C6 corvette overheating do i have a blown head gasket?
01-16-2018, 02:21 AM
#1
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C6 corvette overheating do i have a blown head gasket?
Hey everyone im new to this site and I just had a question and hope anyone can help. I have a 2008 corvette and I was using it today and everything was working fine car was running perfect. I got up today picked up my girl from work and dropped her off and when i was on the free way I was on 6th gear going 80 on cruise control and got to my job and was in the parking lot and I let it idel and temp was good everything was good so i was on my phone didit pay attension it was on for about 10mins and I looked to turn off the car and seen the msg saying over heating and the car was about to turn off and I turned it off and freaked out the needle was on red for the temp and I was like what the hell happen and im just wondering if i have a blown headgasket or do i still have a chance to save it. Sorry maybe to much info and typos
01-16-2018, 04:18 AM
#2
Burning Brakes
head gasket
Chances are you're good. Unless you make it a habit to drive and talk on your phone without paying attention to your gauges. Check the coolant level and then take it out for a drive. If it doesn't happen again you're OK. But if you notice the temperature gauge climbing you need to check further. Water pump? Radiator issue? Radiator fans? Head gasket would be worse case scenario.
01-16-2018, 04:59 AM
#3
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Chances are you're good. Unless you make it a habit to drive and talk on your phone without paying attention to your gauges. Check the coolant level and then take it out for a drive. If it doesn't happen again you're OK. But if you notice the temperature gauge climbing you need to check further. Water pump? Radiator issue? Radiator fans? Head gasket would be worse case scenario.
01-16-2018, 05:43 AM
#4
Race Director
Could be a stuck thermostat..., which is very inexpensive...could be a plastic t joint up against the radiator...it's nothing expensive to fix and been know. To crack...and would cause this problem. Could be your water pump again not expensive. Could be a hose. Could be a plastic reservoir which again is inexpensive.
The vehicle has a program in the pcm that alternates cylinder activation to allow various shut down of cylinders to keep the car from grenading its engine. Makes the engine run very rough but it does not indicate permanent engine damage...(but obviously you don't want to ignore the high coolant temps in the future..if you noticed coolant..(red fluid when you drop a paper towel in the fluid on the floor) on the floor...you can put a half a gallon of distilled water from a drug store like cvs can be put in the coolant system reservoir tank in an emergency instead of coolant as long as outside temperatures are not too cold to freezing..and the engine isn't hot..imo so when you get back to your car....check the coolant reservoir tank on the drivers side of the engine bay when you open the hood.
Open your owners manual etc...and add water to reservoir tank if you plan on starting your car ..after adding water ..
Traditionally only add water or coolant to a motor not run for a bit..so at the end of your shift bring some distrilled water if you want..
Most insurance companies offer a $75 towing benefit..
Personally I believe having AAA gold or premiere service with any car makes sense unless you are under manufacturer warranty ...and even then.,,my AAA premiere...service offers free 100 mile towing..
It's awesome..but takes 30 days of membership before they tow you for free..
Use it once and that can save you $800 towing bill..
I would be very surprised if you blew the engine or damaged it in any way...
Just get it towed to a good shop that you trust and don't say anything about blowing a head gasket to the shop..
A simple 17 lbs pressure check in your cooling system will show where the coolant leak..
Most GM water pumps fail ...imo its a weak design...weeps out coolant...but with the pcm save engine mode as I described .....it's not terrible....just fix the leak..
Coolant temp at 210 doesn't sound too high..and the rocking motion is the pcm shutting off and turning on various piston ignition light offs to cool those cylinders.
Ten minutes wouldn't or shouldn't cause permanent damage...
Just repair the coolant system with a 17 (or 16 ) psi pressure test by a tech...and don't speak of blown head gaskets etc...just tell them to fix the cooling system...
I've had the same situation type experience and it's just the cooling system leaking and malfunctioning...
