Head Gasket? Topic is solved

vovlonewbie18 · Post by **vovlonewbie18** » 10 Aug 2011, 06:50

I fear the worse...I have a 01 s40 turbo. I have a persistent coolant leak that 2 mechanics couldn't find. Just spoke to a volvo dealer mechanic and I told him what my issues were and I got some bad news..I need a second opinion please.

Coolant leak causing me to buy new coolant at least once every 2 weeks
check engine recently came on reading that I have multiple cylinders misfiring
spark plugs and wires recently replaced
excessive exhaust (not smoke) out of tailpipe during cool weather.

I haven't checked the coil packs yet which is what he recommended but soon as i told him that i have a coolant leak that doesn't leak onto the ground w/ excessive exhaust, he was almost certain that it would be a head gasket issue.

He told me head gasket repair can cost up to 3k...i only paid $2500 for my baby. Please say it aint so.

s/n..i just found this product called Steel Seal where it says to pour it into the radiator..i doubt this is a good idea but i might not have anything to lose if I have to scrap the car (i'd have to pour it into the expansion tank since my radiator doesn't have a cap right?)

Post by **precopster** » 10 Aug 2011, 07:13

No head gasket diagnosis is complete without a proper test.

Did they perform a pressure test of the cooling system, or a CO2 test in the coolant?

Get this done or risk spending unnecessary dollars. With the help of the head gasket replacement tutorials in this forum you can easily replace a head gasket in a S40 with little expense. With investment in some tools and your own time you can do a great job and be able to tackle a host of other jobs.

If dollars are tight get yourself a testing kit to determine whether you have a blown head gasket.

vovlonewbie18 · Post by **vovlonewbie18** » 10 Aug 2011, 07:16

ahh...a glimer of hope. I will definitely look into that. I'll post an update. Thanks a lot.