So we have a problem. I've got a 97 Z28. I've been having a problem with my coolant going...somewhere. I've been filling it up here and there with distilled water. Today when driving to work the temp gauge, pretty quickly, went alllllll the way up(hot hot)and then allllll the way back down(like the car was off)and then stopped working. So I kept driving because nothing was wrong, everything felt fine. I thought the sensor died. Then, right as I pull into the parking lot it got REALLY sluggish, almost dieing. I chug it to a parking spot, and stop, kill it and POOF!! A HUGE white cloud of smoke(I think there was coolant running on the bottom of the car, then fell on the exhaust when I stopped. Then I went, !! So I had to work, then on my breaks I did a few things. I was low on oil, so I walked to a gas station and did that, the coolant was really low so I added more water and...hey, there's a big spray pattern on the passenger side of my car, the whole length of it. The coolant overflow...overflowed and blew coolant out of the cap, into the wheel well, which in turn sprayed down the side of my car(while I was driving I guess...didn't notice that ). So I turn the car on, it's hard to start. It chugs like it's got a pretty big cam in it and shakes. Water spits out of the cutout in pretty large amounts(deffinently not condensation). I left my car there.

What do you guys think it is?

BTW, I resealed the intake with the copper stuff and other stuff to help the oil leak. I may have messed it up, but I did it about a year ago. I had set the intake down and had to move it .25-.5".

Any help? Sorry for the long story.

 

Sounds like at least a head gasket, maybe a cracked head. Did you check under the oil fill cap or on the dipstick for yellowish looking sludge? Hopefully no coolant mixed in with the oil.

 

Well you said water came out of the cutout that would be an indication of a blown head gasket, but you let the car overheat and kept driving it so there are more potential problems now once the gauge shot all the way up you should have shut her down and pulled off the road.

Has the car overheated before?

 

No sludge.

I didn't pull over cause it didn't act like it was overheating. I had one of my older Camaros overheat and I'd know if it did. But I guess this car just reacts different.

Meh oh well, dinnertime...

 

Also, it looks like the heater core started leaking into the passenger seat foot area. I know if the head gasket is blown then there's a lot of pressure in the line, would the heater core be broken and need to be replaced? Or do you think it's just leaking from a connection because of the pressure? Thanks for any experience guys!

 

I'm sure the pressure wouldn't cause it because it could blow off through the coolant tank but that may have been your original cause of the overheat. I am replacing head gaskets right now in a Beretta Z26 that had it's leak start at a .10 cent plastic connector on a heater core. From now on whenever in doubt...shut it down. Look on the bright side, time to port and polish the heads, maybe throw a new cam in there