So driving along in my 2007 g6 gxp with 3.6 motor in a little bit of traffic but not heavy for rush hour in Chicago. It's hot out as hell got the A/C on and the car decides to go crazy. Traction control light goes on, Check Engine light too, now the DIC is saying change oil soon, A/C is no longer blowing cold air, temp gauge is way high, never seen it that high. No way this car is overheating it's only got 38k on it. Has been well taken care of. I just changed the oil 3 or 4 weeks ago-Mobil 1. I get off the expressway because I'd rather be dead on a street than on the expressway. Temp guage keeps climbing, roll down the windows and turn the heater on. Now the temp guage light comes on, I'm planning to park the car in a mall parking lot a couple blocks from the expressway exit, but I'm not gonna make it. Temp guage is on the red line and a puff of white smoke comes out of the A/C. GREAT! shut her down in the left turn lane. Called insurance, don't have roadside. I will try to get her home in short bursts. Start her up and at the light waiting to turn left temp guage is in the red again already. Park in the mall parking lot, looks like I'm paying for a tow truck.
This car has been nothing but problems. We bought it new, serviced it at the dealership according to the schedule. There was a problem with the throttle body that they couldn't fix over the course of the first two years. We sued them and they settled for $6g. Now I'm looking at a major repair. Should be covered by powertrain right? Either way the car is worn out its welcome. I'm leaning toward a focus, maybe new but probably used.
Anyway, I'm guessing it's a head gasket from how it went down. any other ideas? talk me off the ledge?

Lost your AC and your over heating, check your belts

quote Originally posted by Scottzilla79: Temp guage is on the red line and a puff of white smoke comes out of the A/C.

White smoke came out of the A/C? That's a new one on me.

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Ron

Welcone. Glad to have you.

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I made that up now!

quote Originally posted by Scottzilla79: So driving along in my 2007 g6 gxp with 3.6 motor in a little bit of traffic but not heavy for rush hour in Chicago. It's hot out as hell got the A/C on and the car decides to go crazy. Traction control light goes on, Check Engine light too, now the DIC is saying change oil soon, A/C is no longer blowing cold air, temp gauge is way high, never seen it that high. No way this car is overheating it's only got 38k on it. Has been well taken care of. I just changed the oil 3 or 4 weeks ago-Mobil 1. I get off the expressway because I'd rather be dead on a street than on the expressway. Temp guage keeps climbing, roll down the windows and turn the heater on. Now the temp guage light comes on, I'm planning to park the car in a mall parking lot a couple blocks from the expressway exit, but I'm not gonna make it. Temp guage is on the red line and a puff of white smoke comes out of the A/C. GREAT! shut her down in the left turn lane. Called insurance, don't have roadside. I will try to get her home in short bursts. Start her up and at the light waiting to turn left temp guage is in the red again already. Park in the mall parking lot, looks like I'm paying for a tow truck. This car has been nothing but problems. We bought it new, serviced it at the dealership according to the schedule. There was a problem with the throttle body that they couldn't fix over the course of the first two years. We sued them and they settled for $6g. Now I'm looking at a major repair. Should be covered by powertrain right? Either way the car is worn out its welcome. I'm leaning toward a focus, maybe new but probably used. Anyway, I'm guessing it's a head gasket from how it went down. any other ideas? talk me off the ledge?

The last couple of years of GM cars leading up to the bankruptcy have been pretty dismal. I hope it works out for you. I had a lot of issues with my Solstice. Overall it was a great car. Powertrain and suspension was solid, but everything else broke... even the rear window delaminated from the convertible top. They said they wanted like 6 grand to replace the top, I fixed it for $30 bucks using an old TSB to re-seal the rear window with the OEM sealant.

It was one thing after another...

I ended up switching to Ford... I've got two older Fords, both 2002s, and I've been VERY happy with them so far. They have their own little fininky things, but they're otherwise VERY solid vehicles.

Welcome to the family.
Have been in love with the Fusion since 06 and the Mustang has never given me a problem

quote Originally posted by blackrams: White smoke came out of the A/C? That's a new one on me.

