me for the help.
So what's the verdict, LIM or headgasket blew? It's just incredible to me that the engine ran, and ran as well as it did at the end considering there was ZERO coolant in it. Those engines are tough, even if the gaskets suck.
