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so my radiator is spewing stuff - 6G Celicas Forums

Topic #41407 14 posts Started by 6strngs
so my radiator is spewing what I assume to be coolant out of the radiator cap, you can see it all white and crusty on top of the radiator around the cap, and also on my cruise control box, seemingly as if it were spraying everywhere... this seems like it'd be a bad thing. any ideas to what's causing it? btw, the engine hasn't been overheating or anything.

94 GT - Sold -------- 69 Pontiac Lemans - Sold88 Alltrac - Sold ---- 04 WRX - Sold00 GT-S - Sold ------ 91 Miata - project/drift car95 GT - Sold -------- 96 GT - New Daily Drive
get a dissolved gas test kit to test for dissolved exhaust gasses in the coolant. it sounds like a blown head gasket, a compression test could also tell you some about whats going on.

2000 Celica GTS 'slowest gts evar'1998 Mazda 626 FS-DE/CD4-E
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QUOTE(Bitter @ Sep 22, 2006 - 7:24 PM) [snapback]482824[/snapback]
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get a dissolved gas test kit to test for dissolved exhaust gasses in the coolant. it sounds like a blown head gasket, a compression test could also tell you some about whats going on.

eeshk... I don't want a blown head gasket frown.gif but I'm taking my car into my auto class tomorrow for a fuel filter change, maybe I'll ask my teacher to run the tests on it (since he actually has the tools to do so, whereas I don't)

94 GT - Sold -------- 69 Pontiac Lemans - Sold88 Alltrac - Sold ---- 04 WRX - Sold00 GT-S - Sold ------ 91 Miata - project/drift car95 GT - Sold -------- 96 GT - New Daily Drive
yea, does the temp guage move way up high when you're driving or are there any other abnormalaties? power loss? white smoke out the exhaust? has the car been overheated before?

2000 Celica GTS 'slowest gts evar'1998 Mazda 626 FS-DE/CD4-E
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QUOTE(Bitter @ Sep 22, 2006 - 7:51 PM) [snapback]482828[/snapback]
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yea, does the temp guage move way up high when you're driving or are there any other abnormalaties? power loss? white smoke out the exhaust? has the car been overheated before?

no, the temp gauge stays at about halfway. power seems fine. according to my friend, however, when I started up my car some black smoke came out the exhaust pipe for a second, and then stopped. and as far as I know, it's never overheated before.

94 GT - Sold -------- 69 Pontiac Lemans - Sold88 Alltrac - Sold ---- 04 WRX - Sold00 GT-S - Sold ------ 91 Miata - project/drift car95 GT - Sold -------- 96 GT - New Daily Drive
well the black smoke would lead me to believe that its a blown gasket... otherwise could be something as simple as getting another radiator cap, also check the overflow tank, make sure its doing is job
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QUOTE(quicknstyle @ Sep 23, 2006 - 2:51 PM) [snapback]483020[/snapback]
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well the black smoke would lead me to believe that its a blown gasket... otherwise could be something as simple as getting another radiator cap, also check the overflow tank, make sure its doing is job

my teacher said that the radiator cap looked really old and worn. I think I'm going to get that TRD one and see if it fixes the problem. anyone know where to get it for a good price?

94 GT - Sold -------- 69 Pontiac Lemans - Sold88 Alltrac - Sold ---- 04 WRX - Sold00 GT-S - Sold ------ 91 Miata - project/drift car95 GT - Sold -------- 96 GT - New Daily Drive
dont waste your money on a trd one. they dont really have any benefit. just pick up a new one from any parts store.

15PSI - 30MPG - Megasquirt Tuned
most school shops have a device to check the pressure holding ability of the cap.

2000 Celica GTS 'slowest gts evar'1998 Mazda 626 FS-DE/CD4-E
BAH! upon a closer inspection today, I no longer believe it is the cap... but rather a small crack 1/2" below the cap... anything I can do to fix it short of getting a new radiator?

94 GT - Sold -------- 69 Pontiac Lemans - Sold88 Alltrac - Sold ---- 04 WRX - Sold00 GT-S - Sold ------ 91 Miata - project/drift car95 GT - Sold -------- 96 GT - New Daily Drive
most auto parts stores sell radiator repair kits.. i wouldnt count on it for long but it will get the job done while you save up/search for a new radiator
Time for a new radiator......Don't try the repair kits, if anything upgrade you radiator....Like a Koyo Aluminum radiator....
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QUOTE(Enrique @ Sep 25, 2006 - 12:43 AM) [snapback]483450[/snapback]
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Time for a new radiator......Don't try the repair kits, if anything upgrade you radiator....Like a Koyo Aluminum radiator....

yeah, if I get a new radiator it's going to be the Koyo aluminum one, but I really can't afford that right now! I think I'll try to find one of these repair kits as a temporary fix until I can afford the radiator.

94 GT - Sold -------- 69 Pontiac Lemans - Sold88 Alltrac - Sold ---- 04 WRX - Sold00 GT-S - Sold ------ 91 Miata - project/drift car95 GT - Sold -------- 96 GT - New Daily Drive
if you want a quick fix to buy you some time, i used some quicksteel to put over the crack... this wont last a long time, but should be enough to buy you a month or so... ive been doing this for as long as i can till im ready for my swap, where im going to be replacing the radiator anyways