Q: The car place told me there was nothing wrong with my car, and the next day it overheats again, what is going on?
This February, I tried to visit my friend at college, and about an hour in, it completely overheated and started smoking/steaming and made a boiling noise from the front end. I couldn't even touch the hood. I made it to Midas, and they said it was really low on coolant and the thermostat was stuck, and that I could drive home safely. My car guy checked it out and said I may have a leak, as I had to keep filling it wish coolant. So I took it in a few days ago to a car place, and they called me the next day saying there was nothing wrong and that they couldnt make it overheat. well, yesterday, I was driving for about an hour, and it overheats AGAIN. Doing the exact same thing, after he said there were no leaks or anything. They also said they topped off the coolant, but I checked and it was empty. What is going on with car? Also just got the head gasket replaced this winter.
My car has 80000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
It sounds like you may possibly have a failing cylinder head gasket again. A blown head gasket may cause a number of different symptoms. Coolant in the engine oil, an engine misfire or oil leaking from the engine could all be a symptom. Each of these symptoms could also have other causes and an actual blown head gasket may show none of the above symptoms. Symptoms will often vary considerably, depending on how the gasket fails. Head gaskets may fail in several different ways. With each failure type different symptoms may result. The symptoms each person sees depend on how and where the head gasket fails. Head gaskets may fail in several different ways. For example, a restricted radiator may cause an engine to overheat, very much the same as a head gasket failure. Often times, intake gaskets will fail causing coolant to leak into the oil.
A warped or cracked cylinder head will also produce the exact symptom of a blown head gasket. An external inspection is the only way to determine if the problem is head gasket related. This may mean a blown gasket, warped or cracked cylinder head or other problems in the area. For instance corrosion on the head gasket surface will cause leakage, though technically not a blown gasket. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to properly diagnose the symptoms you describe.
Get an instant quote for your car
Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing