Georgia Trail Riders Forum
MEMBERS DISCUSSION AREA => General Discussion => Topic started by: The_Dealer on December 06, 2012, 07:07:04 PM
-
Ok guys. Well its just my luck, but I'm worried I have a cracked head or blown head gasket. Its a 2000 tj 4.0 with 151,800 miles. It had right under 150k when I bought it. She runs great,
no smoke, plenty of power and no leaks.
So last week I flushed the heater core and cooling system. Wasn't sure if I had all the air purged out. Didn't drive it much. Sunday I checked the coolant, and it was about 3 qrts low. Didn't drive it after I topped it off until today. I checked coolant again before I left work and it was about a quart low. Topped it off and drove about 40 miles home. Coolant is currently topped off.
Well before I left work, I checked the oil and found a minute drop of white on the dipstick. I drove about 10 miles, got gas, and rechecked. No more white stuff. Coolant looks clear, oil is normal looking. It has no leaks anywhere. I get a slight miss at idle which comes and goes, and its not that bad. I haven't checked the plugs or cleaned the tb/iac yet. She doesn't get over 210° at any time.
That being said, what do u guys think? Possible blown head gasket? Cracked head? Or just condensation? The white that I saw was so little bit I dunno what to think. I
When I wiped the dipstick and rechecked, there was no white. I really need some input before any major damage is done, and if there are any members around central ga that can help me troubleshoot that'd be great!
-
1. Take your radiator plug off and see if you see bubbles coming out...easy way to tell you have a problem with head gasket.
2. Get a compression tester and test each cyl. They should be 120-150 psi each.
3. Once you get a diagnosis and it appears to be the head gasket, take the head off and get it checked by a shop. There is nothing worse than taking everything off and putting in a new gasket and getting it all back together to find that it was the head that's cracked.
-
The white could be no big deal. After you flushed it, did you run it to operating temp and let the thermostat open, and keep adding 50/50 mix?
-
I drained it all first. Hooked the hose to the inlet and flushed the heater core, then the same with the outlet.. poured some heater core flush in and let it sit for about 10 minute. Then cleared it.out. Then filled the cooling system with flush and water. Ran it for 5 min, flushed for 10 minutes. Drained the radiator and filled with 100% antifreeze and some water.
-
You do mean 100% of 50/50 antifreeze correct. Also you can't just full it up, there will be a lot of air in the system. You have to run it let it cool and then add more. Or get real tricky add it while it is running. But that is a another ball game there.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
-
I didn't use the 50/50 mix. I just used unmixed plus water, . I've just been adding water to it. It was idling with heat on full.blast when I filled it. I might have screwed up but the only time its ran then cooled and I checked it was the 2 times I've topped it off
-
I think if you have a leak it would be losing a lot more. Also should be running hot. I would say just keep a close eye on it the next few times you drive it and go from there.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
-
Also your always supposed to run the 50/50 mix.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
-
Straight antifreeze is not good. It needs water to work properly and have the right heating and cooling properties.
50/50 cools an engine better than water, and provides anti-corrosion and freeze protection to about -30F.
If you had it hot idling and the heat was on so it would circulate into the core, it takes awhile with it bubbling into the reservoir, burping air, to get the system full.
I bet it quits sucking fluid in if the only change was you flushing it.
-
I'm kinda concerned with the rusty looking stuff I flushed out. It wasn't clumpy,but it was a rusty brown redish color. Kinda looked normal to me for the mileage. Prolly has never been flushed before. If course there's no telling what oil the dealership used where I bought it. I drove it on a 725 mile round trip for thanksgiving, never once ran hot, she purred like a kitten besides the bad front end alignment. That was before I flushed btw
-
The brown color is corrosion from using tap water.
-
What color antifreeze? I have a 2000 TJ that I bought in
2003 with 18k on it. After about 2 years the orange colored
crap that came from the factory cost me a new radiator. It
was brown rusty looking crap that came out of it. Went
back with the green stuff and has been fine ever since.
-
I went back with the green antifreeze
-
The green stuff is fine. The rusty stuff is normal, as long as all of the antifreeze is not all rusty brown. I would suggest draining it again and going with 50/50, unless you think you have reached the proper mixture with the water you have added.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
-
My water tester says its good to about 15° so I was under the assumption that its mixed ok
-
For some reason I.couldn't post a pic, so here's a link to a pic of my oil cap
http://s801.photobucket.com/albums/yy293/RyanSpivey/?action=view¤t=CAM00085.jpg
-
With the year of your Jeep, you need to check your head for the casting number 0331. I think there was a problem with those cracking between cyl 3 & 4.
To me, the cap looks like you've got a crack.
-
i pulled my pcv valve and found that it is siezed up and clogged. maybe that caused condensation? heres inside the pcv oriface
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy293/RyanSpivey/CAM00086.jpg)
-
I doubt it. I think that would only cause a slight increase in pressure, unless it's completely clogged, then I guess it could cause a huge pressure increase.
Mysterious loss of coolant is the number one sign for a cracked head
The next symptom is milky oil.
If I were you, I'd drain the oil to know for sure. The coolant in the oil, if not fixed can ruin your bottom end & make cause a head job to turn in to a rebuild.
-
i checked the coolant today and its right where its supposed to be. guess ill be changing oil tonight
-
Anything diagnosed yet?
-
I am pretty sure he started another thread saying he had a cracked head. Also asking where to get it fixed and about how much it should cost. Correct me if I am wrong.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2