URGENT: Sudden overheating!

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
As long as you carefully monitor this situation it sounds like you could drive it a ways. If it heats up you will have to stop for 15 or 20 minutes and cool it back down, add water, then take off again.

Your water pump ant Tstat check out per your description. You probably sprung a leak somewhere in the vicinity of the 'wet spot' under the hood.


True he could make the trip allowing for extra time and having some patience. I'd try and find the problem and fix it myself though, the last thing he needs is to warp a head. JMO


And absolutely true! Catastrophic damage is a possibility.

But I've nursed many an old truck home with bad leakage by simply watching the gauge and pulling over with some water and being patient. If you have an accurate gauge you can get away with this provided the water pump is actually moving the coolant.

Costs 200 dollars MINIMUM to get one of my trucks towed. They're too heavy to tow by either end so they require a longer flatbed.


Old cars and trucks tolerate being nursed along a whole lot better than modern ones. Aluminum just doesn't survive overheating the way cast iron did.

That said, you can nurse a modern car IF its actually circulating the coolant and its just losing coolant due to a leak. But if the water pump impeller has come free of the shaft, the blades have corroded off, or the bearing has seized up... you're not going very far, no matter how much extra water you carry.

 

[Benzadmiral]

AAA has taken the big beast to the car hospital. $39, and cheap at the price. Again, the car ran perfectly (?) when I started it and moved it around so the driver could run it up onto the flatbed.

Kevin thinks at this point it might be the manifold or gasket. Ah well. I've arranged for a rental car. If he can find and fix the problem by closing time today (doubtful), I can pick it up tomorrow morning. If not, well, I'll have the rental to drive until Monday evening or so. Maybe I can get a Mustang . . .?

I'll fill you all in when I hear more.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
AAA has taken the big beast to the car hospital. $39, and cheap at the price. Again, the car ran perfectly (?) when I started it and moved it around so the driver could run it up onto the flatbed.

Kevin thinks at this point it might be the manifold or gasket. Ah well. I've arranged for a rental car. If he can find and fix the problem by closing time today (doubtful), I can pick it up tomorrow morning. If not, well, I'll have the rental to drive until Monday evening or so. Maybe I can get a Mustang . . .?

I'll fill you all in when I hear more.


Good luck! Hopefully this is an early catch, and no harm was done. Given the 3.8's history, make SURE they do all the updates to the EGR tube, intake gasket, etc. etc. etc. to make it bulletproof from here on out.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
. . . Kevin thinks at this point it might be the manifold or gasket. Ah well. I've arranged for a rental car. If he can find and fix the problem by closing time today (doubtful), I can pick it up tomorrow morning. If not, well, I'll have the rental to drive until Monday evening or so. Maybe I can get a Mustang . . .?

I'll fill you all in when I hear more.


Good luck! Hopefully this is an early catch, and no harm was done. Given the 3.8's history, make SURE they do all the updates to the EGR tube, intake gasket, etc. etc. etc. to make it bulletproof from here on out.

I will indeed. If this car had been giving me trouble or were ragged-looking and unpleasant to drive, I'd be sort of hoping it was terminal, so I could justify replacing it. But it's neither troublesome nor ragged, and I have trouble imagining what kind of car could live up to its high standard! I don't want to replace it!

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum

Old cars and trucks tolerate being nursed along a whole lot better than modern ones. Aluminum just doesn't survive overheating the way cast iron did.

That said, you can nurse a modern car IF its actually circulating the coolant and its just losing coolant due to a leak. But if the water pump impeller has come free of the shaft, the blades have corroded off, or the bearing has seized up... you're not going very far, no matter how much extra water you carry.


Hah! I can see you've never owned a GMC truck. My v-8 models can run with ZERO coolant and not be damaged. The engine will cycle one bank of 4 cylinders at a time and alternate to allow the unused ones a bit of cooling.

Runs roughly but gets you home. Note that I do not recommend this!

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum

Old cars and trucks tolerate being nursed along a whole lot better than modern ones. Aluminum just doesn't survive overheating the way cast iron did.

That said, you can nurse a modern car IF its actually circulating the coolant and its just losing coolant due to a leak. But if the water pump impeller has come free of the shaft, the blades have corroded off, or the bearing has seized up... you're not going very far, no matter how much extra water you carry.


Hah! I can see you've never owned a GMC truck. My v-8 models can run with ZERO coolant and not be damaged. The engine will cycle one bank of 4 cylinders at a time and alternate to allow the unused ones a bit of cooling.