Steam from engine compartment.

Wow that sucks. I blew a heater hose, 3 lights to get to a gas station, the engine was crazy hot. Did not seem to do any long term damage.
Did you take it back home? Give it a look yet? Might be something simple.

No way this car is overheating it's only got 38k on it.
That's got to be the funniest sentence I've read in a long time. How often do you take off the radiator cap and see the fluid level? And, taking it to the dealer? You got to be sideways to go there. The poor mechanic at the dealer probably makes 20,000 a year for diagnosing problems a rocket scientist couldn't figure out, how hard do you think he's going to work on your car, how much loyalty does he have for his employer? Find a real shop you can trust, someone who will open your radiator cap when he sees you knowing You've never done it since you owned the car. Stupid car, running out of water after 10 years, and like they want me to open that f-n stupid silver cap.
I've said it here and I'll say it again" that kind of talk only works with your drinking buddies". When you say it to people who work on cars all day, everyday.

You definately should buy a Ford. They have finally hired the right team (other than the SVT guys) to permanently make cars with more power under the hood. I remember the days of Ford releasing new Mustangs with 265hp while Chevy was putting out 400hp. You used to have to supercharge and modify the Fords just to catch up to the stock Chevy power. Now Ford really stepped up their design game and are making kick ass cars while GM is still making the same old crappy cookie-cutter vehicles like Corvettes, trucks, and vans. Nothing worthwile in their arsenal any more.

quote Originally posted by FriendGregory: Steam from engine compartment. Wow that sucks. I blew a heater hose, 3 lights to get to a gas station, the engine was crazy hot. Did not seem to do any long term damage. Did you take it back home? Give it a look yet? Might be something simple.

Yeah I was thinking either blown coolant hose, belt, water pump or blown heater core.

Really it could be alot of things. My freind had his car overheat on him, 69 Camaro. Ended up that one of the metal fan blades sheered off and busted a coolant hose.

Welcome! I'm sure any Ford you buy will treat you well.

quote Originally posted by Kekipi: No way this car is overheating it's only got 38k on it. That's got to be the funniest sentence I've read in a long time. How often do you take off the radiator cap and see the fluid level? And, taking it to the dealer? You got to be sideways to go there. The poor mechanic at the dealer probably makes 20,000 a year for diagnosing problems a rocket scientist couldn't figure out, how hard do you think he's going to work on your car, how much loyalty does he have for his employer? Find a real shop you can trust, someone who will open your radiator cap when he sees you knowing You've never done it since you owned the car. Stupid car, running out of water after 10 years, and like they want me to open that f-n stupid silver cap. I've said it here and I'll say it again" that kind of talk only works with your drinking buddies". When you say it to people who work on cars all day, everyday.

Wow aren't you helpful. Thanks for assuming I'm some sort of idiot, and playing the role of big internet genius.
I do check fluids, tire pressure even check my lights are all operating when I'm getting gas.. There was coolant in the tank.
I don't see what is so funny about expecting a car to not blow up when you paid close to 30 grand for it, and have maintained it. And if you read the whole post, I have taken this car in over a dozen times-- not an exaggeration!, sued GM and they paid me out $6k. Car left us stuck in limp home mode 4 or 5 times. All because of a throttle body connection that was loose that the assholes couldn't figure out. Does GM just pay anyone thousands of dollars for nothing?
Took it to the dealer because it is still under powertrain warranty. This information is also in my original post.
And some shop you trust? that makes a lot of sense, I'll just TRUST my mechanic. Sure TRUST you're accountant too. That will get you to good places. I know people who TRUST their mechanics, they always say that when they're telling you how the guy had been screwing them for years.
You must have lots of friends!

intake or head gasket? Is it really overheating or are the guages off because of an electrical issue?

