Head Gasket?

Post by **318mike** » 22 Mar 2012, 17:41

I posted a couple of weeks ago that after a 2 hour drive I lost some coolant out of the cap.The temp gage was normal so after some deep thought(haha) I replaced my thermostat and appeared that my problems were solved.Lately I've been having to add a cup of antifreeze every other day or so.I've thoroughly checked for leaks and have none.I've also read a lot of posts here and decided to buy the kit that checks for combustion gas and after a few minutes the blue liquid in the tube turned greenish yellow(bummmmer).I'm amazed that i have no other symptoms the car runs great,no oil in the coolant,no coolant in the oil,no white smoke.I'm wondering if the test is completely reliable?I've had the car for a couple of years now and its never suffered any trauma(overheating).I'm wondering if there could be something else wrong?Probably grasping at straws,but I want to make sure before I do major surgery.Opinions welcome?

Post by **vjaneczko** » 22 Mar 2012, 18:54

Pretty sure the color changes due to carbon monoxide - which shouldn't be in the radiator!

One other test you can try is a compression test. I bought a test kit from AutoZone for ~40 bucks. Not sure if it's one they loan out.

Post by **318mike** » 22 Mar 2012, 19:28

Another thing that baffles me is I have opened the expansion tank cap after the car has sat overnight(completely cooled off) and I can hear a rush of air.Its holding pressure??If the head gasket was cracked how does it hold pressure?...Thanks for the suggestion Vjaneczko.

Post by **erikv11** » 22 Mar 2012, 19:46

I don't have enough experience with the combustion kits to say for sure, but I don't think they give false positives.

That's a lot of coolant to be losing. Offering a straw to grasp at: are you really, really sure there is no heater core leak? Checked both the passenger and driver's side carpets?

Post by **rspi** » 22 Mar 2012, 19:51

Man, you can have a small breach in the gasket that will get worse as time goes on. As long as fluids are not mixing, you can likely put it off. Good early catch.

Post by **318mike** » 23 Mar 2012, 10:47

I was afraid that those tests were reliable erikv11 I have the carpet out on both sides and I can clearly see the heater core box(no leak),but grateful for your input....Thanks rspi that gives me a little time to consider my next move,which I'm not really sure what to do!!...its a 94 with 124k no rust at all and I just did a timing belt,water pump, idler,and tensioner 2 months ago.It really helps to get the moral support from this site,makes you feel like your not in it alone....Thanks

wjhandy850 · Post by **wjhandy850** » 23 Mar 2012, 20:26

Try some of that head gasket repair in the bottle stuff that they have out there. It may keep a small problem from getting bigger.

Post by **erikv11** » 23 Mar 2012, 20:51

Or, it may ruin the engine entirely, so that it can't be repaired at all.

Post by **318mike** » 24 Mar 2012, 08:40

My biggest fear is the unknown.I've been reading a lot of the posts here about head gasket and similar problems.I'm worried that if and when I take it apart it could be a number of things from the head gasket,warped head,cracked head,or even cracked block.I would be tempted to use a block sealer if it were a cracked block,just to buy time and figure whether or not to spend the thousands to fix it and if the car is worth it,because once I take it apart the block sealer is no longer an option.I guess its not always easy being a volvo owner,it can really test your loyalty.Thanks wjhandy850 for the suggestion.Thanks erikv11 for making me think about the possible consequences.

wjhandy850 · Post by **wjhandy850** » 28 Mar 2012, 07:49

post head gasket replacement I put in some the sealant that promised to help cool if anything, but will aid in sealing if need be. If there is something out there in a bottle that is more aggressive. I wasn't speaking of that. I don't want to be going around destroying engines.