ARRGH! Car problem knowledge

C

CathydsRNA

Cathlete
Hi,
I just got home from work at this late hour because my car broke down and so I have to miss my workout;( and so you won't see me tomorrow on the daily check in. My car has less than 18,000 miles on it and I take care of it. The first symptom was about a week ago when I noticed the heater didn't work (it has been cold on the East coast this spring and so I needed it). The fan worked and about every day or two, I would get a blast of heat from the vents that lasted for a few seconds only. This morning I noticed a scraping noise under my car and near the dashboard. Tonight, the check engine light and the VSC light came on and the engine temperature gauge indicator was at the top (very hot). I had to have the car towed. Anyone have any ideas of what this could be?:eek:
Thanks
 
I know nothing about cars, but I hope you can get everything up and running. I am totally clueless when it comes to cars. I can't even change the oil.He! He!. Seriously hope someone has some ideas for you. Also what kind of car do you have? That doesn't matter I'm just curious.

kim
 
Cathy, I will ask my husband what he thinks, he doesn't do that for a living but is very good mechanic. We've never brought one of our cars to the garage. I know those check engine lights are very sensitive and any small thing can set them off. The tempature gauge being that high would of worried me too though. I'll ask my husband for opinions in the morning and reply.
~Carolyn~
 
My DH was a mechanic for 20 years and though he hesitates to make a definite diagnosis online, he thinks that you probably were leaking anti-freeze. Check the anti-freeze level. It could be a leak or you could have a bad head gasket. With only 18,000 miles on it, it should be covered under the warranty. He says get it to a dealer ASAP.
 
Thanks!:) It is at the dealer's service. It had to be towed last night. Along the leaking antifreeze idea, I did notice a slight maple syrup smell of antifreeze in the car too, so perhaps that's what it is.
Thanks again. I should get a diagnosis back today.
 
Could be a blown head gasket - did you ever notice white smoke coming from your tailpipe? I had a blown head gasket and the first thing I noticed was white smoke from the tailpipe when I started my car up. This went on for a couple of weeks before finally the gasket totally blew and my engine overheated and I had to have the car towed. If you DO have a blown head gasket, the repair can be quite costly because of the labor involved. If you have any friends or family who are good with cars, it would be much more cost-effective to have someone do it for you with free or reduced-cost labor. My husband and I are going to be repairing the head gasket on my old car - at $200 for parts and free labor, versus $200 for parts and $600 for labor at a local auto shop, or even more at a dealer. It's not a difficult repair, just time-consuming. Hope it all works out for you! :)
 
Hi, I asked my husband this morning what he thought. He too was hesitant to say for sure online. But he was thinking more along the lines of a broken electrical fan that is in front of your radiator. Because of the exact symptoms you described. Said that was common, and that would explain the noise you heard, and high temp. He said something like that could probably be diagnosed within five minutes of mechanic looking under hood. I mentioned the head gasket thought someone had and he didn't think that was it, he told me why, but of course I can't remember at the moment. Hope that helps some, and hope it's something minor and inexpensive!
Good Luck
~Carolyn~
 
Hi everyone,
It wasn't a blown head gasket but a cracked radiator. It was a factory defect and they had to replace the radiator. There was absolutely no coolant and the antifreeze ahd sprayed all over the inside under the hood. The fan had a problem too. All repairs were done at the dealer's expense as my car had only 18,000 miles on it and they paid for my rental which I still have. I hope that the engine overheating didn't cause engine damage that will cause further problems down the line. Thanks everyone.
 
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