98 Corolla overheated and now it won't start

[dragndrop]

Hey guys, I'm hoping some wise car owner can give me some advice here.

My car was low on antifreeze and it about 30F when I was driving it on the freeway - stupid, but hindsight is 20/20. It overheated and the car shut down completely as I was exiting. The check engine light is on and now when I turn the key, the temperature gauge automatically goes above the red and the engine turns over, but it won't start.

Is it a problem with the thermostat keeping the car from starting or do I have to spend $1000 to get the engine head opened?

[Zembonez]

Much depends on how hot the engine got and what was damaged. It needs to be looked at by a knowledgeable mechanic.

[leakyseals]

Question is why was it low on coolant, and where did it go? Check the oil, and under the oil filler cap. See anything unusual?

[dragndrop]

I think my mechanic just flushed out a lot of it when he was diagnosing a clogged heater coil. I was just too slow to replace it. I don't know much about cars, but the mechanic is now saying that there's a problem with the transmisison and that's going to cost $1500 to fix :/

Can you guys think of some tests I can do to check for myself?
As soon as I turn the key into the A/C position, the temperature gauge spikes above the red. It would be fantastic if it was just a faulty sensor or something.

[sam333]

If the engine is cold( not been running) and the temp gauge goes right to hot when you turn the key , then your temp sensor, gauge or wiring is shorted out. Why it won't start is anybody's guess( could be anything from severe damage due to overheating or electrical problems). Definitely get a new mechanic , he sounds like an idiot.

[WTFseabass]

why would you drive your car without anti freezer? dont you check it regularly? its 28f here were im at but i still check it every now and then

[fishexpo101]

When you say the car overheated and it shut down - what exactly do you mean there?
When you say the cooling system was low - how low was is, bone dry, 1/2 capacity, just a hair low?
Did the engine automatically shut itself off, or did you shut it down when it pegged the temps?
When it cranks over, does it crank the same as it did before or does it crank slower/faster?

If the engine shut itself off, I'd look into doing a compression test before you do any more work on the car. If compression is gone - have to rebuild the engine. If compression is still there, then look into the usual causes for no start - fuel, ignition, ECM?

If this happened after the mechanic cracked open the cooling system - then you should have the mechanic eat the diagnostic charges and any work to be done. Any mechanic worth his/her salt, will always top off lost fluids during diagnostic or repair work - to not do so is just plain irresponsible and almost a surefire liability issue just for the safety.

[Umpatan]

I bought a 2002 Toyota Corolla and it has 247,400 kilometers on it. 8th Generation Corollas have a tendency to burn oil after 80k, and using Bahdols Stop Leak and Stop Burn into the engine should help. You can also use the liquid aluminum or copper radiator stop leaks as a preventative measure, but having said this, do not use the bars and leaks with the pellets as they will clog up your radiator unless you have a genuine leak already. With the preventative measure, I recommend you use a quarter bottle of the liquid aluminum or half the recommended dosage. The burning of the oil will not necessarily completely stop, but adding the stop leak and burn each oil change should mitigate the loss of oil. Another way to go about it is to use either Mr Lube or any service station that will give you unlimited top ups for the duration of the oil change, and use full synthetic castrol oil, as it is not recycled. This is just my two cents.

[Beekeeper2020]

If you over heated your engine and it won't start now.

That is bad news! Sound like you just destroyed your engine.

1. First check if the battery is good or not. If it is still good then it should be able to turn the engine over. If it can't turn the starter, then your engine has seized. It may not be worth it to fix it because it will drain your cash like a sink hole.

If you're not mechanical inclined, that car is a likely will be a part car.

If you're near me, I can give you free diagnose and tell you what is wrong.


Good luck!