Have a 2000 Alero. Mechanic says oil on ground is from leaking head gasket. $3000 to repair, or buy rebuilt engine for about the same. I thought head gasket leaks were into the coolant, not outside. Is this legit, including the cost? Valve cover gaskets were replaced earlier this year. Should I get another opinion? Other possible sources of leak?
View 2 Replies2001 Oldsmobile Alero, 4cyl, purchased in March with around 150k miles.About a month and a half ago I topped off the coolant. 2-3 weeks ago I noticed the exhaust was intermittently throwing off white smoke. Not thick, opaque plumes or anything, but more like how your exhaust might look on a cold day. Being May though, I knew the temperature was not responsible.
This white smoke would occur intermittently and usually stop after driving for a a little bit. Since the white smoke was not constant and the coolant levels seemed to be okay I figured maybe it was something with the EVAP system or the fuel mixture. On a hunch and as a matter of maintenance I put in new Oxygen sensors a few days ago. The next day my coolant light went off again. Since then I've put radiator stop-leak in the coolant and some STP "gasket rejuvenator" in the oil.
My theory: if the head gasket is indeed cracked, it's a very small crack--small enough so that after the engine warms up a bit the gasket expands essentially sealing the crack. This would explain the intermittent nature of the white smoke and and slowness of coolant leak. Are there any other tell-tale signs I should look for with a bad gasket, if this indeed that case? I saw in the store some stuff similar to stop-leak specifically designed for sealing head gaskets that involved draining the radiator, dumping this stuff in and running the engine for a bit, draining it out, and letting the car sit for a day before putting new coolant in. If the head gasket is the issue would the combination of stop leak.
I have a 2000 Oldsmobile Alero. Whenever my gas gauge gets to about 3/4 tank, my car acts as if it is out of gas. I know my fuel gauge is working and that my car has gas. I was told that it was most likely the fuel pressure regulator valve so I had that replaced but it hasn't worked at all. Is it my fuel pump? Or what else could it be?
View 2 RepliesI am writing this about my fiances 2000 Oldsmobile Alero 3.4 liter. I live in MN so we see our fair share of cold weather. After her car has sat over night it will not start in the morning when the temp is below 32F or so. It started happening at the end of last winter and then it got warmer out and the car became normal...which is hard to figure out the issue when you cant verify the problem when you want to. Anyways we just had one of our first pretty cold nights and we went out to start her car and it barely started.
I have suspected it to be a fuel issue because while trying to start it if I hold the gas pedal in it will start to backfire lately and just acts like it is flooded. This last summer I looked over some things and found that the Fuel Pressure Regulator was leaking into the vacuum line which would go into the intake manifold and flood the car. So I replaced that convinced that it would solve the issue. It didn't. I also found that the PCV valve was stuck so I replaced that. Last winter I dumped in a bottle of gasoline de-icer or whatever that stuff is called thinking maybe she got some bad gas and her lines were freezing. That didnt change anything.
When the car wont start I can literally crank until the battery is dead (newer battery in the car) with no luck. I have had to be jumping it and cranking it over for a good hour to get it to start. Not cranking straight time obviously. But about an hour worth of time before it starts. And at that time i am thinking it starts just because of the air temp going up in that amount of time or something... I don't know. I am not quite ready to bring the car into the shop because I know it will need to stay there for a few days to be able to get the right conditions for them to verify the problem. My fiance and me have very busy schedules between both working full time and going to school full time. So to be without a car for a few times isn't an option.
I've been having a problem with my 2000 Alero recently where, periodically, attempting to start the car will end in the car stalling and the security light beginning to flash on the dashboard. Usually after about 10 minutes the light goes off and the car starts normally (well, insofar as feeling like it's going to shake itself apart the moment it hits idle is normal, but that's another topic for another post). This happens about 40% of the time when starting the car, and seems to be happening more and more frequently (which may be my imagination).
I took the car into the dealer (after my local mechanic told me he was familiar with the problem and wouldn't be able to fix it), and they told me I needed to replace the body control module and passlock sensor... Car info : 2000 Oldsmobile Alero~140,000 miles2.4L I-4.....
My 2000 alero was WAY low on oil so I added a quart then drove for about 45 mins at 40 mph the car seemed fine. the following morning when I went to start it the car turned over but would not start when it finally started the engine knocks and it is putting out a lot of white exhaust. obviously I need to see a mechanic but what might be wrong. my neighbor said one of the cylinders isn't doing what ever it is supposed to do he said it passed a compression test but I don't know what that means...
View 3 RepliesIs this normal or do I have a leak? Noticed this white stuff just like what you would find on the coolant cap, as well as this red stuff too.
View 7 RepliesMy Subaru dealer just told me that my 2004 outback with 88k miles has developed a head gasket leak. I haven't noticed any symptoms, and the leak started sometime between now and my last major service 10k miles ago. How serious is this? They want to charge me for it? If so, when? Is disaster imminent?
View 7 RepliesI have a 06' JGC with the 5.7L Hemi w/80k and about a month ago I noticed a little smoke under the hood after driving, I found an oil leak and it's running down the passenger side of the rear main seal but the leak is above the seal. I had the shop put die in it and they dont know for sure but they belive it is the head gasket. There is no water in the oil but they said that doesnt matter. Apparently the heads cant be resurfaced on hemi's but they have to be checked to make sure they are in spec.
