Help!

[kellinator]

Do any of you Atlanta-area people know anything about cars? My engine's overheated, my "check engine" light is on, my father is calling me a screw-up on the phone and I'm at my wits' end. I'm sure you'll all be glad to know that Michael is attempting to cheer me up (or at least calm me down) by pouring alcohol down my throat. So, are there any aspiring mechanics out there needing a guinea pig?

Comments

hmm..

[cotharyus.livejournal.com]

I see a lot of coolant and oil posts, so other than saying "if your coolant *is* low start the car and check for leaks after you fill it up" I'll offer something that's only been said once. Check your thermostat. To check your thermostat, take the top off of the radiator, and start the car. When the car warms up to it's normal operating temp, you should see the level appear to drop some in the radiator, and start to see some defident circulation going on. If that never happens, odds are it's the termostat. It's a 5 dollar part, but it can cause a lot of damage if you let the engine get too hot while you were driving it.

If you get the overheating problem "fixxed" and the car doesn't run right, it's probly warped heads - I know, you're thinking that my head is warped and I run around with it all the time, but I don't have gaskets on my head either - your car does. So if it ran while hot very long keep an eye on it. You could get water in your oil, oil in your water, or leak one or both from the head gaskets if your heads warped. Keep me updated, and I'll keep you up to your neck in good advice. Remember, farm boys can fix anything, and we have to do it inexpensively, but effectively.