Ok so a friend of mine is having an issues with his car and i wanted to post here and ask you guys for an opinion on his situation.

So his car started getting hot the other day (never got all the way into the hot area) He said he could feel it losing power so he tried to drive it nice. when he got where he was going he said it stalled but when he went to leave it started rough but it still ran at the time and it ran all the way home without completely overhearing. Well not it won't start at all. it turns over and wants to start but it doesn't. I personally think it's a blown head gasket but i don't know for sure. What i do know though is when i try to pour coolant into the overflow it immediately comes right back out somewhere on the backside of the engine. (another reason i think it's a head gasket) so i guess i just want some input on this and if someone knows what the average cost of a head gasket replacement and if anyone has any recommendations of a good shop that would be able to do it reasonably in Atlanta Ga. Thanks!

 

Did you check to see if its leaking from the heater hoses which go from the block to the heater core (hoses go through the firewall so you can trace backward)? You can try running an exhaust gas test (Autozone may rent or sell test kits) as a way to check for a head gasket leak or cracked cylinder head. If it overheated it may have split the overflow tank as well - or possibly popped out a freeze plug in the block (pretty rare IMHO but worth a look). Did you look at any of the spark plugs to see if they look wet and smell like fuel or antifreeze? Is there any foam on the dipstick or signs of anti freeze in the oil or oil in the anti freeze? Did you notice any white smoke from the exhaust when it was running?

Most shops use a quote book for jobs like this - but will need to run tests to see if its any of the plumbing, do a exhaust gas test for the head/gasket, and once they get the head off they need to test that (ie a dye test to look for cracks). My guess is to expect 2500-3000 for all the testing and to pull off the head and replace the gasket. If you need a new cylinder head - $2500-3000, OEM new and used they can run $500+.

 

Were in Atlanta are you? I ask because I live in Kennesaw which is about 25-30 minutes up north 75. My buddy owns are good shop if you are interested.

 

There was no white smoke when it was running. i can't actually even reach up far enough behind the engine to find where the fluid is leaking from, i just know that as soon as i try to put anything into the overflow it almost immediately starts to pour out somewhere behind the engine. I don't know where the freeze plugs are and i cant find any info on the internet so i can't do that until i find out. Theres really no way to do an exhaust gas test because i'm pretty sure most of the coolant has leaked out. i can't really tell.

 

If it was OUT of coolant, it likely overheated. The sad thing about temp gauges is that coolant really needs to be on the sensor to give a correct reading.

Since the car is TURBO, there are a few coolant hoses on the back side of the motor. They are used to help cool the turbo. The video below will show you where the hoses are located.

Sad, but tows are always cheaper than a head job. SMH