i have 95 960 wagon with 208k miles on it. i am having to put water in it at least once a week. i suspected a head gasket, but i have tested the coolant several times and it comes up negative. i would sometimes see water near the left front of the rad, but underneath the rad is all dry. it has starting running on 5 cylinders when starting cold, just sometimes though. i did a leak down test this past week end and found nothing wrong....at first. i went through them several times, doing different tests. one test i did i rotated the crank several times to check leak down through the cycle, and also to see if any air was getting back into the cooling system. when i did #2, the leak down was arounf 60%, the other times it passed so i suspect carbon on the valvles. when i was done, it started fine and ran very smooth.

the rad is only a few years old. the old rad sprung a leak and i dont know how hot the motor got, the wife was driving it, but that has been 2 years or so now.
it seems like the cooling system builds up too much pressure. i have put on several new caps. the other day i went out to add water. even though the car had sat over night, there was a lot of pressure on the cooling system. in fact, water tried to come, but i still had to add a lot of water.

i ran a can of sea foam into the intake about 8 months ago to clean the carbon.

i have a spare motor, and car, with only 117k on it. it was my moms. she wrecked it a while back. it is a 93 though. if i put her motor and tranny in my car, should i use the 93 compter/s in my car?

BTW, i need a grey drivers side door panel. i have a 93 parts car. i can trade parts or buy. if trade, i will make sure you come out very happy. not much of the interior left. doors, glass, motors, electrical stuff are most of what is left.
i will post in parts later.

 

How hot is the car getting? You can hook up a code reader and read the temp when its warmed up.

Is there coolant in the oil?

 

oil is clean. if the gage is working, temp is normal, although i am starting to question the gage. i have never seen the temp go past half way.

i guess it is time to steam clean the engine and look for the wet spot.

 

The temp guage should never go past 1/2 way. If it does, you have a real problem. Is there not a spot on the ground? If you have a hose leaking POST THURMOSTAT it will leak after it is warmed up. Look under the hood after the car is warm. Maybe you have a pin hole leak in your radiator.