Well....Shes dead

[dodgethis]

I enjoyed the car very much. It had 198,000 miles on her, and ran very well up until now. After I had replaced the heater core I never had heat in the cabin. I thought I had air in the lines, and so I opened the bleeder screw on the passenger side open, and then close and open the driver side bleeder screw. After thinking I had bleed as much air out of the system, I topped off the radiator with more coolant, and thought I was good. Well, I noticed the temperature gauge barely moved up into the heated region, and I didn't think nothing of it. I kept driving and never saw any over heating condition until I herd a weird noise from the engine. Also, the RPMS would reach to 3,000 to hold 45mph. I knew then the car was ruined. I opened the hood, and the engine was hot as hell. I pulled the dipstick, and saw coolant mixed with oil. I killed her. I didn't run it enough to throw a rod, but i knew it wouldn't be much longer that It would.

 

I can't decide if its worth to replace the engine, or just buy another $2,500 car. I have seen 98 luminas go for around $700.00 at an auction. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

 

Added: Another thing that happend was the coolant resevoir hardly moved between cold and hot states. The upper radiator hose was hot as hell, and the lower radiator hose was Luke warm.

Edited November 7, 2014 by dodgethis

[pitzel]

Are you sure it doesn't just need the LIM replaced?

 

I had a similar thing happen. I live in the middle of nowhere in rural Canada. 2 hours away from an airport, with practically nothing between me and the airport town-wise. No cell phone. Only basic winter survival gear. Flew back from Houston, Texas late one night one night, with my car parked at the airport parking lot. Temperature was -32degrees. Half way home (pretty much inbetween), the water pump started ejecting coolant.

 

Had to continue driving, or else I would have died from the cold. Got the car home, the engine sounded awful, and the coolant was mostly depleted (ended up in the oil and leaked out through the failed waterpump seal). Thought the car was scr*wed. The temperature on my DIS peaked at 230degF, and then plummeted as the system lost pressurization. Remember, -32degC outside.

 

Drove another car of mine for a few months, but eventually ripped the engine apart and sure enough, it was just the LIM that was blown/damaged. Replaced the LIM, and the waterpump, changed out the contaminated oil and filter, and the engine was good as new.

[19Cutlass94]

Its possible it could be a LIM, especially if it has a plastic LIMG, it could have melted. Is the car home? If so, Id tear into it to see what the LIMG looks like. No harm in doing so. If its bad, replace and properly bleed the system, fresh oil change or two, and see how much longer she'll last.

[Nas Escobar]

I vote for LIM as well. The gaskets are usually $20 anyways, or if you get the metal ones, I think they go for $50 or so on Ebay. Most part stores sell the metal ones as a kit to swap out the HG

[dodgethis]

I vote for LIM as well. The gaskets are usually $20 anyways, or if you get the metal ones, I think they go for $50 or so on Ebay. Most part stores sell the metal ones as a kit to swap out the HG

 

Where did I go wrong? Was no coolant running through the block which cooked the LIM? Since oil is mixed with coolant isn't it possible I could spin a bearing?

[dodgethis]

Where did I go wrong? Was no coolant running through the block which cooked the LIM? Since oil is mixed with coolant isn't it possible I could spin a bearing?

 

Also, the loss of power is it the failed LIM that reduced compression? Consider a compression check on cylinders ?

[19Cutlass94]

It wasn't bled correctly, or not enough coolant in the system. the thermostat never opened if the upper hose was hot as hell and the lower hose was like warm. This doesn't mean you spin a bearing. Plenty of us have had that milkshake before and have fixed it with no ill effects.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

[Psych0matt]

Worst case scenario you fix it and it doesn't last much longer, and you're out $50 and an afternoon

[Schurkey]

It wasn't bled correctly, or not enough coolant in the system. the thermostat never opened if the upper hose was hot as hell and the lower hose was like warm.

Upper hose hot, lower hose luke-warm sounds like perhaps a plugged radiator. The upper hose wouldn't be that hot if the thermostat was closed and blocking the heated coolant from passing.

 

Another possibility is failed water pump. Little or no circulation, hot coolant convects out of the engine but with so little velocity that it's quite cool after lingering in the rad.

[vipmiller803]

Upper hose hot, lower hose luke-warm sounds like perhaps a plugged radiator. The upper hose wouldn't be that hot if the thermostat was closed and blocking the heated coolant from passing.

^^ Agreed.

 

The overheating could have been the last blow for the LIM, causing the milkshake, like you concluded.

 

I hate to widen the scope of this diagnosis, but as far as the dooming loss of power, just a couple quick questions: Was it shifting just fine when the incident happened? Was the loss of power onset gradual while going 45, sudden like shifting down, or after a stoplight? Might be a long shot with the trans limp in mode idea, but with no cooling I can see it happen.

 

To answer your two questions:

LIMG problems do not directly cause a compression issue, although a compression check would be enlightening for the apparent loss of power. Caution here: I would not do the compression check until the milkshake in the oil pan has been corrected, but that is just me.

Yes, longterm milkshake can cause lower end issues due to lack of lubrication, but it can have easily survivable harm if remedied promptly.

Edited November 8, 2014 by vipmiller803

[LA1]

if you have a coolant leak the system cant pressurize and the coolant boils, boiling water never goes over 211 degrees the extra heat goes up in steam so that means the engine could be as hot as the sun and the temp gauge only shows 211 degrees or less. I know my 2003 Impala does not have a radiator level gauge and theoretically if it gets into trouble like overheating it goes into "limp " mode where instead of the injectors squirting gas at every intake stroke they only squirt every third time supposedly reducing the heat created. I am thinking that since you thought the heater core was bad and replacing did not help something had already started to happen to your car, could have been the lower intake manifold gaskets.

[Muj1896]

Please correct me if I'm mistaken, but if the LIM gasket is dusted than he is taking coolant into the cylinders, correct? I can only assume that coolant in the cylinders would decrease displacement. Cause of power loss? The heater core in my '00 GP failed and drained all the coolant into passenger footwell. The car was severely overheated as my wife doesn't know how to stop driving a hot car. Her biggest concern was why she couldn't get rid of the fog on the inside of the windshield (coolant condensate), and not that she drove the car home for an estimated 20 minutes with the HOT light illuminated. Due to the catastrophic over heating the UIM blew the coolant ports to the TB on either side of the EGR stovepipe, the plenum itself was warped like a taco, the UIM gasket was melted flat, and the LIM gasket blew open three ports. The motor was taking on coolant like a sinking ship. I realized this when I noticed the milkshake inside the oil fill cap after swapping the heater core with one from the yard. The car would still start and run fine despite losing coolant through the intakes. But, finally getting to the point, the car had absolutely no cajones. I had assumed due to its drinking problem. I replaced LIM gasket, coolant bypass elbow, UIM and gasket, changed the oil, flushed the coolant, ran it 300 miles, and changed the oil again. She ran fine for many more mile after that. Hope any part of this may be helpful.

[dodgethis]

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and suggestions. I have the car in the garage after being put on a flat bed truck. I haven't broke into the engine yet to see what's going on. When I do I'll post some pictures. As of now, I am loaning a family car until I can buy another vehicle. Plus, I am looking for work as I had to leave my previous company as there's wasn't a permanent position.

 

When it rains it pours.