<Kekipi> "You should have taken the train"

quote Originally posted by Kekipi: No way this car is overheating it's only got 38k on it. That's got to be the funniest sentence I've read in a long time. How often do you take off the radiator cap and see the fluid level? And, taking it to the dealer? You got to be sideways to go there. The poor mechanic at the dealer probably makes 20,000 a year for diagnosing problems a rocket scientist couldn't figure out, how hard do you think he's going to work on your car, how much loyalty does he have for his employer? Find a real shop you can trust, someone who will open your radiator cap when he sees you knowing You've never done it since you owned the car. Stupid car, running out of water after 10 years, and like they want me to open that f-n stupid silver cap. I've said it here and I'll say it again" that kind of talk only works with your drinking buddies". When you say it to people who work on cars all day, everyday.

His car is barely 4 years old... it only has 38k miles... this isn't the 60s and 70s anymore.

You don't need to check the coolant level anymore, because they are completely sealed units under major pressure when running. Many of these cars are not expected to have their coolant changed before 150,000 miles. Of course, I always change it regularly anyway.

quote Originally posted by Scottzilla79: I know people who TRUST their mechanics, they always say that when they're telling you how the guy had been screwing them for years.

You know, as a vehicle ages it will need more and more repairs. Doesn't matter who built it. Have you popped the hood to see if the belt is still on?

You know something I find amazing is that we expect our cars to last 100,000 miles without ever having ANY problems now.

Anyone ever hear of a defective part?

Having worked at a GM factory I was given a car a month, at least if not one a week to take home. As were many other repairmen and women. I can tell you stories of parts failing before they ever left the assembly line.
Tires blowing out on the way home with are car with less than 10 miles on it.
Hoses blowing,
Batteries exploding,
Belts braking,
It happens, to every manufacturer. Even Toilettota, and all the rest.
Having a heater core fail is not unusual as well, all it takes is bad solder in the case of a copper core. Plastic failing in the case of a plastic one.

I read somewhere that a car, the average car has somewhere around 20,000 MOVING parts. Think about that, 20,000 MOVING PARTS. All it takes is a defect in anyone of those, a minor defect for any of those parts to fail. They can be moving at many thousand revolutions per min, many even 10’s of thousands of times per min.

Asked to start at any where from -20 below zero. To 100+ degrees above zero. In a matter of min. and run flawlessly.

You are driving a 5 year old car, it is not brand new. Things fail with age, hell I can’t get a DVD player to last a year before I start having trouble with it. I have 3 right now that are shot for one reason or another. I just had to go buy a new one yesterday because one I got for Christmas just died. Looked at the back and the manufacturing date was 10/10 so it is lass than a year old.

Get over it.

Maybe you should have bought a Toilettota, 200 mph and no brakes, brand new.

Steve
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Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.

Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 07-20-2011).]

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: You know something I find amazing is that we expect our cars to last 100,000 miles without ever having ANY problems now. Anyone ever hear of a defective part?... Steve

If I am going to spend $25,000 or more on a car it **** well better be perfect. If it's not it needs to be taken car of by the dealer at their expense. It also needs to be a positive experience for me otherwise I'll just buy a used car that I have no expectations of.

quote Originally posted by RACE: If I am going to spend $25,000 or more on a car it **** well better be perfect. If it's not it needs to be taken car of by the dealer at their expense. It also needs to be a positive experience for me otherwise I'll just buy a used car that I have no expectations of.

And I have to wonder with our Global economy and all the parts that are in a new car just how many were made in China?

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.

Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: You know something I find amazing is that we expect our cars to last 100,000 miles without ever having ANY problems now. Anyone ever hear of a defective part? Having worked at a GM factory I was given a car a month, at least if not one a week to take home. As were many other repairmen and women. I can tell you stories of parts failing before they ever left the assembly line. Tires blowing out on the way home with are car with less than 10 miles on it. Hoses blowing, Batteries exploding, Belts braking, It happens, to every manufacturer. Even Toilettota, and all the rest. Having a heater core fail is not unusual as well, all it takes is bad solder in the case of a copper core. Plastic failing in the case of a plastic one. I read somewhere that a car, the average car has somewhere around 20,000 MOVING parts. Think about that, 20,000 MOVING PARTS. All it takes is a defect in anyone of those, a minor defect for any of those parts to fail. They can be moving at many thousand revolutions per min, many even 10’s of thousands of times per min. Asked to start at any where from -20 below zero. To 100+ degrees above zero. In a matter of min. and run flawlessly. You are driving a 5 year old car, it is not brand new. Things fail with age, hell I can’t get a DVD player to last a year before I start having trouble with it. I have 3 right now that are shot for one reason or another. I just had to go buy a new one yesterday because one I got for Christmas just died. Looked at the back and the manufacturing date was 10/10 so it is lass than a year old. Get over it. Maybe you should have bought a Toilettota, 200 mph and no brakes, brand new. Steve

