Watching a show last night. Kind of like wheeler dealers but an American version. The mechanic was checking out a car. I thing a Saab or similar. 4 cylinder engine. The car ideling with the radiator cap off. He revved the engine and coolant shot out of the radiator. Bad head gasket he said. $3000 to fix. I think I would throw the BS flag on that test. What say you guys?
Made me wonder about the diaganosis.
- Thread starter jacobsond
- Start date
It’s a tv show. They do and say a lot of things just for camera.
If coolant did shoot out (as in was gushing out) than a bad head gasket is not a bad reaction. If the car is eating coolant, and produces white exhaust at certain rpm you really don't need to know anything more. If it doesn't do those things than the mechanic would most likely quickly run a coolant tester for combustion gases to be absolutely certain. Coolant isn't supposed to shoot out with the radiator cap, running the engine with the cap off is a common way of beading air out of the system. Revving the engine will make the level raise a little bit with a normally running engine so it depends on your definition of shooting out.
seen that gushing from a bad head gasket. Rockauto= $6.00 for the gaskets (head & intake) & $11. for the new head bolts.
it was a non-turbo Golf. Labor was my own. not $3k. Maybe $550 if I charged as a pro. Think I even splurged & got a $7.
Continental brand timing belt too.
it was a non-turbo Golf. Labor was my own. not $3k. Maybe $550 if I charged as a pro. Think I even splurged & got a $7.
Continental brand timing belt too.
I call BS too!
Could be just pumping the coolant into the upper rad tank. Where else would it go with the cap off? Gravity won't drain that fluid through the rad fast enough, especially if it's just a little bit plugged.
Could be just pumping the coolant into the upper rad tank. Where else would it go with the cap off? Gravity won't drain that fluid through the rad fast enough, especially if it's just a little bit plugged.
I agree with the diagnosis because the coolent "shot" out. I have no idea if the cost would be $3k though. Ed
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