View 2 RepliesI've been told that the 2002 Santa Fe that I drive has a small leak in the head gasket and that this will be a major problem for the A/C compressor in the not-too-distant future. Supposedly the compressor is located below where the leak is and that over time (5-6 months) this can/will cause the compressor to need to be replaced. Does this seem like a credible scenario?
View 2 RepliesI have 2012 R with 33,000.00 miles on it. During regular service they detected that I have a coolant leak. They replaced a flange and determined that there was actually a head gasket leak. This is very unusual for such a low mileage. The car is still under extended warranty and they are in the process of replacing the head gasket. They told me today that they have to machine the head since there was some residue due to the coolant leak. This is all done at a VW dealer service.
View 1 RepliesI found during an oil change that there is coolant in my oil, I had suspicions of this because of having to add coolant more than I should of had to. There is probably either a crack in my block, head gasket or intake manifold, my question is how can I tell which. I figure that if I preform a compression check it will tell me that I have a cracked block and or a cracked head gasket, what will tell me if I breeched my intake manifold.
View 19 RepliesI recently had an issue with my head gasket. It was repaired but then learned the real issue was that I had diesel gas in my engine. (Long story, fuel hauler put wrong gas in tank and service station sold the gas to us unsuspecting drivers.) After head gasket was fixed, tried to leave service shop but car still had issues - turned around and went back. O2 sensor and other fuel trim numbers were off. But couldn't diagnose problem completely so told me to drive home (30 miles) and come back next day.
That's when I found out about the diesel gas issue. My car got drained of bad gas and cleaned. Got car back but now is leaking oil. My husband thinks it is either from the valve covers or from head gasket. Can diesel gas in your engine damage the head gasket? Could I have done more damage by driving the 30 miles home with the bad gas? Or did the shop just do a bad head gasket repair? I only bought this car 6 months ago - used. It now has 88K miles.
I have a oil leak that I can't seem to find the source of. The head gasket corner (driver side firewall corner) has oil on it. (3.8 SC). Or maybe the intake valley gaskets are leaking but it doesn't appear so (and the intake was done within the last 20k miles). The back side of the oil pan (toward rear of car) is wet and the oil seems to be dripping off the transmission pan somehow.
Another thing is the knock sensor between the block and transmission seems wet, not sure if the oil is coming from above that or not, would the knock sensor leak oil or coolant? (or nothing)...
Recently the timing belt slipped and in turn shot several valves. After replacing the head and gaskets there is a small oil leak between the head and block. Can i tighten that head bolt a little? What is the best solution?
View 1 RepliesQuick question, my 2007 Santa Fe with 3.3 has developed a small coolant leak. Every so often, I see a few drops on the garage floor and every 6 months or so I need to fill the reservoir with new coolant. So I took it in last Friday at a Hyundai dealership and he said that I need a new head gasket.
So my question is, is that correct? I did a search and most say that if you need a new head gasket, coolant would have leaked into the engine and oil.
When I changed the oil back in June, I don't recall seeing any foam or-or any indication that something is wrong with the oil. Even yesterday, I open up the oil cap and pull the dipstick, every looks normal. I assumed that not all head gasket problems lead to coolant in the oil?
2007 Pilot leaks coolant but, mechanic can not find the leak anywhere including the head gasket. He was a certified Honda mechanic.
View 16 RepliesRecently had a new water pump and radiator put in my car. Not so sure if they are "new" but anyway.
The car does not seem to use coolant it has only slowly flowed back into the reserve tank over time spilling over a little.
I own a 2003 Toyota Camry with 195,000 miles. We have owned the car for about 6 years. It is now leaking oil from the drivers side of the head gasket. The oil has been leaking down onto the exhaust and smoking, and it has been getting worse and worse. This is a second car and is not used much, only once a month for short trips. Is there any temporary fix for this that can maybe get me through a year? Also, I have heard mixed opinions on how hard replacing the head gasket is, does the engine really need to be removed?
View 9 RepliesI just bought my 2006 Toyota Prius about a year ago in 2009. It has been treating me LIKE GOLD !!! up to this point. About a month or two ago, the check engine light came on and stayed on along with a big red triangular warning light. I let it go for about a week hoping that it would just go away.
I brought the vehicle into my local Toyota dealership so they can diagnose it.They told me that they had 3 or 4 different "codes" coming from the machine when getting the signals from the check engine light. All the codes were related to the cooling system. They said that they felt that there was "debris" clogging the pathway for the coolant flow throughout the engine. They had recommended a "coolant flush" for the hybrid side as well as the mechanical side. So I took their advice and I had them perform the coolant flushes.
After leaving the dealership that 1st time, the check engine light came back on the next day. I called the same dealership and explained it to them. They asked me to bring it in again. SO I brought it to them a 2nd time. They diagnosed it again. They told me they came up with 2 of the SAME "codes" and 1 that was different, but ALL the codes were STILL related to the cooling system. They explained to me that something was preventing the clear flow of coolant throughout the engine. And since the thermostat was the only major obstacle, they recommended that I replace it. Well, I did. And after I left the dealership that 2nd time, I was praying that this was the last of my Prius issues! The check engine light came back on the next day.
I have a 2008 Outback and I just got news from my repairman that says there is a leak in the head gasket and one of my axle boots is cracking. The axle boot is not the major concern, but is it worth it to spend $ to get it fixed or should I say "Hasta La Vista" and look into buying a new car? I hit a deer and thoroughly damaged the front end about a year and a half ago and I am not sure if that has "shakin' things up".
I currently have about 85K miles on the car. I don't mind repairing the car if it doesn't turn into the Money Pit.