My bet is a waterpump, a thermostat and maybe a few hoses...
The plastic radiator has been know to crack ..but even that wasn't a big deal to fix.
Hope this helps and remember the ls2 and ls3 are tough motors...they handle this without long term damage...
Just fix the cooling system leak ..
The vehicle has a program in the pcm that alternates cylinder activation to allow various shut down of cylinders to keep the car from grenading its engine. Makes the engine run very rough but it does not indicate permanent engine damage...(but obviously you don't want to ignore the high coolant temps in the future..if you noticed coolant..(red fluid when you drop a paper towel in the fluid on the floor) on the floor...you can put a half a gallon of distilled water from a drug store like cvs can be put in the coolant system reservoir tank in an emergency instead of coolant as long as outside temperatures are not too cold to freezing..and the engine isn't hot..imo so when you get back to your car....check the coolant reservoir tank on the drivers side of the engine bay when you open the hood.
Open your owners manual etc...and add water to reservoir tank if you plan on starting your car ..after adding water ..
Traditionally only add water or coolant to a motor not run for a bit..so at the end of your shift bring some distrilled water if you want..
Most insurance companies offer a $75 towing benefit..
Personally I believe having AAA gold or premiere service with any car makes sense unless you are under manufacturer warranty ...and even then.,,my AAA premiere...service offers free 100 mile towing..
It's awesome..but takes 30 days of membership before they tow you for free..
Use it once and that can save you $800 towing bill..
I would be very surprised if you blew the engine or damaged it in any way...
Just get it towed to a good shop that you trust and don't say anything about blowing a head gasket to the shop..
A simple 17 lbs pressure check in your cooling system will show where the coolant leak..
Most GM water pumps fail ...imo its a weak design...weeps out coolant...but with the pcm save engine mode as I described .....it's not terrible....just fix the leak..
Coolant temp at 210 doesn't sound too high..and the rocking motion is the pcm shutting off and turning on various piston ignition light offs to cool those cylinders.
Ten minutes wouldn't or shouldn't cause permanent damage...
Just repair the coolant system with a 17 (or 16 ) psi pressure test by a tech...and don't speak of blown head gaskets etc...just tell them to fix the cooling system...
I've had the same situation type experience and it's just the cooling system leaking and malfunctioning...
My bet is a waterpump, a thermostat and maybe a few hoses...
The plastic radiator has been know to crack ..but even that wasn't a big deal to fix.
Hope this helps and remember the ls2 and ls3 are tough motors...they handle this without long term damage...
Just fix the cooling system leak ..
Last edited by JerriVette; 01-16-2018 at 06:00 AM.
01-16-2018, 07:49 AM
#5
Race Director
First thing- 210 is not overheating, it's a normal temperature if you have been sitting and idling like you were. Coolant on the ground could be a bad water pump or just a loose hose clamp or bad coolant hose of some type.
If it really was overheating it sounds to me that it's more likely the e-fans are not running since temperature was OK while moving. It's zero cost to check this so that's where I would start. Drive until the car is fully warmed up, then park and idle like you did. You should hear the fans running if the car starts overheating. If they aren't running you know what the issue is and now have to start troubleshooting.
Has the coolant ever been changed? If not it could have contributed to a sticky thermostat. A new thermostat is cheap and easy to replace, and if you don't know if the coolant has been maintained it's a good time to do that as well. It could also be trapped air in the cooling system but that's not likely unless you have recently messed with the coolant. Low coolant? Again, that's a no-cost check.
After that you start getting into more involved items, and based on your being on the forum and asking this question it might be better to go to a trusted shop beyond the simple items.
If it really was overheating it sounds to me that it's more likely the e-fans are not running since temperature was OK while moving. It's zero cost to check this so that's where I would start. Drive until the car is fully warmed up, then park and idle like you did. You should hear the fans running if the car starts overheating. If they aren't running you know what the issue is and now have to start troubleshooting.
