Any mechanically inclined people out there? Got a question even my mechanic
can't seem to answer.

My wagon loses coolant but I don't know where it goes it just needs to be
filled up again about a quart or so every 2-3 days. The distributor has been
replaced, wire harness, water pump works ok. Yet when I drive the car for
awhile then turn it off for a few mins go back and start it up again I puff
a big cloud of steam out of the exhaust then no more steam anymore til i
turn it off and start it up after sitting a bit again. I can't smell
anything funny in the dipstick as if the coolant is going in there either.
Where the heck is my coolant going? no leaks found my mechanic even put this
dye in that he can check with a blacklight to find the leak and nothing. Now
my engine light is on full time, I hear some strange winding noise while
accelerating after the car has been running a little bit and I've already
dropped $2300 on this car I only paid 2 grand for... I haven''t even paid
off the bills for it yet...I use it for work everyday delivering pakages fo
a courier company and drive about 1-200 miles/day am I gonna blow up soon or
can this last the necessary 40,000 miles I need it to last without problems
so I can afford to buy another car in Jan next year? Any help would be
greatly appreciated

 

Kenny Jeske wrote:
> Any mechanically inclined people out there? Got a question even my
> mechanic can't seem to answer.
>
> My wagon loses coolant but I don't know where it goes it just needs to
> be filled up again about a quart or so every 2-3 days. The distributor
> has been replaced, wire harness, water pump works ok. Yet when I drive
> the car for awhile then turn it off for a few mins go back and start it
> up again I puff a big cloud of steam out of the exhaust then no more
> steam anymore til i turn it off and start it up after sitting a bit
> again. I can't smell anything funny in the dipstick as if the coolant is
> going in there either. Where the heck is my coolant going? no leaks
> found my mechanic even put this dye in that he can check with a
> blacklight to find the leak and nothing. Now my engine light is on full
> time, I hear some strange winding noise while accelerating after the car
> has been running a little bit and I've already dropped $2300 on this car
> I only paid 2 grand for... I haven''t even paid off the bills for it
> yet...I use it for work everyday delivering pakages fo a courier company
> and drive about 1-200 miles/day am I gonna blow up soon or can this last
> the necessary 40,000 miles I need it to last without problems so I can
> afford to buy another car in Jan next year? Any help would be greatly
> appreciated

head gasket. won't last you 40k. gasket repair is expensive and
frequently done poorly. look into the economics of simply replacing the
motor thus:
http://www.nippon-motors.com/honda.htm

 

Kenny Jeske wrote:
> Any mechanically inclined people out there? Got a question even my
> mechanic can't seem to answer.
>
> My wagon loses coolant but I don't know where it goes it just needs to
> be filled up again about a quart or so every 2-3 days. The distributor
> has been replaced, wire harness, water pump works ok. Yet when I drive
> the car for awhile then turn it off for a few mins go back and start it
> up again I puff a big cloud of steam out of the exhaust then no more
> steam anymore til i turn it off and start it up after sitting a bit
> again. I can't smell anything funny in the dipstick as if the coolant is
> going in there either. Where the heck is my coolant going? no leaks
> found my mechanic even put this dye in that he can check with a
> blacklight to find the leak and nothing. Now my engine light is on full
> time, I hear some strange winding noise while accelerating after the car
> has been running a little bit and I've already dropped $2300 on this car
> I only paid 2 grand for... I haven''t even paid off the bills for it
> yet...I use it for work everyday delivering pakages fo a courier company
> and drive about 1-200 miles/day am I gonna blow up soon or can this last
> the necessary 40,000 miles I need it to last without problems so I can
> afford to buy another car in Jan next year? Any help would be greatly
> appreciated

head gasket. won't last you 40k. gasket repair is expensive and
frequently done poorly. look into the economics of simply replacing the
motor thus:
http://www.nippon-motors.com/honda.htm

 

also had 2 diff mechanics say head gasket ok

"Kenny Jeske" <kennycj@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:tqqdnbh4U8LFMMLbnZ2dnUVZ_jOdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> Any mechanically inclined people out there? Got a question even my
> mechanic can't seem to answer.
>
> My wagon loses coolant but I don't know where it goes it just needs to be
> filled up again about a quart or so every 2-3 days. The distributor has
> been replaced, wire harness, water pump works ok. Yet when I drive the car
> for awhile then turn it off for a few mins go back and start it up again I
> puff a big cloud of steam out of the exhaust then no more steam anymore
> til i turn it off and start it up after sitting a bit again. I can't smell
> anything funny in the dipstick as if the coolant is going in there either.
> Where the heck is my coolant going? no leaks found my mechanic even put
> this dye in that he can check with a blacklight to find the leak and
> nothing. Now my engine light is on full time, I hear some strange winding
> noise while accelerating after the car has been running a little bit and
> I've already dropped $2300 on this car I only paid 2 grand for... I
> haven''t even paid off the bills for it yet...I use it for work everyday
> delivering pakages fo a courier company and drive about 1-200 miles/day am
> I gonna blow up soon or can this last the necessary 40,000 miles I need it
> to last without problems so I can afford to buy another car in Jan next
> year? Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

also had 2 diff mechanics say head gasket ok

"Kenny Jeske" <kennycj@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:tqqdnbh4U8LFMMLbnZ2dnUVZ_jOdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> Any mechanically inclined people out there? Got a question even my
> mechanic can't seem to answer.
>
> My wagon loses coolant but I don't know where it goes it just needs to be
> filled up again about a quart or so every 2-3 days. The distributor has
> been replaced, wire harness, water pump works ok. Yet when I drive the car
> for awhile then turn it off for a few mins go back and start it up again I
> puff a big cloud of steam out of the exhaust then no more steam anymore
> til i turn it off and start it up after sitting a bit again. I can't smell
> anything funny in the dipstick as if the coolant is going in there either.
> Where the heck is my coolant going? no leaks found my mechanic even put
> this dye in that he can check with a blacklight to find the leak and
> nothing. Now my engine light is on full time, I hear some strange winding
> noise while accelerating after the car has been running a little bit and
> I've already dropped $2300 on this car I only paid 2 grand for... I
> haven''t even paid off the bills for it yet...I use it for work everyday
> delivering pakages fo a courier company and drive about 1-200 miles/day am
> I gonna blow up soon or can this last the necessary 40,000 miles I need it
> to last without problems so I can afford to buy another car in Jan next
> year? Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

"Kenny Jeske" <kennycj@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
newsrGdndsdKJQNKcLbnZ2dnUVZ_o-knZ2d@comcast.com...
> also had 2 diff mechanics say head gasket ok
>
With the disappearing coolant and the exhaust steam, I'm afraid they are
right. There are other things that can cause steaming exhaust, but they're
less common and more "deadly" than the head gasket.

Mike

 

"Kenny Jeske" <kennycj@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
newsrGdndsdKJQNKcLbnZ2dnUVZ_o-knZ2d@comcast.com...
> also had 2 diff mechanics say head gasket ok
>
With the disappearing coolant and the exhaust steam, I'm afraid they are
right. There are other things that can cause steaming exhaust, but they're
less common and more "deadly" than the head gasket.

Mike