Headgasket or not? PLEASE HELP ME!

[chasels]

Hi everyone . This will be my first post . I have a 2000 ls v8. 100,000 miles on engine . 180,000 on franny and mostly everything else. I was driving, when engine light came on . Codes said clockspring and emission leak. Took to mechanic. said nothing critical. I didn't fix it because money. He also Informs me "oh by the way your coolant reservoir cap wasn't fitting properly so I gave you a new one . Cool . Next DAY while driving smoke comes from the hood and upon inspection I see my coolant is boiling over the too hole and spilling out. Take to same mechanic. He replaced coolant reservoir.


Then also says. Oh you have hydrocarbons in your coolant your head gasket is cracked. He used the electronic sniffer. Said 300 hydrocarbons. Im bummed out. But I take the reservoir cap completely off to reduce pressure and drive it for 5 days no probs. Then it happens again. Coolant boiling over and very steamy. It seems very hot but engine temp reads normal on gauge. I refill coolant and put the cap on completely tight this time to see what happens . Drives.fine for a couple days then today same thing. Went to AutoZone got a block tester. Stayed blue twice. I notice my heat takes a while to.get hot. And seems hotter at higher rpms vs stopped. My car also makes a squeling noise when cold started for about 20 minutes that relates to speed as well but then goes away.


Car recently has made a faint high whining noise when hood is up. Like it's supercharged or something. Car runs fine but tranny slips.also noticed some cold nights on cold start up headlights and dash lights flicker for a couple minutes like the alternator is going bad but it always is perfectly fine after 5 minutes . With reservoir cap on , coolant boils inside but does not come out top or Pop off ccap, itpours out slightly behind driver front wheel. About a half a gallon usually. Then it drains reservoir as it sucks up a bunch of coolant into radiator. I have no white smoke from exhaust. rad fan also seems to spin. Does it sound like a head gasket or possibly t stat/ air pocket in coolant system? Please help me! Someoneee !

 

[joegr]

Headgasket failures are very rare on the 3.9 If he is really detecting hydrocarbons, then you really have a problem. It's also possible that he has caused your issues. If he didn't use the Motorcraft degas bottle and cap, or if he didn't bleed it correctly by the book, you'll get the results that you have.

Is this a real mechanic, or just some kid at a chain store?
With the LS, if you can't do it yourself, you are usually better off to find a good Lincoln dealer and go there.

 

[chasels]

no

He at first put what looked like some random cap he had around the shop on it . He has his own garage , but I get the feeling he is lazy and shortcuts things , im not taking it to him anymore. I know dealer is best but it's so expensive . I guess ill buy a oem rad cap and try that . If was the t stat wouldn't the temp gauge show overheat tho? It's always normal. Also im kinda a noob should I burp it my self or have someone doit? Also should I flush radiator? I've had the car 2 years and never have

 

[chasels]

He has his own garage but I get a feeling he is lazy /shortcuts, the rad cap he put on looked like a random one he had around the shop .

Since then I asked him for the old one and put that on but it continued. important to note way before this I was leaking coolant in same spot "slightly behind driver wheel, for months but only in very small amounts never boiling over or overheats, so I would just refill it now and then . So I guess ill buy a new oem cap. As well. Should I flush the rad/ burp cooling system /new t stat? Like I said when it boils out the temp gauge always reads optimal temp level .

 

[Telco]

...

 

[chasels]

I authorized him to diagnose the whole car because the engine light. Im not sure if he did anything with the coolant system , probably just pressure tested it, and put the diff rad cap on when he noticed it was loose. He didn't push me for any major repairs after the reservoir replacement at all. He told me to sell the car. I don't think he's malicious just a lazy and shortcutter, so I wont be using him anymore .

But please , I need someone who may have a solution to this . If it's an air pocket wouldn't the temp gauge also go up? Like I said it boils but never reads hot. With that specific of a symptom surely someone who knows more could narrow it down ? I asked one person about the squeaking noise and he said it might be a waterpump going bad? So what are a couple quick things I can do to narrow it down ? I've read to disconnect the small diameter hose.from the too of the reservoir and if there's no coolant coming out it's blocked? And surely if the fan wasnt spinning fast enough the temp gauge would go up? Like I said it does seem to spin though.

Also how could I have driven it for a week for hours at a time with the reservoir cap completely off with no problems ? I later learned it would boil out really instantly if it's off like that ?

 

[chasels]

Today also while driving in heavy snow with traction control on, when it engaged "which was very often" I would.hear a nasty grinding noise from what seemed like the engine . Only when it engaged. Is that normal? or maybe a belt/pulley grinding ? I have no idea how the trac control works so I don't know does anyone have knowledge in that ?