overheating, blown head gasket?

SON240sx Automotive
1

not sure if ive posted this before or not, but a while ago i was driving it pretty hard, its automatic ka24de, and after a few minutes of driving the temp gauge had risen up to nearly H, so obviously right when i noticed that i had parked it, popped the hood and there seemed to be coolant leaking on the ground, and along the rad support or where the hood latch is, it was kinda cold outside so there was quite a bit of smoke coming from the exhaust

also, ever since ive boughten the car and turned the heater on, there is a sweet smell, if it is a head gasket how much could it cost to repair?

2

I wouldn’t jump to a HG conclusion until you find if it’s a hose leak or something.

3

i just had the same poblem and i told you this in yourt old post try your belt tensioner even tho pumps move doesn`t mean they move fast enough check and see if your belt is loose just push on it and there should be almost no movement

4

It may be something as simple as a stuck thermostat, or in the case of coolant on the ground and along the top of the rad, it may be the top seal of your rad is no longer able to hold fluid. You can get a pump device from napa that will pressurize the the cooling system (rad and tubes etc…) that may force the leak to become obvious. Give that a try. Unless you’re seeing oil in your coolant, or coolant in your oil I wouldn’t worry about you HG.

Hope that helps a little
Cheers

5

You could also have low coolant - or na empty coolant resevoir. Check both!

6

yea ive checked the coolant res, but im thinking maybe that my rad cap wasnt on properly? anyhow once i get a new battery ill fill er up and see whats going on, thanks for the replies

7

no, a loose rad cap won’t make your temp gauge shoot up. if your rad is boiling over then your resevoir being full would have nothing to do with it. Your car is overheating, plain and simple.

If you think it might be the headgasket check the oil, make sure its not milky. Also if your HG is blown you’ll be producing a LOT of white smoke out the exhaust. Don’t confuse this with the normal white smoke you get in -20 degree weather.

8

yeaaa, when i test drove the car, there was nothing, but i parked the car for a while, drove it when it was decently cold and there was quite a bit of smoke so hopefully it was just from the cold, coolant res has no oil in it, its clean, havent been able to check oil yet cause the car isnt where i live

9

and for the rad cap being loose, i meant that by the coolant sitting on along where the hood latch is