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#1
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1994 Buick Regal 3.8 - coolant leaking from intake gasket
My car is a 1994 Buick Regal Custom, 3800 V6, 240,000km (150k miles).
Since about 2 years, some coolant leaks from the intake gasket. At first I had to add some coolant once or twice a year, now I need to add a pint every 3-4 weeks. There is no trace of coolant in the engine oil. The cost to replace the gasket (with labour) is near 500$. Since my car's value is about 1000-1500$, I hesitate to have it fixed (and I wouldn't mind adding some coolant, even if it was every week). I plan to keep this car for about a year and a half, maximum. Now what should I do? Is there a high risk of having coolant in the engine oil in the next year if the problem gets worst? Should I try to add stop-leak, or would it clog the heater core (I live in Quebec and I need my heater to work in winter!) Or should I just check the coolant level every week and add some when needed? Thank you for your help!! |
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#2
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"Mathieu" > wrote in message oups.com... > Thank you for your help!! Perhaps you might consider replacing it yourself. You can do it for far far far under the $500 quoted (is that $ Canadian?). I pulled one down not long ago, and - if I still have the old gaskets - I might be able to make some photos available which could show you what may have happened. Will look, anyway. |
#3
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On 15 Jun 2005 07:16:00 -0700, "Mathieu" >
wrote: >My car is a 1994 Buick Regal Custom, 3800 V6, 240,000km (150k miles). > >Since about 2 years, some coolant leaks from the intake gasket. At >first I had to add some coolant once or twice a year, now I need to add >a pint every 3-4 weeks. There is no trace of coolant in the engine oil. Well you know the leak is getting worse as you are having to add more and more water. Question is how far away from a catastrophe are you. The leak will eventually get bad enough that water is going to hit the oil or, even worse. dump in to a cylinder while the engine is running. Since water isn't compressible a leak in to the cylinder pretty much wipes out the engine in one compression stroke. If you want to try a quick fix I would try the Barrs Leak that comes in tablets (ginger I believe) or you can get the ac/delco product from your nearest ac/delco parts house or Cadillac dealer. This product was required in every cadillac engine from the early 80's (4.1) until just recently (dropped a few years ago on the NorthStar). It seems to do ok sealing slow leaks and doesnt clog up the radiator or heater core as bad. I really wouldn't count on this helping you though as these products are made to prevent super slow leaks and it sounds like you are past that point. History says at 150k you are nearing the end of life on the transmission in that car and looking at a $1500 or more rebuild. Add $500 for the head gasket repair and you can probably go find yourself another one just like it with half the miles. If it were mine I might try the barrs leak tablets and just keep driving it until it dies or the leak grows to an unmanagable size. On the positive side if you do have it fixed and the engine has been well maintained you can get another 100k out of it pretty easily. Steve B. |
#4
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"Mathieu" > wrote in message oups.com... > My car is a 1994 Buick Regal Custom, 3800 V6, 240,000km (150k miles). > > Since about 2 years, some coolant leaks from the intake gasket. At > first I had to add some coolant once or twice a year, now I need to add > a pint every 3-4 weeks. There is no trace of coolant in the engine oil. > > The cost to replace the gasket (with labour) is near 500$. Since my > car's value is about 1000-1500$, I hesitate to have it fixed (and I > wouldn't mind adding some coolant, even if it was every week). I plan > to keep this car for about a year and a half, maximum. > > Now what should I do? > Sell it through the newspaper and use the money to finance a better car. This is the kind of problem that won't show up in a preinspection (not that many people buying a $1000 car will be spending the money on a preinspection) and if you get the engine compartment steam cleaned they probably won't notice the coolant leak. Whoever buys it will then be stuck with the problem. Since they most likely will be doing their own engine work, it will be par for the course for them for a $1000 used car. (not many people who don't do their own work are buying $1000 cars) > Is there a high risk of having coolant in the engine oil in the next > year if the problem gets worst? > Yes. Consider that the second the leak gets bad enough for the coolant to go into the oil, this $1000 car will suddenly become as unsaleable as a $10 car. Even the people who work on their own cars won't touch it then, because there is no way to know if the leak into the oil just happened, or has been going on for months. Ted |
#5
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"Steve B." > wrote in message ... > History says at 150k you are nearing the end of life on the > transmission in that car and looking at a $1500 or more rebuild. Add > $500 for the head gasket repair and you can probably go find yourself > another one just like it with half the miles. If it were mine I might > try the barrs leak tablets and just keep driving it until it dies or > the leak grows to an unmanagable size. On the positive side if you do > have it fixed and the engine has been well maintained you can get > another 100k out of it pretty easily. > > Steve B. Agreed this is a lot of mileage on this GM automatic. It is may not be a headgasket, I think, on this 3800 engine. He may be right that it is an intake manifold gasket. If so, it is not a difficult fix. |
#6
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On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 02:07:13 GMT, > wrote:
> >"Steve B." > wrote in message .. . > >> History says at 150k you are nearing the end of life on the >> transmission in that car and looking at a $1500 or more rebuild. Add >> $500 for the head gasket repair and you can probably go find yourself >> another one just like it with half the miles. If it were mine I might >> try the barrs leak tablets and just keep driving it until it dies or >> the leak grows to an unmanagable size. On the positive side if you do >> have it fixed and the engine has been well maintained you can get >> another 100k out of it pretty easily. >> >> Steve B. > >Agreed this is a lot of mileage on this GM automatic. It is may not be >a headgasket, I think, on this 3800 engine. He may be right that it is an >intake manifold gasket. If so, it is not a difficult fix. > > If it is jus an intake manifold gasket then it's a no brainer. I've got Chrysler 413's on the brain right now and didn't even consider water in the intake manifold. Fix that puppy! Steve B. |
#7
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Now don't you think steam cleaning the engine of a $1000 car is going to
throw up some flags to some people? It sure would me. Might be better to just clean up any direct signs of the problem and leave the engine dirty... "Ted Mittelstaedt" > wrote in message ... > This is the kind of problem that won't show up in a preinspection > (not that many people buying a $1000 car will be spending the > money on a preinspection) and if you get the engine compartment > steam cleaned they probably won't notice the coolant leak. |
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