blown head gasket??

[jesst]

I just bought a 2002 liberty 4x4 with a 3" lift and 86,900 miles on it. Last Monday the radiator reservoir started to boil over. Now the car never showed any signs of overheating or problems. I left it at a chain mechanics shops and they told first it was a thermostat, then it needs a new water pump, then it is a blown head gasket. I couldn't believe it so I paid to have it towed to another place. The second place said it was nothing but a radiator cap. I got it back on Wed and haven't had a problem since and the car runs great. I decided I wanted a third opinion so I took it to jeep for them to look at. They said it is for sure either ahead gasket or cylinder but again I haven't had any issues with the car and it never gets hot. You can't even feel it idle it is so smooth. I'm just confused as to what to believe. I drive it over 80 miles today with not one issue. Just need some help in this matter....thank you

 

[02blue]

Well I have blown a headgasket in my 02 and if it blows, the coolant will either be "boiling" from the exhaust or going somewhere. My coolant went into the oil. Worst case I guess. It may go into the cylinders (white exhaust smoke) or it may just run out (external). You would likely have some symptoms depending on the severity. Sounds like you do not other than the "boiling"?? I've had the boiling with a bad rad cap too. There are quite a few real mechanics on this forum so hopefully they will chime in with more info. I just thought since I had lost my HGs to a bad fan relay I should respond with my observation. Good luck.

 

[Slims]

Well I have blown a headgasket in my 02 and if it blows, the coolant will either be "boiling" from the exhaust or going somewhere. My coolant went into the oil. Worst case I guess. It may go into the cylinders (white exhaust smoke) or it may just run out (external). You would likely have some symptoms depending on the severity. Sounds like you do not other than the "boiling"?? I've had the boiling with a bad rad cap too. There are quite a few real mechanics on this forum so hopefully they will chime in with more info. I just thought since I had lost my HGs to a bad fan relay I should respond with my observation. Good luck.

How long did you drive it with the water in the oil? If it was over a week I'd have the bearings checked out.


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[Slims]

I just bought a 2002 liberty 4x4 with a 3" lift and 86,900 miles on it. Last Monday the radiator reservoir started to boil over. Now the car never showed any signs of overheating or problems. I left it at a chain mechanics shops and they told first it was a thermostat, then it needs a new water pump, then it is a blown head gasket. I couldn't believe it so I paid to have it towed to another place. The second place said it was nothing but a radiator cap. I got it back on Wed and haven't had a problem since and the car runs great. I decided I wanted a third opinion so I took it to jeep for them to look at. They said it is for sure either ahead gasket or cylinder but again I haven't had any issues with the car and it never gets hot. You can't even feel it idle it is so smooth. I'm just confused as to what to believe. I drive it over 80 miles today with not one issue. Just need some help in this matter....thank you

Could be a number of things without more info to go on. Without taking it to a mechanic, first things I'd check is the efan and water pump. Check all fluid levels daily.


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[02blue]

How long did you drive it with the water in the oil? If it was over a week I'd have the bearings checked out.

Not long. I got a CEL from the fan relay, then I saw the useless temp gauge start to move and pulled into a lot. DC traffic!! I sat a while engine off and the coolant was boiling and now low. Managed to add some (I always have a 50/50 HOAT mix with me) and waited a bit. Then drove about 8 miles to a dealer I knew. They changed the relay (not bad price <200) and drove 2 more miles to work. Checked coolant before heading home and it was a bit low. Oil was a bit high but not terrible or milky. Drove home after work (38miles). Coolant low again and oil was a milkshake. Parked it. Poured 2/3 of a bottle of Bar's headgasket repair into the upper rad hose and filled the coolant reservoir (I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO STATE THAT I DO NOT ENDORSE THIS PRODUCT AND IT PROBABLY DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD BUT NO CHOICE AT THIS TIME). Anyway I ran the motor for about 20-30 minutes and changed the oil. Refilled coolant, very little required this time. Pulled cam covers and yuck. Cleaned what I could see and closed it up. Ran it for about 500 miles and changed the oil again, no coolant loss and no more oil volume change (checked frequently during the 500 miles. Pulled cam covers again and not to bad. That was three years ago. Just started to develop a chatter and tick from the top end when cold this winter. A slight knock that I believe may be an exhaust leak as it stops when warm. Pretty sure the heads need to be replaced and the timing set investigated (tensioners?). 160k on the originals.

 

[jesst]

Could be a number of things without more info to go on. Without taking it to a mechanic, first things I'd check is the efan and water pump. Check all fluid levels daily.


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I have taken it to 3 machanics...that is the problem. 1 says everything is fine and 2 say the head gasket is blown. But it runs great and never overheats or smokes or runs rough.

 

[02blue]

I have taken it to 3 machanics...that is the problem. 1 says everything is fine and 2 say the head gasket is blown. But it runs great and never overheats or smokes or runs rough.