Steve... we expect cars to last like that now because they can. Even cars from the 70s, if built with quality parts, can also last forever. Aside from general maintenance, most vehicles SHOULD last 100k miles. They're specifically built to last that long. Most cars don't require changing the plugs for 100k miles, and even now, you don't really need to change the oil for less than 5,000 miles.

We're all alike here, most of us all work on our own cars, repair then, and maintain them. But well-built newer cars don't require constant maintenance. Expecting less from a car company isn't being realistic, it's just being wasteful.

My first and last brand new vehicle was my Pontiac Solstice, and when you spend that kind of money for a brand new car, you expect it to give you a certain level of service. I don't want to jinx myself, but my 2002 Ford Crown Victoria, and my 2002 Ford Explorer Sport both have over 50k miles on them now, and they both have been flawless. I've changed out the coolant on both cars, and I've changed out the transmission fluid on both cars. I've also changed the oil regularly, and only recently changed out the original battery on my Crown Victoria (after 9 years, it still worked fine). But I haven't had to do any repairs on the Crown Victoria, and the ONLY repair I've had to do on the Ford Explorer, was change out the rear shocks because they were starting to go, and I had to change out the anti-sway bar bushings.

That's what I expect from a car... and that's what everyone else should expect too.

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: Steve... we expect cars to last like that now because they can. Even cars from the 70s, if built with quality parts, can also last forever. Aside from general maintenance, most vehicles SHOULD last 100k miles. They're specifically built to last that long. Most cars don't require changing the plugs for 100k miles, and even now, you don't really need to change the oil for less than 5,000 miles. We're all alike here, most of us all work on our own cars, repair then, and maintain them. But well-built newer cars don't require constant maintenance. Expecting less from a car company isn't being realistic, it's just being wasteful. My first and last brand new vehicle was my Pontiac Solstice, and when you spend that kind of money for a brand new car, you expect it to give you a certain level of service. I don't want to jinx myself, but my 2002 Ford Crown Victoria, and my 2002 Ford Explorer Sport both have over 50k miles on them now, and they both have been flawless. I've changed out the coolant on both cars, and I've changed out the transmission fluid on both cars. I've also changed the oil regularly, and only recently changed out the original battery on my Crown Victoria (after 9 years, it still worked fine). But I haven't had to do any repairs on the Crown Victoria, and the ONLY repair I've had to do on the Ford Explorer, was change out the rear shocks because they were starting to go, and I had to change out the anti-sway bar bushings. That's what I expect from a car... and that's what everyone else should expect too.

And have you owned them for 5 years yet? A new car is only new for a very, very short time. You can expect anything you like but reality is not quite what any of us expect.

What about all my new DVD players that don’t work a year?

Steve

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Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.

Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

I'd say an isolated need for a repair on a car of that age could be expected and not made to be a big deal.

However, it sounds like the OP has had a history of problems, going so far as to have to take legal action to get the car fixed. This car almost sounds like a lemon.

If I had a history of problems with a 4 year old car with 38K miles on it, I too would be mad and vowing to never buy that brand again. I have had cars that have been trouble free for 100K miles, and that have been a disater of repairs by 10K miles. One lemon does not mean the manufacturer is bad, but if the lemon burns me, then I am not likely to go back to the brand anytime soon. It is why I won't buy Ford (got burned bad from a 97 Probe that by 40K miles that had a long history of failing parts, worst of all being a transmission that would burn out it's bearings every 10K miles).


