Intake manifold gasket causing overheat?

[mildewmatt]

Hey guys.

I have two problems, which just happened to co-occur today.

I drive a '96 VS Berlina V6. On gas. The temperature is generally very well behaved - it _NEVER_ goes above half way - even on a 47c day in stop start traffic, i've never seen it go over half since i fixed the thermostat about a year ago.

Until today. Sitting in traffic, temperature gradually just kept climbing up past half. got to just before the 3/4 mark and the car turned off. Dead - no dash lights, wouldn't start. Had this problem once before, but thought it was the air conditioner (so I stopped using the air conditioner and forgot about it because the low speed fan always cooled it down properly). It blows the 7.5a, fuse #10 as soon as it needs the high speed fan. This is probably more appropriate for the electrical section BUT-

I'm wondering what your thoughts are on the overheating? I've noticed oil in the radiator, but no water in the oil. It seems pretty consistent with a blown intake manifold gasket. I noticed it running warmer the past couple of days (usually sits on 1/4 until stopped in traffic, but has been hovering beween 1/4 and 1/2 lately) but until today, there were no consequences. I think I spotted some coolant in the valley. Will a blown valley gasket cause the car to overheat like that? Most threads i've read state the car doesn't overheat.

The car's coolant level is fine, all pipes and radiator cap are within 6 months old and not leaking, the radiator is about 6 months old. Only other thought is, I'm pretty sure that's the original water pump. It's got about 160,000km on it, but it's not leaking.

Any ideas would be great.

I hope it's not a head gasket.

[clubby_you]

Well if you have oil in your coolant it will coat every thing inside the block and radiator and act as a insualtor to the coolant trying to absorb the heat or vice versa in the rad
Just a thought

Cheers Doug

[jamessharks]

You can test the intake manifold easily ... take the top engine cover off so you can see the intake manifold and get a hose with running water just a slow stream will do now spray the intake manifold just above the rocket covers (do both sides)... if the engine starts running badly it's definatly a intake manifold job. But what you've described sounds like a intake ... you'll also have to get the radiator cleaned and engine block flushed. to get the oil out of the cooling system ... thats whats probably caused your overheating the oil in the water