Exhaust Question
 

Recently while driving, I noticed my air conditioning wasn't working too great so I decided to pull over and check the coolant. What I noticed was that my coolant was bubbling and it seemed a little low. I had some in my trunk so I kept filling it...and it would eat some of it up and continue to bubble. I kept adding coolant until it stopped bubbling and the car ran fine. Now, when I start my car sometimes, exhaust smoke comes out and it continues to come out for at least a couple of minutes (which Im pretty sure is longer than it should).

Anyone know of any specific problems I might have, or if there is any real problem?

Any help would be greatly appreciated :cool:

-Jared

Head Gasket :(

WATCH the coolant level very closely.

Does the "smoke" coming from the exhaust have a sweet smell to it, like that of antifreeze??

Hey- I didnt get a chance to really smell the smoke...but I dont think it smelled sweet.

BTW, after eating all that coolant, a small amount of it did leak I believe.

Sorry to scare ya, but the two symptoms you desribed both go to HG.

now... the SVX does "smoke" out the exhaust more than most cars when it is running normal and there are many places for the coolant to leak... Can you describe the bubbling you saw when you pulled the cap.

Also I at first thought the bubbling you saw was in the radiator? Reading your post again, I'm guessing you mean the coolant tank behind the battery?

Just keep an eye on your temp gauge at all times any jumps up or down, and you need to stop and check the level.

Sorry- to clarify yes the coolant was bubbling in the coolant tank behind the battery. I mean the actual coolant itself was bubbling (small bubbles, and I could tell the liquid was hot).

hE
 

Head Gasket.
sorry.
:(

When the car is cool. Pop the rad cap and fill it with coolant. If the bubbling continues, I am going to have to agree it is a head gasket. Right now it could just be the excess air escaping from your cooling system. Just wondering why you would check the coolant level if your AC was not working properly?? Just check it out and get back to us

Tom

The AC shuts down when the engine temp goes over a centain point. I found this out when my 1st head gasket went south. 50,000 miles after I had that one replaced it went away again. I managed to hold off repairs and additional damage by slicing a V in my radiator cap to allow the exhaust leak gasses to escape into the over flow instead of super heating the coolant and blowing coolant out of the tank.

Not exactly a good idea. If the combustion gases are leaking into the coolant the coolant may be leaking into the oil.... Plus the extra pressure/temperature/unfriendly gases in the coolant can be cause for the radiator/radiator tank/heater core/hoses to go south. (extra pressure can occur when the problem increases to the point that the rad cap can't keep up with dumping combustion gases.)

I forgot to mention (just remembered) that the cap on the coolant tank behind the battery wasnt set on properly...perhaps some air got in. The coolant doesnt seem to be bubbling anymore, and the levels in my radiator cap are staying consistent. any thoughts?

sounds like u need a new rad cap. It probly let air in when cooling down and pushed it out with a vengance when I heated up

Tom

You are correct, It's not a good idea but it bought me time and prevented a complete meltdown that would have left me stranded on the road. The oil was not compromised.