Head gasket leaking coolant!!

pavanbabut · #1 (**permalink**) 11-16-2008, 01:11 PM

Today I started up my 93L and noticed the low coolant warning light ON, so I opened up the hood and looked into the coolant tank and it was almost empty. I topped it off with coolant and I noticed fumes coming from front head gasket region and noticed coolant slowly weeping out from from head gasket area.

Should I retorque the heads and see if it disappears?? or do I need to replace the ehad gasket??

thanks,
-Pavan

**Alfisto Steve** · #2 (**permalink**) 11-16-2008, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pavanbabut

Today I started up my 93L and noticed the low coolant warning light ON, so I opened up the hood and looked into the coolant tank and it was almost empty. I topped it off with coolant and I noticed fumes coming from front head gasket region and noticed coolant slowly weeping out from from head gasket area.

Should I retorque the heads and see if it disappears?? or do I need to replace the ehad gasket??

thanks,
-Pavan

pavanbabut · #3 (**permalink**) 11-16-2008, 01:54 PM

thanks Steve, is it just opening the front valve cover and retorqueing the head?

-Pavan

**Alfisto Steve** · #4 (**permalink**) 11-16-2008, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pavanbabut

thanks Steve, is it just opening the front valve cover and retorqueing the head?

-Pavan

jontg428 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-16-2008, 03:09 PM

Be sure you have your manual with you as you will have to follow the order to re torque the heads, you simply cannot just tighten them down in any random order. All the heads I have done on cars use a cross hatch style torque pattern.

pavanbabut · #6 (**permalink**) 11-16-2008, 03:45 PM

Sure will follow the manual... thanks-

164 FAMILY · #7 (**permalink**) 11-16-2008, 05:18 PM

Pavan make sure it is not leaking from somewhere else like from one of the hoses and down the head.

pavanbabut · #8 (**permalink**) 12-13-2008, 02:54 PM

Ok, I drained all the coolant and oil and retorqued the head and refilled oil and coolant and now the engine doesnt start, it just keep turning, but doesnt start. I am hoping it to get up and running this week, but seems like it wont..

Seems like some coolant went in... wht should I do now

...

thanks,
-Pavan

gt601 · #9 (**permalink**) 12-13-2008, 03:13 PM

Did you possibly get the firing order messed up? Is everything you took off hooked back up?
Go through all you did in a calm manner. It's easy to miss something silly when you are in a slight panic. Where did it seem coolant went?

Paul

**Richard2** · #10 (**permalink**) 12-13-2008, 03:21 PM

Has the coolant level dropped? I'd pull the plugs and look down the plug holes for coolant. Turn it over by hand with a wrench on the front pulley nut. Set it at the timing mark and using the template check the timing to be sure. How do the plugs look? Rotor and Distributor cap? Also, check the bosch connector on the temp sensor. Sometimes also the coil wire at the coil corrodes.

pavanbabut · #11 (**permalink**) 12-13-2008, 03:37 PM

Hmm... these is a lot of gummy or greasy substance on the inside of coolant reservoir. The only thing I unplugged are the spark plug connectors and I plugged them back in. Thts it. Havent checked inside plugs...

-Pavan.

164 FAMILY · #12 (**permalink**) 12-13-2008, 03:42 PM

Hello Pavan make sure you did not mix up any of the spark plug wires. Also make sure the AFM is plugged in as well as the Motronic temp sensor on the thermostat housing that is hidden by the upper radiator hose.

pavanbabut · #13 (**permalink**) 12-14-2008, 10:56 AM

Here are some pics inside plugs

doesnt look good to me...
Any suggestions..

thanks,
-Pavan

**ChazzyD** · #14 (**permalink**) 12-14-2008, 11:02 AM

Looks like you need to replace the plug wheel seals, but not a reason for the no start.
Charles

pavanbabut · #15 (**permalink**) 12-14-2008, 11:46 AM

are you talking about the seals between head and valve cover?? That brown stuff doesnt look like oil, more like watery stuff.... does this mean some coolant seeped into the head??

-Pavan.