My VS commodore blew....

[Chokkie]

Hey people... new to this site and was just wondering if anyone could tell me what's happened to my car.....

OK, so I was over a friends house, and my radiator has had a small leak for a little while now, like I have to top the water up in it at least once a week so I got some Radiator Stop Leak and put it thru my radiator (followed the instructions on the bottle...)

Then when I was driving home, my temp gage when up to around 3/4 on the gage and when I pulled up to stop at a set of lights there was this loud tapping/ticking noise coming out of my motor somewhere and the car stalled (its an auto) .... so I started the car again and managed to keep going... at this point I didnt know what it could be as the temp was still only at 3/4 on the gage.....

the next set of traffic lights it did the same thing but this time wouldnt start again and all this black smoke came out from under the bonnet and a horrible burning type smell.... some nice guy stopped and helped me push it off the highway into the side street where I sat for a couple hours (kids in the car, til my brother could come) When I opened the bonnet and managed to open the radiator there was NOTHING in it.. bone dry, and smoke was still coming out of the cap - I put 3 litres of water in it and then looked underneath the car and it was dripping out the bottom of the radiator....
I checked my oil dipstick and that was on the "full" line still.... so it couldnt be that right?

so after sitting there for 2 hours, putting water in the radiator I managed to drive it to a close by servo and filled it right up again... so between where I was and 100 metres down the road to the servo I had lost the full 3 litres I had just put in....

I filled it again and filled my bottle and managed to drive the car....

does n e one have an idea what it could be? obviously my radiator is effed but would it have been the stop leak that caused it? and do you think thats the only think that would be wrong with it? or because of all the smoke maybe my whole engines blown?

If n e one could help me that would be great, or if I havent given enough info, I'm happy to give more

thank you all in advance

[MGNick]

that stop leak is rough as. mate used it in his mazda bravo and it blocked his coolant line and ruined his water pump.
thats my guess.

[SP00KSTER]

im thinking that only is your radiator gone but also your hoses might of perished and your losing all your water through it, as for the black smoke i havent really heard that one before so id like to find out what other people say about it.

[tommySV6Ute]

Even tough the temp gauge says 3/4 she's probably gone off the scale high.

The radiator has a hole in it and you somehow believe a $5 bottle of stop leak will make it better.

You have probably cooked your engine, so while you get that sorted you may as well get a reconditioned or new radiator while your at it to prevent this happening again. In hindsight you should have done this a while ago huh..

Blaming the stop-leak for what has occurred is a little silly.

[Chokkie]

I'm not blaming the stop leak.... I just mean that it happened after I put it in.... its only been a real small leak for a while now, like I'd only have to top the radiator up maybe once every few weeks at the most? I just thought maybe the stop leak clogged something? a hose? I have no idea, as I said I dont really know much about cars and I put the stop leak through from advise from a friend

[Chokkie]

I just looked at the car for the first time this morning, Opened the radiator cap and it looks empty, but then looked at the overflow bottle and there is water in it but it looks like MILK.....

[tommySV6Ute]

Pull the dipstick out & I reckon you'll find its white & milky too meaning the waterjacket is split somewhere, the water in the cooling system is mixing with the engine oil, meaning the engine is stuffed.

Time to trade it in.

[88GreenVN]

If after filling the car with coolant (use water now if its broken to save $$) you get bubbles in the radiator (cap off and car running) you may well have a blown head gasket. You may also have a leaky welsh plug in the head or engine block.

[Chokkie]

I've looked at the dipstick and the oil on it still looks like a clear yellow colour - like normal oil I guess?

[Chokkie]

So what would that mean then? the water in my over flow looks like white milk. although the dipstick oil looks clear yellow, not milky at all

[cursa]

have you checked the transmission fluid?

[tommySV6Ute]

Yeah head gasket most likely, not so the waterjacket, where I was going..

[Chokkie]

Do any of you know how much approx it would be to fix the head gasket at a mechanic? approx?? just an idea?

[GothicKidd]

Dad had problems in his KIA, Put some of that Radiator Stop Leak, Managed to get it home.. and we couldnt get it going again.. Took it to mechanics.. They did $1000 of repairs.. and said we're better off getting a new engine for the car..
VS motors would be easy to buy for at least $1000

[FstStig]

hahahaha Time for another Motor mate, That ticking noise was probably your bottom end or big end bearing. Probably also did a head gasket.

[Burnout124]

the engin probly has been cooked but they a pritty strong the worst thing that could be rong is you may have done your head gaskets even if there is no oil in water or water in oil put a new rad in and change the thermostat and see how it gose if you still have h cooling isue you may have to get it co2 tested to see if the head is blowen.

[hako]

The white water in the overflow tank is probably white because you added some stop leak to the coolant - it turns the water white. If the oil on the dipstick is normal then there is no coolant in the oil. Fix the problems one at a time....first to fix is a new radiator.

[JAAV]

All Remember, temp gauges dont read correctly when the sensor isnt surounded by water..3/4 temp on the gauge with no water? the smoke was prob the old oil being fried of the engine block while the now very thin and burning engine oil in the sump is tearing up the bearing and camshaft.
one an engine has this sort over heat, youll prob find she is now burning oil and the gasket will now fail....

Stop leak is a last resort thing on the side of the road in the middle of woop woop. If it worked all the time the rad specialist wouldnt be around.

The rad was prob fine with no pressure build up due to the leak but after you put in the Stop Leak she sealed the leak causing the pressure to build up, blowing out the next weakest part of the cooling system. If you were watching the temp gauge you would have seen it drop a little as the water disapeared around the sensor then start to rise...Too late.
To replace a head gasket, A true work shop wouldnt just replace the gasket is its got hot..The head would be warped and / or cracked. To give you a price is like reading my crystal ball.