Has the coolant ever been changed? If not it could have contributed to a sticky thermostat. A new thermostat is cheap and easy to replace, and if you don't know if the coolant has been maintained it's a good time to do that as well. It could also be trapped air in the cooling system but that's not likely unless you have recently messed with the coolant. Low coolant? Again, that's a no-cost check.
After that you start getting into more involved items, and based on your being on the forum and asking this question it might be better to go to a trusted shop beyond the simple items.
Last edited by BadAV; 01-16-2018 at 08:17 AM.
01-16-2018, 02:16 PM
#6
3rd Gear
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First thing- 210 is not overheating, it's a normal temperature if you have been sitting and idling like you were. Coolant on the ground could be a bad water pump or just a loose hose clamp or bad coolant hose of some type.
If it really was overheating it sounds to me that it's more likely the e-fans are not running since temperature was OK while moving. It's zero cost to check this so that's where I would start. Drive until the car is fully warmed up, then park and idle like you did. You should hear the fans running if the car starts overheating. If they aren't running you know what the issue is and now have to start troubleshooting.
Has the coolant ever been changed? If not it could have contributed to a sticky thermostat. A new thermostat is cheap and easy to replace, and if you don't know if the coolant has been maintained it's a good time to do that as well. It could also be trapped air in the cooling system but that's not likely unless you have recently messed with the coolant. Low coolant? Again, that's a no-cost check.
After that you start getting into more involved items, and based on your being on the forum and asking this question it might be better to go to a trusted shop beyond the simple items.
If it really was overheating it sounds to me that it's more likely the e-fans are not running since temperature was OK while moving. It's zero cost to check this so that's where I would start. Drive until the car is fully warmed up, then park and idle like you did. You should hear the fans running if the car starts overheating. If they aren't running you know what the issue is and now have to start troubleshooting.
Has the coolant ever been changed? If not it could have contributed to a sticky thermostat. A new thermostat is cheap and easy to replace, and if you don't know if the coolant has been maintained it's a good time to do that as well. It could also be trapped air in the cooling system but that's not likely unless you have recently messed with the coolant. Low coolant? Again, that's a no-cost check.
After that you start getting into more involved items, and based on your being on the forum and asking this question it might be better to go to a trusted shop beyond the simple items.
01-16-2018, 04:09 PM
#7
Safety Car
Check coolant level to determine in fact you are losing coolant.
Check for coolant in the oil, if present there is a good chance of a blown head gasket.
Check to see if the fan turns on at idle. The fan will go on at around 200*F and you should hear them good at 210*F.
If the above checks out then:
Possible T-stat stuck
Water pump usually weeps coolant from the weep hole when they start to go bad.
Check for coolant in the oil, if present there is a good chance of a blown head gasket.
Check to see if the fan turns on at idle. The fan will go on at around 200*F and you should hear them good at 210*F.
If the above checks out then:
Possible T-stat stuck
Water pump usually weeps coolant from the weep hole when they start to go bad.
Last edited by Mike's LS3; 01-17-2018 at 06:51 PM.
01-17-2018, 03:25 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
Can you tell where the coolant was leaking from? It is possible that you just have a leak in one of the radiator hoses or a loose clamp. This happened on one of my other cars.
01-17-2018, 03:43 PM
#9
Drifting
Member Since: May 2013
Location: Mountain View California
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Over heating
I went through the same thing that you did on my 2012 GS. It turned out to be the cooling fans connector. The connector was fried and needed to be changed out for a new one. It was not letting the fans come on like they should. My temp went up to 260*, had reduced engine power and change oil DIC notice. Lost some coolant, after an hour of letting car cool down, added coolant and drove the car home. I did change the oil when I was home.
Took to dealer and had fan connector replaced. All has been good for over 18 months. This is a known problem on the C6.
I auto-X and have had no more problems since the repair. Very
Took to dealer and had fan connector replaced. All has been good for over 18 months. This is a known problem on the C6.
