I got a cooling system flush with new rad cap and thermostat 2-3 days ago. A BG flush which included a stop-leak additive (as a matter of course) and GM Dex-Cool. I was impressed at how it ran hotter than the previous thermostat and hoped that my car would be warmer on the coldest 30 or so days of the year. Then I noticed the temp rose above that which is where it gets only in summer if I am in gridlock traffic with the AC on. I shrugged and felt secure. When it exceeded 90 C (? 200 F?) I cranked up the heat & fan and got ready to open all the windows. But no hot air came from the vents!
It got hotter and dinged at me when it hit the red zone. I stopped and opened the hood to let it cool off. I started it again and the temp went right back up, hitting the red zone. At a few points I lost power, either due to the fact the engine just plain couldn't function or the ECM or something made it go into automatic shutdown. I kinda got panicky, it was Fri Dec 23 just before 5 pm. I called the mechanic and parked by his home. He came out and looked at it. Diagnosis: No coolant. No immediate signs of where it went; after some looking, low-location wet spots suggest I need a new rad. I called the auto association for a tow to where he works, where I have spent over $2000 on this car in past 6 weeks (and I am still not mad!) BTW I noticed no steam coming from the hood or anything. Stereo may have made me not hear any hideous noises. And FWIW it was 4 C or about 38 F
The mechanic, a guy that just went from friend to A+ friend, said "It's not much but here ya go" and HANDED ME THE KEY TO HIS OWN PERSONAL CAR. Where do you get service / friends / mechanics like that?
What should 'the shop' look for on Tuesday the 27th? What should *I* look for in the weeks to follow, to ensure no lasting damage was done to any engine part? The oil is Redline 5W30, 7 months old as of Jan 7, as is the by-pass filter; and has 12,000 KM on it. Spin-on filter is a week old. IMHO nothing handles massive heat like Redline but I admit I am biased. The A+ mechanic friend said an oil change was not in order as a result of this, and he highly doubted that any permanent damage was done.
(Yes I did a search for similar situations, closest was "Castrol 10W30 1992 Camry 385 miles engine overheat" by niteskies [member 5602], Oct 03, 2005. I think this case is different enough to make a new post. I hope 'mechanical problems and tips' is the right place to post)
Any additional thoughts??
THANKS
Rob
It got hotter and dinged at me when it hit the red zone. I stopped and opened the hood to let it cool off. I started it again and the temp went right back up, hitting the red zone. At a few points I lost power, either due to the fact the engine just plain couldn't function or the ECM or something made it go into automatic shutdown. I kinda got panicky, it was Fri Dec 23 just before 5 pm. I called the mechanic and parked by his home. He came out and looked at it. Diagnosis: No coolant. No immediate signs of where it went; after some looking, low-location wet spots suggest I need a new rad. I called the auto association for a tow to where he works, where I have spent over $2000 on this car in past 6 weeks (and I am still not mad!) BTW I noticed no steam coming from the hood or anything. Stereo may have made me not hear any hideous noises. And FWIW it was 4 C or about 38 F
The mechanic, a guy that just went from friend to A+ friend, said "It's not much but here ya go" and HANDED ME THE KEY TO HIS OWN PERSONAL CAR. Where do you get service / friends / mechanics like that?
What should 'the shop' look for on Tuesday the 27th? What should *I* look for in the weeks to follow, to ensure no lasting damage was done to any engine part? The oil is Redline 5W30, 7 months old as of Jan 7, as is the by-pass filter; and has 12,000 KM on it. Spin-on filter is a week old. IMHO nothing handles massive heat like Redline but I admit I am biased. The A+ mechanic friend said an oil change was not in order as a result of this, and he highly doubted that any permanent damage was done.
(Yes I did a search for similar situations, closest was "Castrol 10W30 1992 Camry 385 miles engine overheat" by niteskies [member 5602], Oct 03, 2005. I think this case is different enough to make a new post. I hope 'mechanical problems and tips' is the right place to post)
Any additional thoughts??
THANKS
Rob