jmonda

OK my car overheated the other day because my fan did not kick on. I realized I had a fried wire and fixed it. But here is the deal now everytime I drive my car and get on it some and it has been warm here in PA antifreeze comes out the cap of the reservoir. Like it boils out of the reservoir. It never has done this before and this seems weird. The term gauge is normal too when it does this. I was wondering if anyone has ever experienced this or if they have nay thoughts.

contentsunderpressur

With the car cooled down take the cap off and start the car. If bubbles start coming out you have a blown head gasket. If there is no bubbles then replace the reservor cap.

OzzDOA

Sounds like a thermostat to me. With the car running (but not hot) feel the hose going from the radiator to the water neck. If its hard that means you have pressure, if its not then you might have a water pump issue.

First step would be to replace the thermostat, its the cheapest and quickest fix. If that doesn't work then its time to look at the water pump/radiator.

jmonda

How long should i let it idle? I did that and let it idle for a few minutes and saw no bubbles.

jmonda

The hose was not hard. But if it was the waterpump woudn't it leak elsewhere. I mean this is weird it is literally just get so hot it is boiling out over the reservoir. It is not leaking anywhere else.

OzzDOA

If its the water pump there usually isn't a leak. The impeller in the pump is not pushing the coolant around your engine and that is why it is boiling over. No pressure in the hoses is a very good indicator that it is your water pump. Usually the only time you get coolant leaks is when your thermostat housing cracks, you blow a head gasket, your heater core blows,a hose rupturesor your radiator is damaged/punctured. No leaking and boiling over usually indicates the thermostat or the water pump.

jmonda

So I call my mechanic and tell him what had happened and he just immediately tells me it is the Head Gasket. What do you think I mean I told him it was boiling out of the reservoir and he is like its your head gasket I see it all the time. Not sure to trust him or if he just wanted work.

OzzDOA

Are you getting white smoke from your exhaust? If not than I doubt its the head gasket. If it were the head gasket you would still have pressure in your coolant lines and you would see the level of coolant in the resevoir getting lower from it leaking and or being burned in the combustion chamber.

jmonda

No white smoke that I have seen. It is hard to to know if I am using antifreeze because when the car gets hot then it boils over but the gauge does not show the car as heating up. I guess one thing he was looking at is it overheated twice and he said that more then like since it never leaked before and now it is doing it the head gasket went when I overheated it

MineralGrey

I would say its either the thermo or the water pump, I had similar problem in a previous car but if it was the pump it would get hot pretty fast and you said its only when you get on it, try the thermostat first there only like 7-8 bucks, then go from there, if it was your radiator I believe it would be leaking you should check your parking spot in the morning for a leak.Might be a headgasket depending on how many miles and how bad its been beaten on its a 98 so you never now but start cheap then work your way up, mechanics want to make money, How could he know over the phone? He has to see it.