Freaky Oil

darkautmn

darkautmn

Registered User
I found out today that I didn't have a thermostat in my car at all. Go Figure.
I was in Kennesaw yesterday and my car started freaking out on me... It was starting to get pretty hot and the oil gage freaked out on me. I wanted to get her looked at before the ride back to Gwinnett so I called Rick for an emergency check up.
I told Rick that my oil levels were perfectly ok... she isnt leaking any that I notice... there was steam comming out of where I top off the oil. I figured she was freaking out because the engine was just getting way too hot. Rick said it was probably my sensor so I went and picked one of those up along with my thermostat.
The guy at the Advanced Auto Parts by Kennesaw University off Old 41 was an idiot. First off, he refused to sell me a 180 thermostat, insisting that it was not the right part and that I needed a 195. He also gave me the wrong oil sensory unit... the one he sold me was massive. Of course I didn't know just cuz I don't know. Anyway, I went to the AutoZone on New 41 and thay got me the part no problem.

I got to Rick house today and he discovered that there was no thermostat in my car at all. We were both like "~~~!?"

Even after doing both repairs, on the way home, my oil gage starts freaking out on me again as I hit heavy traffic on 285. I have to keep switching to Neutral when my car goes below 500rpm. I am seriously baffeled. This only happens when my engine gets hot and it worries me.

I was wondering if any of you guys had any ideas as to what is wrong? It isnt the sensor because Rick put in a new one for me...
__________________
 
Steam from the oil filler tube...

Change the oil and see if there is any coolant in it. This sounds like early signs of a leaking head gasket.
 
How would I fix a leaking head gasket? Is it expensive?

LJGriggs said:
Change the oil and see if there is any coolant in it. This sounds like early signs of a leaking head gasket.
Click to expand...
 
I may have jumped the gun a little...

Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves on the headgasket situation. Overheating can be a sign of blown headgaskets, but not always. Overheating can also cause the sensors to do some strange things. First we need to do some diagnostics. The "milky" oil is a sign of water in the oil. This is the result of coolant leaking from the water jackets in the heads (past the gasket) into the cylinders where it mixes with the oil. If the oil appears to be OK, then headgaskets may not be the problem. You would probably have some white smoke from the exhaust and air bubbling up in the coolant overflow reservoir if the gaskets were blown.
Does the "Check Engine" light come on? Do you have a way to check the fault codes in the system?
Does the electric cooling fan (for the radiator) come on when the temp guage hits the high side of NORM? If not, that is a problem. While the engine is running, turn on the AC and see if the fan kicks on. That will let you know if the fan motor is OK. There are 2 sensors for the coolant temp. One sensor signals the guage, the other signals the EEC which signals the fan relay (IRCM) to turn on the fan. A bad connection in the wiring or a faulty sensor could cause the fan not to kick on. The oil pressure guage on the instrument panel and the sensor aren't very accurate, the sensor is basically an On/OFF switch. High engine temp, or a drop in current from the alternator, could cause it to fluctuate.

Basically, there are several things to check before jumping on the headgaskets. Head gasket replacement (not uncommon for the SC) is one of the bigger (more expensive) repairs. PM or email me if you need some assistance. I'm over here in Canton, GA.
BTW, I checked out some of your artwork, and you are very talented...
 
Thankyou so much. I will PM you with the answers to your questions right now. ^_^

LJGriggs said:
Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves on the headgasket situation. Overheating can be a sign of blown headgaskets, but not always. Overheating can also cause the sensors to do some strange things. First we need to do some diagnostics. The "milky" oil is a sign of water in the oil. This is the result of coolant leaking from the water jackets in the heads (past the gasket) into the cylinders where it mixes with the oil. If the oil appears to be OK, then headgaskets may not be the problem. You would probably have some white smoke from the exhaust and air bubbling up in the coolant overflow reservoir if the gaskets were blown.
Does the "Check Engine" light come on? Do you have a way to check the fault codes in the system?
Does the electric cooling fan (for the radiator) come on when the temp guage hits the high side of NORM? If not, that is a problem. While the engine is running, turn on the AC and see if the fan kicks on. That will let you know if the fan motor is OK. There are 2 sensors for the coolant temp. One sensor signals the guage, the other signals the EEC which signals the fan relay (IRCM) to turn on the fan. A bad connection in the wiring or a faulty sensor could cause the fan not to kick on. The oil pressure guage on the instrument panel and the sensor aren't very accurate, the sensor is basically an On/OFF switch. High engine temp, or a drop in current from the alternator, could cause it to fluctuate.

Basically, there are several things to check before jumping on the headgaskets. Head gasket replacement (not uncommon for the SC) is one of the bigger (more expensive) repairs. PM or email me if you need some assistance. I'm over here in Canton, GA.
BTW, I checked out some of your artwork, and you are very talented...
Click to expand...
 
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