Engine Coolant/Radiator Leak

ok so my radiator fluid is leaking, well basiclly leaked completely out, some people have said that they have seen some black smoke coming out my exhaust when i pin it, there seems to be some oil gunk in my radiator tank where ya fill it up, does anyone know what this all means, i know that blown head gaskets is very common do you think thats what i got any does anyone know if its covered by ford or anything or how much does it cost to repair, its a 1990 thunderbird sc

Is it leaking on the ground, or did you just notice no coolant in the radiator. How much coolant does it take to fill it back to the top? Don't overlook the obvious. The coolant resevoir line can come off.

i took it in they said its the head gaskets

its not on warrenty I can tell you that right now... and It doesnt sound like head gaskets.

well i took it into the shop and they said that the engine coolant was leaking through the head gaskets and it was getting burnt in the engine producing the black smoke and stinky feet smell inside the car

and they are known to blow so im pretty sure its the gasket, anyone know a price range?

coolant makes white smoke, You need to take your car to a knoweledgable mechanic.

IT might be your heater core since you said you smelt it in your car.

Check for oil in your coolant or coolant in your oil, do not spend $1000 without knowing for sure.

what does it mean if there is oil gunk in my coolant

Take it to a good mechanic, the one so far isn't, or is trying to pull something over on you. Maybe the head gaskets are bad, but relating black smoke to coolant is wrong. Black smoke is oil. White smoke is coolant/water.

Smelling coolant in the car is usually due to the heater core. Is the passenger side carpet wet?

Coolant in the oil could only get there through either a blown head gasket, or a blown lower intake manifold gasket. You can tell you have coolant in the oil by removing the dipstick and seeing a gray foam on it, or a gray goop/foam on the oil filler cap. The gray goop/foam is caused by the moisture in the oil mixing with the oil and creating a foam.

They should be pressure testing the cooling system to verify the head gaskets if there are no signs of coolant in the oil.

well i wonder where i should take it to get checked again, and i have to tow the thing cuz i dont want to drive it in the shape its in

I have that oil gunk in my coolant overflow reservoir as well..
I can't figure it out either.. I don't have any smoke white or black coming out of the tail pipes and my oil is clean...

I was going to get it flushed and see if that got rid of the gunk.. You guys have any ideas as to how this oil gunk got in my coolant?

you probably have the same problem as i do but start your own thread, lol

i talked to some mechanics and they wont even attempt to fix my car because they have seen so many cases of when they take out the engine and starting finding the engine has other major problems and the car either needs a new engine or is sold for parts

That basically means they have no idea how to work on your car and don't want the liability of screwing it up.. =/

I'm having the same troubles finding a decent mechanic in my area which is why I've started learning how to work on my car myself..

i wish i could throw in a old chevy 454 or something, something that i know how to work on. all these electronic **** confuses me. i still need help

oil gunk sucks..

Please help pegged and myself

The electronics shouldn't confuse you. It's still an inernal combustion engine. It still needs both fuel and spark to run.

People open the hood on these cars and freak. Yes, the electronics add a complexity to them. But they don't suspend the laws of physics.

Thanks for the insight, but that doesn't really answer the question of what this oil gunk is in our overflow reservoirs and/or what's causing it to be there..

And it doesn't appear to answer any of pegged's questions either, but thanks for the response..

My radiator cracked once....

I rememeber using bars leaks or some crap while a radiator was being made...the bars leaks went through the system and turned the coolant this ugly **** color...I flushed it out (still waiting for the rad) and it looked ok for a while

After a little bit and some hard driving the "plug" or whatever the bars created gave way and shot the crap all over the engine and into the overflow...The smell was not unlike feet now that you mention it...it was like a metallic-nacho smell...HAHAHA It reeked for weeks even after the new rad. To this day because I didnt flush it perfectly, I still get some traces of crap from where it caked and settled in water jackets and **** I guess.

The black smoke at very high RPM is carbon. I have seen it come out of a lot of angry driver's cars on chicago expressways that power-pass people all the time...Its just carbon

Believe me, when a HG goes, you will know! I dont think there is a gradual blow or a slight leak theory...Once they go, the car runs like crap...

Replace the radiator with a metal one (copper) they make them and if you cant find one, email me and I will get you hooked up with the place that manufatures them. They are cheap and warrantied for life. replace it yourself and be very happy.

There is a stock replacement one on EBAY right now too...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33602&item=2414297295

I think the metal one I got was around $100-$150...it was unreal cheap!

- Mike

alright ill look that up, thanks for the information and help