As for the OP's problem... Maybe the belt tensioner is going bad. Smoke/steam through the AC ducts could be smoke from a stuck pully or belt slipping being sucked into the cabin somewhere. Would also explain intermittent AC performance and overheating.

As far as the gauges going haywire. I had an old ford van that would happen to periodically. Engine was never really overheating. It was a bad wire, ground I think.

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.

Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

hmmm....the wheel bearing failed. this causes a failure of the wheel speed sensor, which fails the traction control. bearing grease somehow finds its way on the main seprentine belt. it slips, heats up & breaks. that kills the cooling system, the A/C & the Alternator, which triggers the Check Engine light. The overheated oil breaks down triggering the Change Oil warning.

just trying to imagine a wylie coyote cascade failure

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: And have you owned them for 5 years yet? A new car is only new for a very, very short time. You can expect anything you like but reality is not quite what any of us expect. What about all my new DVD players that don’t work a year? Steve

My Solstice I bought new in December of 2005. I sold it in May of 2009. SO I had it for basically 4 years, and it started falling apart immediately.

My 2002 Crown Victoria, I inherited from my grandfather in 2004. I got it with 10k miles on it, and put 40k miles on it myself. I've personally owned it now for 7 years, going on 8. It's never needed ANYTHING... except a new battery after 9 years, and new windshield wipers.


Are you telling me that I shouldn't expect reliability when I buy a new car? Steve, you should get yourself into a 1-10 year old Ford... you'll be very impressed.

quote Originally posted by Fformula88: It is why I won't buy Ford (got burned bad from a 97 Probe that by 40K miles that had a long history of failing parts, worst of all being a transmission that would burn out it's bearings every 10K miles).

I won't say that all Fords are perfect now... but over the past 10 years, their quality has drasticallly improved. Most vehicles in the mid to late 90s were crap in America... but Ford has come a LONG LONG way since then. I'd say that most of their cars through the 2000s up to present, have been spectacular. They have rated in the top-3 most reliable brands as of the past few years...

It is worth mentioning though that a Ford Probe is really a Mazda MX-6. It's built off of the Mazda "G" platform. The front wheel drive layout is also Mazda (transmission and everything) and the engine is also actually a Mazda engine, not the venerable 2.3 liter Ford motor. Everything about it is Mazda, except the Ford logos.

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: What about all my new DVD players that don’t work a year?

I've actually never had a DVD player fail on me, and I've had dozens of them. I understand your point... but I refuse to believe that we should merely "expect" that products won't last after the warranty runs out. I don't like to buy crap... and I've been VERY pleased with modern Fords. They rank in the top 3 spots for nearly every category. Almost all of their cars are in the top 3 of something. Their Fusion has more awards than they have room to display them...

[This message has been edited by 82-T/A [At Work] (edited 07-20-2011).]

quote Originally posted by Fformula88: I have had cars that have been trouble free for 100K miles, and that have been a disater of repairs by 10K miles. One lemon does not mean the manufacturer is bad, but if the lemon burns me, then I am not likely to go back to the brand anytime soon. It is why I won't buy Ford (got burned bad from a 97 Probe that by 40K miles that had a long history of failing parts, worst of all being a transmission that would burn out it's bearings every 10K miles).

I agree; the OP has a lemon. I've got a similar GM of similar age and its been trouble free for 110K miles. Its a great little car.

Like Fformula88, I'll never buy another Ford. In my case, it was the Taurus my dad bought after he retired (unfortunately at my recommendation). It ate transmissions like they were sandwiches, it was full of electrical glitches and the HVAC and rear suspension sucked. Never again.

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: I've actually never had a DVD player fail on me, and I've had dozens of them. I understand your point... but I refuse to believe that we should merely "expect" that products won't last after the warranty runs out. I don't like to buy crap... and I've been VERY pleased with modern Fords. They rank in the top 3 spots for nearly every category. Almost all of their cars are in the top 3 of something. Their Fusion has more awards than they have room to display them...

I said we can expect anything we want but reality is something else and something as complicated as a new car with as many moving parts as they have it is hard for you to never have problems.


