Thread: losing antifreeze and exhaust fumes in overflow and idling ruff

Blown head gaskets are very rare on the 3800. Did it overheat?
What car is it?

If you pull the radiator cap off, do you see exhaust bubblining in there? The overflow may be tough to check for the smell because a downpipe leak may be close enough to smell. Also I wouldn't trust the smell of most overflows. Seeing it in the radiator, that I would trust.

So it is the 3800? This is so rare that we're going to wait until someone else chimes in 'cause I don't even know where to start.
How many miles are on it?

Yo Chuck...I chimed

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

Yo Chuck...I chimed

Good thing, thanks

I'd start with the LIM gaskets anyway. I just had to do the LIM on my sons 2003 Impala that he just got two weeks ago from his grandma. it only has 43000 miles on it.

Bill, would a compression test help here even if it's a small leak?

Put in general until we know which motor it has.

No it's not that hard. I had my sons car done in less than three hours. And put a new coolant elbow in too, they get brittle.

Well you could sell me a 3800 with 200 miles on it and i'd still do the aluminum LIM right then.

Really...I'd look to see if it had aluminum gaskets first.

I'd start by taking off the rad cap and bringing it up to temp. Look for bubbles in the radiator. It's the single easiest HG test you can do, and pretty damn accurate too. LIM gaskets might consume some coolant, but it's not typically much at all. Now..since you say 3800 S2 and not saying supercharged, I can toss this at you to check. This is one of the most common issues with a non charged 3800 using coolant.
http://www.grandprixforums.net/97-03...ure-60667.html

It would be relatively cheap to pull the upper, drill and plug the LIM (even on the car. Then keep on motoring til the engine finally blows. Plugging into in this thread
http://www.grandprixforums.net/how-mod-lim-46931.html

Is plugging really a good thing on the motor, not really. You can get some metal shavings in the coolant. Likely it won't hurt a thing though. I would do it in the case you are describing.

I see what your saying with the UIM but that would have to be one heck of a hole in the plastic manifold to get that much exhaust in the cooling system. Possible though.

Mine had a pinhole or two but there wasn't even any bubbles in the rad. It was just using coolant...had to refill every two or three days.

If it is the UIM I want to see a picture of it.

Chuck..no amount of hole would get exhaust in rad. In case he's incorrectly diagnosing the exhaust in teh coolant and he's just loosing, then this applies. I suggest testing and looking to confirm first.

Wouldn't you like to do even less and drive it a crapload of miles for nearly nothing? =0) I would.