I'm putting together some things here that i'm noticing. My coolant is going somewhere it leaks a little but doesnt leave puddles on the ground. Its disappearing a lot faster than what it should from the small leak i can see though. Today i went to add coolant and noticed "smoke" coming out as i poured it in. also there is condensation that keeps coming back on my dipstick that i wipe off, but keeps returning. The engine runs fine and smooth though.

its a 2001 2200 btw

possibly, does the oil look milky?

All your symptoms say that you'll have to pull the head.

This would be a perfect time to have the valves ground.

If you take the head to a fully eqipped shop they'll check
for any cracks in the head and warpage.

They can also recommend and possibly supply what
head gasket is recommended.

Good luck, let us know how this turns out.

The oil looks fine on the dipstick. There was just droplets of water at the very top of the stick near the cap that keep coming back after i wipe them off. im doing an oil change tomorrow to see what it looks like. I'm really hoping im just thinking the worst and maybe its not this. The car doesn't overheat also. I know its leaking coolant in a couple places. and there was still air in the system so im thinking maybe the air just worked its way out and so it made room for a little more coolant than i had thought it needed. I guess ill just keep an eye on it. If it ends up needing major work its just going to be sitting in the driveway for a long time as i have no money to have it repaired or pay anyone to look at anything. Guess ill hope for the best. As long as it hasn't overheated would there be any other reason for the head to be cracked or warped? or can that just happen? Is there anything i can do myself to check to see if its the head gasket?

I changed the oil today and other than looking like it was way overdue for a change it seemed fine. no signs of water. maybe my coolant leak is just worse than i thought and i'm being paranoid.

Where is the coolant leaking from that you noticed?


Smile! All things fade with time...

well its in multiple places. i thought it was the radiator at first because it was leaving a puddle when i first got the car under the front left. and i figured it was cracked behind the upper hose. but then it stopped leaving puddles and i didnt see any coolant for awhile. im just keeping an eye on it for now. i tightened the hoses in a couple spots as they were leaking where it was clamped. i think the radiator and hoses were replaced before i got the car and whoever did the work really half assed it. it was in some sort of front end accident but i dont know much about it or how bad really. after i changed the oil the dipstick is dry now and i dont see the condensation anymore. the oil looked really old and dirty. i think it was way overdue for a change...

If it was leaking from the radiator or hose connections, it is quite possible that the antifreeze is spraying you as you drive (coolant system under pressure) but not when you are stopped, or at least less when you are stopped. So, what you are viewing as a small leak at idle or stopped could possibly be a spray at accelerations or higher RPMs.

I guess I wouldn't be concerned about a head gasket unless;

1.) You start getting white smoke from the exhaust
2.) You see coolant pooling or dripping from the engine
3.) (Check) Pull you spark plugs and look at the electrodes. If they look polished and new you may have a gasket issue.

Other than that I wouldn't be concerned about that end of things anyway...


Smile! All things fade with time...

A failing head gasket will usually completely fail quickly, like in a day or two
of driving....

Now that we know this was a previously owned vehicle, there's no way
to find out the history of what this engine has been through....

My suspicion (based primarily the accumulation of water on the upper
part of the engine oil dipstick) this engine was slightly overheated
prior to sale. A small crack in the head had developed....

Present owner is baffled. This is understandable.....

well i drive it every day and since the last time i filled the coolant up its been fine. i guess its possible it overheated before i got it, but i havnt seen it go over right passed 195 on the gauge since ive had it. i was just letting my mind run wild i think. ill keep an eye on it for now.

Be cautious, but the car might also behave for at least a while without further issue. My 97 2.2 has been going on 18 months now with a slow external coolant leak at the head, near the alternator. Nothing in the oil, clean plugs, and no smoking. I just have to add about a pint of coolant every 2-3 weeks.




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Can I get some help? I think this question si the same, and who needs a new thread for the same question.

My 2001 cav with 2200 (125k miles) will do this: reservoir empty of coolant. Fill it up (3L full!!), drive for 10 minutes to work, coolant all over the ground. Repeat.

Sitting at idle, it won't warm up to thermostat opening temp. No black residue in coolant. Overflow will... overflow once the engine is off for a couple of minutes.

Coolant doesn't bubble with air or anything. No residue in overflow bottle, always clean water (coolant is gone for a few days now).
Oil is regular, seems a little thin, but that's probably from being warm. No foam or water visible. Spark plugs are very clean.
Idle is kind of rough, a little, and almost stalls, and once warm I get spits of water on my hand at the tailpipe. Rev 4000, it stumbles, cuts out for a moment.

I'm thinking it's a break in the head gasket between two cylinders. Does that sound right?

has anyone tried thermagasket?
http://www.rxauto.com/index.htm
I really really dont want to take the head off.

i just did the headgasket on my 93 2.2 cavi (had to replace the entire head). i should have changed the head gasket about a year ago, but i was lazy. About a year ago i started smelling antifreeze, and noticed that it was leaking a small amount of antifreeze around the head. i drove it for six months, and then it got a little worse- it started burning antifreeze. When the engine was at idle, 1 or two cylinders would load up with water, and stop firing, and i would have to hold the throttle open for a few seconds to get it fired back up. Drove it like this for another six months. then one night, i was on a delivery (i deliver pizza), and it just completely let go- all the coolant went straight out the exhaust, and by the time i got back to work, the temp gauge was way high- im guessing it was around 300 or so. Stalled once on my way back, but managed to get it started again(barely). let it cool for a couple hours and it drove home believ it or not. Head was cracked in 4 places, spark plugs were nasty. one cylinder is lightly scored, but it might have already been that way, dont know. put a junkyard head on it, and put it back together for under $200. Runs better now than it ever has!

Sorry to highjack the thread, but just wanted to list the symptoms i saw.

It has almost none of the other signs ofhead gasket failure, so after looking aorund at it for along time, I htink it's just the water pump. That's a relief!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are the valve cover bolts supposed to be loose? I found all the ones across the front were moveable by hand half a turn before snug. Tightened those.
Acorss the back, the passenger corner was loose, the next one not so much, and the others I couldn't access without taking the intake off.
Nothing on the engine has ever been undone, only the oil filler.

Has anyone else had this go loose on them?