A&Q about 350Z
Q:
my coolant light is on and i have to put in a liter of coolant every 2 weeks or so. Last time i took it to this shop, the mechanic told me that i would have to leave the car at the shop for him to check it out so he can find out the problem. He said it could take sometimes. I am wondering if they are going to charge me for finding out the problem? or are they going to find out the problem, then charge me to Fix the problem'?
A:
Look for a leak. Look for white smoke. Let us know what you find, and we can help you.
A:
One thing you could do is ask the shop what they will charge you for a diagnosis... That would get you facts and not speculation...
Sounds like a head gasket to me...
A:
btw, my car is a 96 escort lx 1.9
ok i just got back from the shop... I told them the coolant leaks and the check engine line came on. i left the car there for 2 hours and when i got back, they charged me 45 dolalrs canadian.
They said they checked the Engine code and said the cylinder 4 is misfiring. Also , they nocticed the spark plugs and wires are is good condition since i just changed them 6 months ago, they say that they dont know what the problem could be. They cleared the code and told me to keep on driving to see if the light came on. They say that everything seems normal because if its a sensor or something, the engine code would show.
As for the coolant leak, they said they did a Pressure test ont the system and it didnt drop so its good and they didnt see any leak. They told me the reason i keep on putting 1litre or so into the car every 2 weeks is because i been putting it in the Plastic bottle. They said the plastic bottle will drain it self if i put too much in when the pressure gets too high.
So my question is was 45 dollars a fair price because they didnt really help me do anything to solve my problem....also, can anyone think what the problem is?
Thanks X100!
I am so glad i would be charged for using this forum
A:
This sound like a simple fix. Try a new radiator cap. If it is not holding pressure it will cause the symptoms you describe. Good Luck.
A:
eh i still think ur head gasket is cracked antifreeze dont disappear into thin air do a lil research then ask around for a decent mechanic and get the thing fixed beofre u have nightmares
A:
I think your right. When i took my spark plug number 4 out, i could see that its a bit WET on the threads area and a thin white coating around the tip(like rusty stuffs) and it also smelled like wd-40. When i took out the other spark plugs its dry and no rusty white coating.
Should i change the head gasket my self or have it fix? how Hard is it to change it and how much will it cost to buy the material.
Also, please give me an estimate of how much does a shop charge for changing a head gasket.
My car is 1996 escort lx 2dr with 1.9 engine.
thanks again as always.
A:
With a bad cap it doesn't disappear, It gets pushed out the overflow tank. Then when the engine cools the coolant contracts and gets sucked back into the engine-minus what went out of the overflow.
The wet plug could be a bad sign. Here is the test: Start the car, remove the radiator cap. let the car get warm watch for bubbles. Bubbles mean blown head gasket. no bubbles mean you have a bad cap. The wet plug can be just gas and oil (not likely) Good Luck.