On my radiator, about an inch down from the cap on the inside of the engine bay has "bubbling" when the car is running. The bubbling line is maybe 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. It doesn't leak and pour out like water running down a window, it bubbles. Is it best to use some radiator crack sealant or what is best? Its a 91 corolla 5 speed 1.6. Another silly question but I shall ask. I don't know if its even possible, but if your driving along and your radiator were to crack while your driving, if its possible, what color would the smoke be? I just did a head gasket but the old one didn't seem to be damaged, now I'm wondering if maybe it was the radiator that cracked, causing a big puff of white smoke out the tail pipe that went on for about a mile or so and slowly died down. That may have been why there was no water in the radiator when I looked at it and also why the heat gauge went up. But would a a crack like this cause this much trouble? I haven't expeinced any radiator problems before.
Your radiator IS leaking..... just not really at idle. When driving (and the engine is running at higher speeds than idle), the pressure in the cooling system increases. Then, coolant is forced out of the crack.
As for the "smoke".... it would be white.... just as you experienced. DON'T drive the car that way. Engine damage from overheating occurs very quickly. It is a fact of life that, sooner or later, every radiator will fail. Best to replace the rad. You could try sealant....but that is usually only good for a temporary fix.
first buy a new cap, they are cheap and it could be your only problem. if not have someone hit the gas and look for the leak, if its no in a hose I recommend you replace it. very easy to do.
Burning coolant smells sweet and kinda gross, but also burns white smoke. One big sign of a blown head gasket is white smoke out the exhaust pipe, and/or overheating of course. Keep an eye on your temp gauge. It doesn't take much overheating to ruin the aluminum heads. :p
Prehaps that was the white smoke as I was driving down the road. Maybe it wasn't the head gasket, but rather than crack in the radiator. Cause when I got to look at it, most of the antifreeze and water had been burned off, which caused the overheating.
The leak and loss of antifreeze from the radiator lead to the overheating (and failure of head gasket) and the smoke out the exhaust. The temp gauge should have indicated an overheat and continued driving could have totally cooked engine. That radiator needs to be replaced along with antifreeze and thermostat to prevent any future damage. That temp gauge should never stray from the midway point when fully warmed up.
if its a stock plastic tanked radiator, its time to change it. Its lifespan just ended.
As for the temp gauge, toyotas temp gauge doesnt really work too well especially when the antifreeze has leaked out and theres air in the system. I blew a head gasket running without coolant and the temp gauge was at half way, so dont trust it too much.
Haha dont ever get a used one, just get a new one, they shouldn't be too expensive if you look around. Maybe $100 at most? And yeah my temp gauge even in the summer never even gets to the half way mark. These engines usually stay really cool if properly taken care of, but if you got a leak and start loosing coolant, that can cause damage on any engine.
I would get it tested for hydrocarbons in the coolant (exhaust gases) and make sure you dont have a blown head gasket first, because if you do, that should be your first thing to be fixed, and a radiator at the same time as well.
You dont wanna put a new radiator in then possibly fill it up with coolant/engine oil/exhaust gases. Might be a little costly, but needs to be done otherwise you could end up causing real engine damage that will cost you a lot more in the end.
A radiator from a junkyard wouldn't be any more structurally sound than the one in there now. You may be able to find a radiator repair shop that could fix the one you have but probably not much cheaper than buying a new one which is the best solution.
A radiator shop wouldnt touch it, if the plastics are leaking, they'd have to replace the tanks and thats expensive compared to just getting a new one.
Should I go to Toyota to get one? Autozone and Advanced Auto both never impress me but that might be my only option unless there is any other suggestions?
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