I'd just keep checking the fluids and watch the temp gauge. I'd ask the ones who said the HG is blown why they feel that is so. What was their method of diagnosis? Get a test kit for the coolant to see if there are exhaust gases in it.

Amazon.com: UVIEW 560000 Combustion Leak Tester: Automotive

 

[Slims]

I have taken it to 3 machanics...that is the problem. 1 says everything is fine and 2 say the head gasket is blown. But it runs great and never overheats or smokes or runs rough.

I had a loose connection on my efan one time and every now and then it would stop working. By the time I'd check it, it would be working again. I had two mechanics tell me I had a blown gasket as well. After I found the loose connection it never got hot again. It's been 40,000 miles sines then and I'm still running good


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[jesst]

I'd just keep checking the fluids and watch the temp gauge. I'd ask the ones who said the HG is blown why they feel that is so. What was their method of diagnosis? Get a test kit for the coolant to see if there are exhaust gases in it.

Amazon.com: UVIEW 560000 Combustion Leak Tester: Automotive

I did ask one of them and they said the color of the liquid changed, so im assuming that they did the combustion test. Jeep didn't tell me how they came to that conclusion, just that there is some serious overheating evidence in the engine. It never got hot or had any indications that something was wrong. i think all of this happened before i got the car.
i just wanted to find out if you can still drive a car with no problems with a blown head gasket?

 

[02blue]

I did ask one of them and they said the color of the liquid changed, so im assuming that they did the combustion test. Jeep didn't tell me how they came to that conclusion, just that there is some serious overheating evidence in the engine. It never got hot or had any indications that something was wrong. i think all of this happened before i got the car.
i just wanted to find out if you can still drive a car with no problems with a blown head gasket?

If the gasket is "blown" and currently compromised then it will likely get worse and I'd have to say it's unlikely you'd be able to drive it with "no problems". Sounds like you inherited the problem but the question is: What is it doing now, or how is it leaking? Should get more details. I don't know what "serious overheating evidence in the engine" specifically means either.

 

[Slims]

If the gasket is "blown" and currently compromised then it will likely get worse and I'd have to say it's unlikely you'd be able to drive it with "no problems". Sounds like you inherited the problem but the question is: What is it doing now, or how is it leaking? Should get more details. I don't know what "serious overheating evidence in the engine" specifically means either.

Me either..


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[CactusJacked]

Here is what serious overheating evidence looks like. lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djKo1al_kY4

 

[jesst]

I wouldn't think I would be able to drive in it but new I'm in a battle with the car dealership since my finance bank doesn't want to finance a car that could have so many problems. I wish there was an easy way to yell if something was truly wrong with it

 

[Slims]

Here is what serious overheating evidence looks like. lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djKo1al_kY4

Would ya look at that... Who da thunk it.. Lol


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[Wildebeest]

Financing a 12 year old vehicle that has unknown overheating and or block issues?!! Nuts.

 

[jesst]

Financing a 12 year old vehicle that has unknown overheating and or block issues?!! Nuts.

I didnt know there were any problems until I had the car for 4 days. My bank after hearing of the problems are not going to finance....they told me to return it so now it its a legal battle for my down payment back

 

[Slims]

I didnt know there were any problems until I had the car for 4 days. My bank after hearing of the problems are not going to finance....they told me to return it so now it its a legal battle for my down payment back

It should be a battle easily won.

 

[tjkj2002]

Financing a 12 year old vehicle that has unknown overheating and or block issues?!! Nuts.

Surprised they would in the 1st place.When I had to refinance my fathers Town Car since it was 11 years old nobody would even consider it since it was older then 10 years old which is there limit.Had to take out a signature loan which ended up being better since I could get payment protection and no lien holder on the title so no sales tax!!!!! Granted it is at a slightly higher interest rate but going to be paid of by the end of this year anyways so no big deal(end up paying $14.50 more in interest over the whole year).

It should be a battle easily won.

Not really depending on the state.In most states "as is" is just that and no refunds even 20 seconds later.

 

[Slims]

Surprised they would in the 1st place.When I had to refinance my fathers Town Car since it was 11 years old nobody would even consider it since it was older then 10 years old which is there limit.Had to take out a signature loan which ended up being better since I could get payment protection and no lien holder on the title so no sales tax!!!!! Granted it is at a slightly higher interest rate but going to be paid of by the end of this year anyways so no big deal(end up paying $14.50 more in interest over the whole year).


Not really depending on the state.In most states "as is" is just that and no refunds even 20 seconds later.

I did the same thing.

In Louisiana he would get his $$ back.

 

[tjkj2002]

In Louisiana he would get his $$ back.

Like I said most states do not have any grace period on "as is" vehicle purchases but some do be it 3 days or 30 days regardless of "as is" or brand new.