I have a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica with 63K miles. I had a radiator flush and fill service done a few months ago. A couple of days ago I had an upper radiator hose failure (unbeknownst to me), and I drove the car approximately 20 miles with little to no coolant. How likely is it that I blew my head gasket and or cracked my engine block? I love this car. Thank you.
upper radiator hose failure (unbeknownst to me)
You should make it a habit to glance at your gauges every so often, like at traffic lights. It takes half a second to make sure all the needles are in the middle. It becomes an automatic subconscious action.
Wow! Those engines are made out of aluminum and it warps pretty easily. So fill it up and take it to a mechanic like me to test the head gasket. As in my video how to tell if your head gasket is blown
Thanks Scotty. If the passes the HG test…what else do I need to be on the lookout for?
Is there any relationship to the recent flush and fill of the radiator to this upper hose failure a few months later?
In the future please use the length-limited title line for a short description, not your full post. Thank you. (Title edited.)
Is there any relationship to the recent flush and fill of the radiator to this upper hose failure a few months later?
Scotty does not usually revisit topics he has already answered.
If the hose was original it was nearly 20 years old and looking at it crosseyed would have burst it.
Thanks Chuck. I’ve taken the car to a shop. The hoses have been replaced, and a new thermostat is being installed. A block test will be performed. If the block test is ok…can I safely drive this vehicle?
Possibly. Those kind of tests can catch most problems but not all. However if it passes and displays no bad symptoms it will probably be OK. If that's the case with that kind of luck you should go out and buy some lottery tickets.
Thanks Chuck! Early results are that the system held the vacuum. I will keep my fingers crossed. I’d there any acceptable level of combustion gas leakage that would allow the car to still be driven so that I can limp it along until I find another similar car? I prefer something older that can do simple repairs on. Newer cars are over engineered and have too many problems with the chips. Again…thanks so much for your help.
I’d there any acceptable level of combustion gas leakage that would allow the car to still be driven so that I can limp it along until I find another similar car?
Not really. If the head gasket is blown it's living on borrowed time, how long depends on the severity of the leak. If coolant is getting into the oil then time is short.
If there is a leak although most of us here do not recommend the "snake oil"/band-aid approach if necessary you might get some temporary relief with a sealer product. Scotty has recommended the silver Bar's Leaks sealer. That's definitely taking a chance though and the stuff might even plug up your cooling system instead of the leak. It's an approach to use if the only other alternative is the junkyard.
Thanks Chuck. At this point all I can do is hope for the best. I should know more next week. I’d say more likely than not I’m looking at finding a “new” car. Bummer as I really like that car. I have always taken good care of it, and certainly if I’d known there was a problem like this I’d have stopped immediately. I don’t think I can justify a new engine given that the car is almost 20 years old…I fear it would turn into a bigger money out. 🙁