1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
99.99% of head gasket failure occur after an overheating. However, it doesn't have to be the next day... It's like waking up one morning and your back has a knot or kink in it. You try to remember what you did the day before, and the day before that. eventually you remember it was two days before that when you twisted around in your Saab trying to get something off the floor behind the passenger seat...
You don't even have to get completely into the red, or in the red for long, or if you temp sender is not working correctly and it should have been red... you are toast, sooner or later...
And, we've all seen the poor guy/gal on the side of the road with an overheated car (happened to me twice in the last five years - major pain!). Missed getting somewhere, maybe ruined some nice clothes? Most likely very irritated to the *max*. Oh, where and how to take your car. You called on your cell phone, got one right? It's all downside here.
prevention? Change your Oil & filter (yep, oil) regularly, check the level regularly, change your air filter regularly, check the coolant level regularly (NEVER USE TAP WATER - DISTILLED ONLY - purchase a 50/50 mix for the trunk to go with the oil that your carry - you do carry your brand oil and coolant in the trunk don't you?), you can do the checks when you gas the car - nice level spot usually - you can SEE the level of coolant through the platic resivor, *change* the coolant yearly, change the thermostat every other year and change the sender then too.
NEVER RUN WITH LOW COOLANT OR THE BELT THAT RUNS THE WATER PUMP MISSING OR BROKEN. NEVER THINK "I can make it.." You CAN'T. Again, you WON'T MAKE IT. IT *will* COST YOU BIG DOLLARS. Does this sound like a lot of trouble? Maybe. If you are a DIYer, the SAAB thermostat from eEuroparts is about $20, the temp sender about $10, coolant varies but is relatively inexpensive compared to a head gasket.
Let's compare and assume you are a moderate DIYer. You can do all of the above, thermostat, sender, and drain and replace fluids, change your oil etc. Round dollar high estimate is $80. Could take as much as 2-3 hours the first time as you learn what's what.
A headgasket? Parts and machine shop of the head and assume the head just needs a cleaning and pressure test. $200 *very* bare minimum. You should replace all of the hoses, the big rubber band, the idler pulleys, various bushings washers and gromets too. That runs to $400-500 for parts, machine shop labor, and fluids. Labor? That's you. Do you have the correct tools to do the work? Torque wrench, E16 to remove the head bolts, a place to work, do you have *another* car to drive until you get it done, have you done this *before* or do you have a technical buddy that has, brake cleaner - PB Blaster - WD-40 - cleaning stuff - and, the worst part, what happens if you run into problems doing the deed? And on the weekend? I hate it when that happens! What happens when you break a stud or or or... We *ALL* run into problems and have to dig out. Remember, experience varies directly with equipment ruined... What that means is that all the folks on this great board that answer you with good answers that actually are correct and fix your problem, have screwed themselves into the ground over just such a problem, and had to dig out. And the next time they avoided that pitfall. The upside is, try to not have to dig out... I'm *not* saying to not do it yourself (I started and never looked back), but AM saying to diy preventative maintenance and help yourself keep out of the tall weeds!
So, like that Fram filter commercial of old says, "Pay me now or pay me later..."
Oh, a head gasket job at the dealer? $1500 for openers...
I invite your replies, I may have missed something or you may think I'm overselling...
Just my experiences from equipment ruined...
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