Now as far as those DVD players go, maybe you don’t use yours as much as mine. Like I put 20,000 miles on a car a year when I was working construction. But now only put like 2,000 a year on all three vehicles combined. Using that as an example. You may only watch a few movies a week if that. Amanda watches movies sometimes all day long. She will get into one movie and watch nothing else for weeks. I bet ours are run at least 4 hours a day, minimum. Sometimes she will watch the same movie over and over again all day long.

I am not saying we shouldn’t expect a car to last. But minor problems are not something that should put one person off on a whole brand. It is the luck of the draw. One person can have a trouble free car for 200,000 miles and another can have the same vehicle and not get it home without having a problem.

Every manufacturer can and does make lemons. Everyone.

And as of right now we don’t even know what the problem is with this one the OP has now do we? We are just guessing. He hasn’t looked uder the hood yet, and it has been over 24 hours and he hasn’t even opened the hood yet. So we really don’t know what happened yet do we? It could be as simple as the serpentine belt went. Couldn’t it?

Steve

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Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.

Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 07-20-2011).]

I will say that my 86 fiero has not had any problem in the 99 deg heat here, but I do have an 09 focus and I must say that I love that little car. Gives me 35mpg all day pulling AC, and aside from the sync losing its mind once I have not had one problem with the car.

I am sold on ford products.

quote Originally posted by Uaana: <Kekipi> "You should have taken the train"

No kidding.

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: ...... And as of right now we don’t even know what the problem is with this one the OP has now do we? We are just guessing. He hasn’t looked uder the hood yet, and it has been over 24 hours and he hasn’t even opened the hood yet. So we really don’t know what happened yet do we? It could be as simple as the serpentine belt went. Couldn’t it? Steve

exactly. he doesn't sound like a mechanicly inclined individual. boycotting an entire brand based on a serpentine belt. maybe boycotting Dayco would be more accurate. but - whatcha gonna drive? motocycle?

quote Originally posted by Scottzilla79: Wow aren't you helpful. Thanks for assuming I'm some sort of idiot, and playing the role of big internet genius. I do check fluids, tire pressure even check my lights are all operating when I'm getting gas.. There was coolant in the tank. I don't see what is so funny about expecting a car to not blow up when you paid close to 30 grand for it, and have maintained it. And if you read the whole post, I have taken this car in over a dozen times-- not an exaggeration!, sued GM and they paid me out $6k. Car left us stuck in limp home mode 4 or 5 times. All because of a throttle body connection that was loose that the assholes couldn't figure out. Does GM just pay anyone thousands of dollars for nothing? Took it to the dealer because it is still under powertrain warranty. This information is also in my original post. And some shop you trust? that makes a lot of sense, I'll just TRUST my mechanic. Sure TRUST you're accountant too. That will get you to good places. I know people who TRUST their mechanics, they always say that when they're telling you how the guy had been screwing them for years. You must have lots of friends!

OK, I'm no Internet genius, I'm not a auto repair genius I just know a few of the basics. If you don't want to know the inner workings of your car that's OK too, makes me more money but, I have something built in me that forces me to help people. Sometimes I'm sarcastic, trying to drum into people to check the radiator not the (TANK) yes the overflow tank that has absolutely nothing to do with how much coolant is in the coolant system. And No, most people don't periodically check the fluids, including my wife. Sorry if I offended you but you offended me with the F car remark.

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: It is worth mentioning though that a Ford Probe is really a Mazda MX-6. It's built off of the Mazda "G" platform. The front wheel drive layout is also Mazda (transmission and everything) and the engine is also actually a Mazda engine, not the venerable 2.3 liter Ford motor. Everything about it is Mazda, except the Ford logos.

True mostly, but the tranny in this Probe was a Ford designed and manufactured CD4E-4 speed automatic. It was mated to a Mazda 2.0L 4 banger, but the tranny itself was Ford. The tranmission first was used in Probes for the '94 model year, superceding Mazda's G4A-EL automatic and continued through the end of production in 1997. It remained in use by Ford through 2007 (also used in the Ford Contour and Escape, Mercury Cougar 99-02, some models of the European Mondeo They were manufactured in Ford's Batavia transmission plant. They also became notorious for early failures.