I auto-X and have had no more problems since the repair. Very
01-17-2018, 05:28 PM
#11
Le Mans Master
True - one fan, and:
No cylinder deactivation on a C6 as stated, in error, in post #4.
No cylinder deactivation on a C6 as stated, in error, in post #4.
01-17-2018, 05:49 PM
#12
Team Owner
Probably don't need a new radiator.
01-17-2018, 09:56 PM
#14
Check coolant level to determine in fact you are losing coolant.
Check for coolant in the oil, if present there is a good chance of a blown head gasket.
Check to see if the fan turns on at idle. The fan will go on at around 200*F and you should hear them good at 210*F.
If the above checks out then:
Possible T-stat stuck
Water pump usually weeps coolant from the weep hole when they start to go bad.
Check for coolant in the oil, if present there is a good chance of a blown head gasket.
Check to see if the fan turns on at idle. The fan will go on at around 200*F and you should hear them good at 210*F.
If the above checks out then:
Possible T-stat stuck
Water pump usually weeps coolant from the weep hole when they start to go bad.
This is the only way to know if your head gasket is leaking.
Is the coolant milky, is the oil milky? Does your exhaust smell a bit like burnt coolant (like a chemical creme brulee)? What color is your exhaust?
01-17-2018, 10:53 PM
#15
Le Mans Master
sorry I ment 260 and okay this is the update on my car i just got off of work and walked to my car and saw a bunch of coolent in the floor which i knew it was from last night so now i turned on the car and it said chamge oil and I was like wtf I just did it last month and I freaked out thinking I did blew the gasket I checked my oil and it looks fine no coolent mixed with the oil so now i turned it on and it said low coolent and I started driving I know I'm dumb but i only live like 6 miles from my job trying to just skip through the headach and turn it off before it hits red and I just saw my fans for my raditor arnt turning on and I looked up on eBay and saw a c6 corvette z06 raditor plus fans for 200 and I just wanted ur guys input I have a ls3 c6 corvette base is it the same or would i be upgrading and do i just buy the 4 row raditor? Thank you guys for the tips again
01-18-2018, 08:02 AM
#16
Le Mans Master
You say temp was 260 degrees and the fan was not working? If at 260 degrees and the fan is not working, the fan, fan circuit, wiring is most likely the problem. No need for a radiator if fan does not work. Fix what is not working first.
01-18-2018, 11:14 AM
#17
Basic run down, check the level of the fluid in the radiator reserve tank.
The correct fluid is dex-cool mixed with 50% water, so the fluid should be a clear orange color. Again, clear orange, and not some frothy white/tan color crap in the tank fluid instead.
The full mark like for the tank in on the front of it by the head lights, so the tank is full when its about half way full of fluid. If the tank is empty, then you lost the fluid somewhere, and the needs to be filed about half way back up with dex-cool mis, and the sytem pressure tested with about 15lbs of air to check for leaks in the system. Also, with the tank about half way filled up, need to run the car for a few mins, to recheck the color of the dex-cool to make sure is still clear, and not sucking dex-cool/water mix froth back into the tank.
Next, check the oil via the dip stick. Hence pull the dipstick out and take a look at the color of the oil on it. The oil should look like Oil, either clean or dirty, but not some tan color of water and oil mixed together on the dip stick instead (that whole white/tan froth thing from above).
What oil and water mixed looks like,
Next one is easy to check, hence the fan. Start the car, and turn on the A/C to high. The a/c will turn the raditor fan on, since it's heat exchanger in in front of the radiator, and needs air to be pulled back through the heat exchanger, even when you are at a stop light.
If the fan does not come on, then shut the motor off, reach down the passasnger side of the raditor side about half way down, and unplug the fan connector and take a look at the plug connectors.
So fan not coming on when the A/C is on, what your really want to see if the fan conector melted, meaning that you have found the problem of why the fan was not coming on in the first place.
