This is my first post to this forum. However, I've been a lurker for a while. I'm also a female and tired of feeling like I'm getting taken advantage of by mechanics. So I figured this was a good place to get some advice about my issue.
I own a '98 GP GT with about 132,000 miles on it. I had the whole upper / lower manifold and plenum replaced when the car had roughly 70,000 to 75,000 miles on it in 2004. What are the odds of having the LIM gasket go bad again now, even tho it's the aluminum one? I was told by my mechanic I had a possible LIM / head gasket leak the last time I had it in for service to get the MAF sensor replaced. So let me start at the beginning of my odyssey in October of last year to give you a better back story...
My low coolant light has been going on and off for as far back as I can remember so I've always been sure to keep tabs on my coolant levels. It started running slightly warmer than it should in October of last year so I took it in. They ran a pressure test and told me it was leaking from the elbows so had them both replaced. I went ahead and also had my upper and lower radiator hose replaced (the upper one had been collapsing) and a complete flush done. I was told then if it continued to run warm it might have a LIM leak. In early December my SES light came on so I took it in. They told me it needed a new thermostat which I had them replace. A couple weeks went by everything was fine, then right before Christmas I noticed a puddle of coolant under the front of my car so back to the shop it went. I was told my radiator had a leak in it and they replaced that along with a new radiator cap and a re-flush of the system. As I was pulling out of their driveway my low coolant light came on, so I went right back inside and told them. They double-checked to make sure everything was topped off, and told me I probably needed a new sensor they were notorious for going out. Well after all I'd spent so far I didn't have another $150.00 to give them to change it out so just kept checking my fluid levels from time to time. In February my SES light came on again. This time I was told it was running to lean, when was the last time I had the fuel filter changed? I couldn't remember so they changed it, fixed a vacuum leak and cleaned the injectors. Car ran wonderfully til about June when it started running hotter than normal while sitting in traffic. As soon as you would start moving again it would go back to normal. So back to the mechanic I went. They told me they couldn't find anything wrong except an air bubble, so they bled it. I was told these cars are prone to air bubbles if you add coolant into the radiator and don't bleed it. My hubby and I had been doing that when we thought it was a little low. So we figured problem fixed, and it was for about 6 weeks. I had to have it towed into the shop about a week and a half ago because it wouldn't start and when it did it wouldn't idle right, kept revving up and down on it's own like it was possessed, and smelled horribly of gas. I was told this time it was the MAF sensor. While they were working on it I wanted to them to check and see while it was still running extremely warm at idle. They ran a pressure test and could find nothing wrong except another air bubble that needed to be bled. They told me I probably had a LIM or head gasket leak causing the air. Fast forward to today I now have a small antifreeze leak under the passenger side front. It's not very big but now it's noticeable at least. Could this be the LIM again?
I've never allowed this car to overheat, and I know head gasket problems are rare in these motors. I had an oil change not too long ago, and was told everything looks fine. There is no smoke coming out the exhaust, and the coolant looks good to me. I just want to make sure I fix the right problem, I'm running out of money for all these repairs. Please help!
