My car is a 2004 Cadillac Seville with 91,000 miles. Almost 6 years ago, its "Add Coolant" alert was displayed. My mechanic believed I shouldn't have to add coolant unless there was a leak in either my radiator or head gasket.
Because he couldn't find a radiator leak, he suspected it was the head gasket.
He topped the coolant off and put AlumaSeal in the radiator. He said AlumaSeal was the best product to use because my car has an aluminum block. I think we both felt that was a temporary solution.
But, it worked magic! The "Add Coolant" alert has never again displayed and the car has never overheated.
If my car did indeed have a head gasket leak, I'm wondering if the AlumaSeal fixed it permanently - or, is it more likely it never had a head gasket leak to begin with? What do you think?
I'm considering a coolant fluid exchange but am concerned that may put me back at square one relative to whatever caused the "Add Coolant" light to come on in 2015.
I know, under normal circumstances, a coolant fluid exchange would be good for my car - but I'm afraid of upsetting the miraculous results I've enjoyed thanks to AlumaSeal.
I'm wondering if I should just leave well enough alone.
What do you advise?
If you are not having problems, do not start causing them by messing with anything.
I will tell you this though: you never had a head gasket leak. This is from AlumaSeal's own website:
Will ALUMASEAL® brand fix a head gasket leak or a leak in a cracked engine block? No, but there are products available just for that purpose, called Block Leak Sealers.
I don't know why you would assume it was a radiator leak or head gasket , rather than something simple like a loose cap. Sometimes coolant just escapes.
I would change the coolant as normal. If something leaks, then fix the leak. If head gasket is blow, then fix the head gasket.
I'm not a fan of fixes in a bottle.
Agreed. From my experience, there is not a product out there that can "fix" a head gasket. Once they go, they are gone. And it is such a crucial piece of the engine I would not recommend experiencing with different bottled "fixes".