I did have a 91 Probe with the G4A-EL (called I think 4EAT by Ford) transmission too. Had no problems with that tranny, and that particular car was like a tank. Had I kept it, I bet I would have owned and driven it farther than the 97, and saved about $10K.

[This message has been edited by Fformula88 (edited 07-20-2011).]

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: His car is barely 4 years old... it only has 38k miles... this isn't the 60s and 70s anymore. You don't need to check the coolant level anymore, because they are completely sealed units under major pressure when running. Many of these cars are not expected to have their coolant changed before 150,000 miles. Of course, I always change it regularly anyway.

WHAT? You can't be serious. If you are than expect to put an engine in for a repair instead of that made in china water pump or made in indonesia radiator. The car manufacture wants you to believe those mile figures so when catastrophe happens you will buy another one from them.

quote Originally posted by Kekipi: I don't mean to get into a war with you and I'm not there to see things for my self but the scenario possibly goes this way. The radiator cap fails allowing coolant to properly exit into the reservoir but not allowing it to return back during the cool down cycle. Every day you drive, the coolant level is less and less causing less efficient heat transfer. Eventually the pressure is so high that the weakest link goes. It could have been a hose but maybe the guy at the shop changed them so the heater core that sits in a damp dark area, heat and cold cycles and BAM white smoke in the drivers compartment. Now that sounds a lot more interesting to me than " I was driving down the road in my $30,000 car that shouldn't fail at all because It's only 5 years old story". I hope you love your Ford.

Right, except do they still use Radiator caps? My 96 Grand Am didn't have one, just a tank to look at. Everything else was sealed.

I Googled 06 gxp engine and I don't see anything that resembles a radiator cap.


Do you know how the GM's high pressure system works?

Brad

quote Originally posted by twofatguys: Right, except do they still use Radiator caps? My 96 Grand Am didn't have one, just a tank to look at. Everything else was sealed. I Googled 06 gxp engine and I don't see anything that resembles a radiator cap. Do you know how the GM's high pressure system works? Brad

well that's the Grand Prix GXP motor there (which is what I've got...)

You can see what is now called a 'pressure cap' on the mid lower left. It grants access to the cooling system, but is not on the radiator.
I am not sure what the G6 GXP has... I imagine something similar.

BTW... I started suffering heat trouble early in the life of my LS4. Found sludge in the coolant overflow. I blamed Dex-Cool. Had the dealership flush, dump, purge, and wash out the coolant system after 1.5 years of ownership... and put in a new load of DexDirt (around 35k). At 50k, and 1 year later... I had orange rocks and mud in the overflow. I was so irritated. I purged the system and all heater lines with a heavy cleaner and went back in with good old glycol.

Never had an issue since.

Not saying its Dex-Death to blame... but it did cost GM millions in class action lawsuits for eating intake manifold gaskets... and I love to rail against the orange angst.

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<---- did you buy Cliff a beer?

quote Originally posted by Kekipi: WHAT? You can't be serious. If you are than expect to put an engine in for a repair instead of that made in china water pump or made in indonesia radiator. The car manufacture wants you to believe those mile figures so when catastrophe happens you will buy another one from them.

Well, if you read the next sentence, you'd see that I've already changed out the coolant in both my cars already, and they only have 50k miles. That's me... but I know that with most modern cars now, they don't expect you to change out the fluid for 150k miles... and I know many people who do not. I treat my cars as if I expect it to be the last car I ever buy... but that's just me.

I'm planning on swapping out my spark plugs next change I get, and my cars only have 50k miles on them... but again, that's just me... most people with modern cars never change the spark plugs.

This isn't the early 70s anymore... the engines are more efficient and you don't need to adjust the points, adjust the secondaries and choke on the carburetor, etc... to make sure you have a properly running engine.


That said, if you built the 70s cars using today's tolerances and today's quality metalurgy... you'd have a bullet-proof car. A Cutlass with an Oldsmobile Rocket 350 or 455 built just as it is now, but with better quality parts, no pot metal anywhere... the car would be amazing...