sorry, i think the oil light is actually a change oil light and not a check oil (i dont think there is a "check oil" light..)
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Okay I have a pretty important update here.
So, today I test drove the camaro, which is an absolute beauty. So well maintained on the inside and out. I started the car up cold, revved to 2500 to listen for any piston slap or any unusual noise, and was relieved to hear nothing out of the ordinary.
Upon just visual inspection of the engine, the only moistness I saw was where the air intake meets up with the manifold. Unfortunately, I didn't stick my finger in it to see what it was :-/
When I went out to test drive, the first thing I heard was a whining noise whenever I turned the steering wheel. It became more prominent the harder I turned the wheel, and the sound also changed a bit with more lock of the wheel. I know this is probably related to the power steering, but not sure exaxctly what causes that sound.
Now for the worst part... After my test drive, which involved 2-3 full throttle pulls to check the gears and engine, I noticed the engine temp hovering around the 3/4 mark on the temp gauge, which is probably 235 or so? And when driving, I saw it go up a little more, almost to the red zone, and then drop back down to a little less than the 3/4 mark. I also smelled coolant during the drive.... these were all very similar symptoms to what I have experienced with my '99 Impreza 2.5 RS, and that was an internal head gasket leak
Ok, so I pulled into the parking lot of the dealer, and checked under the head, and low and behold, there was coolant everywhere. I'm not sure where the coolant came from, but the fans were on when I turned the engine off, so the fans do work. I hope this engine hadn't been overheated before, because if there is a chance of warped heads or block, or a cracked either of those, I'm abandoning ship. I'm thinking the engine is still healthy, because the engine pulled perfectly.
Other than these things........ car drove wonderfully. So, I would like your guys' input. What is the whining noise? and most importantly, what are the possible causes of what happened with the engine temp gauge and the coolant incident?
I hate to say, but the only time I checked the oil was when the engine was cold, and it looked normal, no milkshake. The only thing that looked suspect was the coolant dip stick, there seemed to be some stuff sorta - for lack of a better term - crusted on it in between the ridges of the dipstick. It looked light grayish...I hope that wasnt oil mixed in. The coolant which i saw dripping of the stick looked nice and clear, so the only suspect thing i saw was the dipstick.. maybe it was some sealant additivie someone had added before? (that's not good news either)
Any input would be awesome!
So, today I test drove the camaro, which is an absolute beauty. So well maintained on the inside and out. I started the car up cold, revved to 2500 to listen for any piston slap or any unusual noise, and was relieved to hear nothing out of the ordinary.
Upon just visual inspection of the engine, the only moistness I saw was where the air intake meets up with the manifold. Unfortunately, I didn't stick my finger in it to see what it was :-/
When I went out to test drive, the first thing I heard was a whining noise whenever I turned the steering wheel. It became more prominent the harder I turned the wheel, and the sound also changed a bit with more lock of the wheel. I know this is probably related to the power steering, but not sure exaxctly what causes that sound.
Now for the worst part... After my test drive, which involved 2-3 full throttle pulls to check the gears and engine, I noticed the engine temp hovering around the 3/4 mark on the temp gauge, which is probably 235 or so? And when driving, I saw it go up a little more, almost to the red zone, and then drop back down to a little less than the 3/4 mark. I also smelled coolant during the drive.... these were all very similar symptoms to what I have experienced with my '99 Impreza 2.5 RS, and that was an internal head gasket leak
Ok, so I pulled into the parking lot of the dealer, and checked under the head, and low and behold, there was coolant everywhere. I'm not sure where the coolant came from, but the fans were on when I turned the engine off, so the fans do work. I hope this engine hadn't been overheated before, because if there is a chance of warped heads or block, or a cracked either of those, I'm abandoning ship. I'm thinking the engine is still healthy, because the engine pulled perfectly. Other than these things........ car drove wonderfully. So, I would like your guys' input. What is the whining noise? and most importantly, what are the possible causes of what happened with the engine temp gauge and the coolant incident?
I hate to say, but the only time I checked the oil was when the engine was cold, and it looked normal, no milkshake. The only thing that looked suspect was the coolant dip stick, there seemed to be some stuff sorta - for lack of a better term - crusted on it in between the ridges of the dipstick. It looked light grayish...I hope that wasnt oil mixed in. The coolant which i saw dripping of the stick looked nice and clear, so the only suspect thing i saw was the dipstick.. maybe it was some sealant additivie someone had added before? (that's not good news either)
Any input would be awesome!
surprisingly, I'm actually pretty good at diagnosing problems myself. I have a pretty thorough understanding of cars, it's just when it comes down to specific part names and stuff, I'm not so good. NO worries I didn't take what you were saying offensively at all!
Yeah that was going to be my next question, of how common head gasket problems are with these cars. I suspected the thermostat, it's just that with my subaru, I've learned to never be optimistic haha, as it's always turned out for the worst.
What are the possible ways air could get into the system? I know a bad radiator cap can cause that...and i've forgotten the other ways... -_- Oh, of course, the internal head gasket leak which causes combustion gases to get into the cooling system. The coolant looked good in color though..so idk. Is there a visible coolant overflow tank on these cars (I'm asking so maybe I could check for bubbles in the coolant, except I dont think I'll be able to check it out again until the dealer takes it to his shop to get it fixed). My subie has a semi-clear overflow tank slap next to the radiator which is in plain sight. the camaro is a bit more covered, so where I expected to find the reservoir tank, i found the windshield washer tank lol
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