Runs roughly but gets you home. Note that I do not recommend this!


That is very clever design on GM's part. They obviously though of the owner or a contractor being on some remote construction site where help may not be available.
The best my Mazda will do is shut the engine off. Better than nothing I guess, but I hope it will never come to that.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum

Old cars and trucks tolerate being nursed along a whole lot better than modern ones. Aluminum just doesn't survive overheating the way cast iron did.

That said, you can nurse a modern car IF its actually circulating the coolant and its just losing coolant due to a leak. But if the water pump impeller has come free of the shaft, the blades have corroded off, or the bearing has seized up... you're not going very far, no matter how much extra water you carry.


Hah! I can see you've never owned a GMC truck. My v-8 models can run with ZERO coolant and not be damaged. The engine will cycle one bank of 4 cylinders at a time and alternate to allow the unused ones a bit of cooling.

Runs roughly but gets you home. Note that I do not recommend this!



Yep - this feature was first rolled out with the 4.6 Northstar Cadillac v8's.

 

[mrflex65]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
The 3800 has a plastic hose fitting on the manifold that has been known to crack or break completely off.Another great GM design.


Could also be the dreaded lower and upper intake manifold gaskets failing as well.....

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: mrflex65
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
The 3800 has a plastic hose fitting on the manifold that has been known to crack or break completely off.Another great GM design.


Could also be the dreaded lower and upper intake manifold gaskets failing as well.....

Update, all,

I called my mechanic about 3:30, and wonder upon wonders, it was that plastic hose fitting. He replaced that with the updated part, and found the water pump to be badly corroded, so went ahead (knowing I plan to keep the car a while) and replaced that. New coolant, new fan belt, total about $350. I can pick it up tomorrow morning!

My rental is a 2011 Crown Vic, which'll run me about $81 for a day. So I'm not coming out of this too badly.

 

[mrflex65]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Originally Posted By: mrflex65
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
The 3800 has a plastic hose fitting on the manifold that has been known to crack or break completely off.Another great GM design.


Could also be the dreaded lower and upper intake manifold gaskets failing as well.....

Update, all,

I called my mechanic about 3:30, and wonder upon wonders, it was that plastic hose fitting. He replaced that with the updated part, and found the water pump to be badly corroded, so went ahead (knowing I plan to keep the car a while) and replaced that. New coolant, new fan belt, total about $350. I can pick it up tomorrow morning!

My rental is a 2011 Crown Vic, which'll run me about $81 for a day. So I'm not coming out of this too badly.


I'm glad it worked out for ya! I'm really surprised they didn't make the the coolant elbows out of steel or aluminum or am i missing something here?

 

[yonyon]

You should still replace the thermostat. Overheating can damage a thermostat and you may not see any symptoms for a little while. On a Park Ave with a 3800 it's a 10 minute job assuming you've never done it before but know where it is. You'll probably need a pint or so of coolant to top off.

 

[Challenger71]

I would automatically check the simple items: hose clamps loose their compression over time and loosen...hoses after that, including the one leading to the overflow can split or deteriorate and loose coolant providing the impression its a more serious problem. Look for a collapsed lower hose, air is getting in.

 

[addyguy]

I'd also do an oil change...I know this wasn't a serious overheat, but I'd still put freash oil in it, as we are coming into summer.

 

[ahoier]

mmmmmm....I learned something new here

Don't use AAA My insurance company's "Roadside assistance" covers up to 10 miles, no cost.....and I believe up to 4 calls per year or something like that.....I've since used it 3 times

Lock outs, and 1 tow, and another "attempted tow" (got the problem fixed before the wrecker got there lol).

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: ahoier
mmmmmm....I learned something new here

Don't use AAA My insurance company's "Roadside assistance" covers up to 10 miles, no cost.....and I believe up to 4 calls per year or something like that.....I've since used it 3 times

Lock outs, and 1 tow, and another "attempted tow" (got the problem fixed before the wrecker got there lol).

Well, my insurance company IS AAA -- or at least I get it through them. It's the cheapest I've found in this nightmare of a state with possibly the highest insurance rates in the country.

However, I do have rental reimbursement on my policy. I'll call my agent on Monday to see if this car rental is covered. After all, it's because of my car being disabled and towed, right???

And this November I may upgrade to AAA Plus. It offers a lot more features, including 100 miles of free towing.

Oh, and addyguy, the summer oil change (5500 miles, 6 months) is due in early July. I might move it up a month.