After overheating a few times, should my spark plugs be changed?
Here's the story.
This past July, I was driving my Stratus up to my brother's cabin, and its 17km from the Main Highway, no cell service.
I noticed some weird noises while on the highway, but all the gauges were fine. Thought it was just wind noise. Continued on.
A few minutes later, I was navigating the mountain road, and I notice my Temperature gauge light is on! And the Gauge is at Max!. I quickly turn the heat on full blast, but there isn't any. Engine smells alright, so I think maybe a bad connection at the sending unit due to the tough mountain road.
A few minutes later, the car shuts down. Can't crank it over. The computer has shut down the car to prevent damage. No cell service either. I pop the rad cap, nothing in there. Kept looking for leaks, there wasn't any. But i'm out of coolant now.
I let the car cool down, and thankfully someone comes by, and pulls over to help. He has a bunch of water bottles in the back of his truck, and offers them to me. I add them in, pop the cap on and get to the cabin.
After looking around, I discovered it as a bad water pump.
Problem now is, when I have to go home a few days, its 17km out to the highway, but we do have a phone to call a tow truck to my ferry (which is 180km away)
I call up a bunch of auto parts store, no one carries the water pump in stock around there.
On the way back, I filled up my car with water, filled up a bunch of water jugs with water, and I call BCAA to set up a tow at the Highway Entrance. Unfortunately the water pump is leaking like crazy now, and about 1/2 way it reaches max on the temp gauge. I top it with water, it cools a bit, but then reaches max again, but not shutting down. I make it back to the highway, and let it cool down, and top up the water.
I get towed back to the ferry, and by that time I make it back to my side of the water, my car is completely cool. I've refilled the jugs on the ferry, and decide to drive home. Its about 10km. After 3 km, the water pump blows and takes my timing belt off a few teeth.
Thankfully, there was no valve damage, so I did timing belt, water pump, head gasket, valve stem gaskets, a valve grind, etc.
Car runs beautiful and has run great since August when I got it patched up.
Problem now is my mileage. It hasn't been as good as it has been. I used to average 28-32MPG in the city, now its 22-25MPG. Highway, I used to get 34-40MPG, now I haven't even been able to hit 30, but haven't really done a long highway trip.
I have NGK Gpower Platnium's in there. Could overheating the car past the Hot Mark on the gauge with no Water cause any damage to the spark plugs? I've thought about temporary changing the to the stock champion coppers to see if the mileage goes back up.
Do you think this is a good idea?
My mileage is closer to New Yorker Territory with the 3.3 V6 Auto. This is a 2.0 I4 with a 5 speed.
If the mileage is close, I should just drive my New Yorker Fifth Avenue more. Its more comfortable, quiet, and has a lot more legroom.
Here's the story.
This past July, I was driving my Stratus up to my brother's cabin, and its 17km from the Main Highway, no cell service.
I noticed some weird noises while on the highway, but all the gauges were fine. Thought it was just wind noise. Continued on.
A few minutes later, I was navigating the mountain road, and I notice my Temperature gauge light is on! And the Gauge is at Max!. I quickly turn the heat on full blast, but there isn't any. Engine smells alright, so I think maybe a bad connection at the sending unit due to the tough mountain road.
A few minutes later, the car shuts down. Can't crank it over. The computer has shut down the car to prevent damage. No cell service either. I pop the rad cap, nothing in there. Kept looking for leaks, there wasn't any. But i'm out of coolant now.
I let the car cool down, and thankfully someone comes by, and pulls over to help. He has a bunch of water bottles in the back of his truck, and offers them to me. I add them in, pop the cap on and get to the cabin.
After looking around, I discovered it as a bad water pump.
Problem now is, when I have to go home a few days, its 17km out to the highway, but we do have a phone to call a tow truck to my ferry (which is 180km away)
I call up a bunch of auto parts store, no one carries the water pump in stock around there.
On the way back, I filled up my car with water, filled up a bunch of water jugs with water, and I call BCAA to set up a tow at the Highway Entrance. Unfortunately the water pump is leaking like crazy now, and about 1/2 way it reaches max on the temp gauge. I top it with water, it cools a bit, but then reaches max again, but not shutting down. I make it back to the highway, and let it cool down, and top up the water.
I get towed back to the ferry, and by that time I make it back to my side of the water, my car is completely cool. I've refilled the jugs on the ferry, and decide to drive home. Its about 10km. After 3 km, the water pump blows and takes my timing belt off a few teeth.
Thankfully, there was no valve damage, so I did timing belt, water pump, head gasket, valve stem gaskets, a valve grind, etc.
Car runs beautiful and has run great since August when I got it patched up.
Problem now is my mileage. It hasn't been as good as it has been. I used to average 28-32MPG in the city, now its 22-25MPG. Highway, I used to get 34-40MPG, now I haven't even been able to hit 30, but haven't really done a long highway trip.
I have NGK Gpower Platnium's in there. Could overheating the car past the Hot Mark on the gauge with no Water cause any damage to the spark plugs? I've thought about temporary changing the to the stock champion coppers to see if the mileage goes back up.
Do you think this is a good idea?
My mileage is closer to New Yorker Territory with the 3.3 V6 Auto. This is a 2.0 I4 with a 5 speed.
If the mileage is close, I should just drive my New Yorker Fifth Avenue more. Its more comfortable, quiet, and has a lot more legroom.
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