Hence finding the below with the fan not coming on with the A/C on is like finding gold,Since it means that you don't have to dig deeper to find the problem.
As for solving the connector problem, two ways to go about it.
One is to replace the melted connector with another OEM connector, while the other is to get a better connectors, of just bypass the connectors with solders the lines together and using heat shrink over the soldered wires.
Note, need to back step a touch on why the connector melted in the first place, and if the can has been tuned, then the tuner lowered the point of when the fan comes on, and this is the reason that the connector melted in the first place.
If the connector is not the problem and the fuse in the engine bay fuse box still good, then you need to dig deeper, since it may be the PWM that went out, or even the fan motor instead. The quick way to tell if it the later and the car has not been tuned, reach in and turn the fan by hand. If is hard to turn, then this caused the PWM to over heat to take it out.
The fan with it back cover, and the silver box botton right is the PWM.
Barring none of the above the problem, then the problem is either a T stat stuck closed, the water pump inner propeller no longer turning with the pulley shaft, of a huge air bubble in the block that was not vaccumed out when the raditor fluid was refilled.
Bottom line, with knowing what to look for, should be able to figure out the problem in about 5 mins, and this leads to what needs to be repaired next.
The correct fluid is dex-cool mixed with 50% water, so the fluid should be a clear orange color. Again, clear orange, and not some frothy white/tan color crap in the tank fluid instead.
The full mark like for the tank in on the front of it by the head lights, so the tank is full when its about half way full of fluid. If the tank is empty, then you lost the fluid somewhere, and the needs to be filed about half way back up with dex-cool mis, and the sytem pressure tested with about 15lbs of air to check for leaks in the system. Also, with the tank about half way filled up, need to run the car for a few mins, to recheck the color of the dex-cool to make sure is still clear, and not sucking dex-cool/water mix froth back into the tank.
Next, check the oil via the dip stick. Hence pull the dipstick out and take a look at the color of the oil on it. The oil should look like Oil, either clean or dirty, but not some tan color of water and oil mixed together on the dip stick instead (that whole white/tan froth thing from above).
What oil and water mixed looks like,
Next one is easy to check, hence the fan. Start the car, and turn on the A/C to high. The a/c will turn the raditor fan on, since it's heat exchanger in in front of the radiator, and needs air to be pulled back through the heat exchanger, even when you are at a stop light.
If the fan does not come on, then shut the motor off, reach down the passasnger side of the raditor side about half way down, and unplug the fan connector and take a look at the plug connectors.
So fan not coming on when the A/C is on, what your really want to see if the fan conector melted, meaning that you have found the problem of why the fan was not coming on in the first place.
Hence finding the below with the fan not coming on with the A/C on is like finding gold,Since it means that you don't have to dig deeper to find the problem.
As for solving the connector problem, two ways to go about it.
One is to replace the melted connector with another OEM connector, while the other is to get a better connectors, of just bypass the connectors with solders the lines together and using heat shrink over the soldered wires.
Note, need to back step a touch on why the connector melted in the first place, and if the can has been tuned, then the tuner lowered the point of when the fan comes on, and this is the reason that the connector melted in the first place.
If the connector is not the problem and the fuse in the engine bay fuse box still good, then you need to dig deeper, since it may be the PWM that went out, or even the fan motor instead. The quick way to tell if it the later and the car has not been tuned, reach in and turn the fan by hand. If is hard to turn, then this caused the PWM to over heat to take it out.
The fan with it back cover, and the silver box botton right is the PWM.
Barring none of the above the problem, then the problem is either a T stat stuck closed, the water pump inner propeller no longer turning with the pulley shaft, of a huge air bubble in the block that was not vaccumed out when the raditor fluid was refilled.
Bottom line, with knowing what to look for, should be able to figure out the problem in about 5 mins, and this leads to what needs to be repaired next.
Last edited by Dano523; 01-18-2018 at 11:24 AM.