New head gasket still eating water
05-31-2014, 11:14 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: 05-31-2014
Location: Olympia
Posts: 3
New head gasket still eating water
I have had a new head gasket and thermostat installed on my 2006 HHR with 93000+ miles. The motor is still eating water. It took about 2 quarts of fluid this morning and the plastic reservoir was completely empty. The inside of the radiator is showing signs of oil sludge
Any suggestions a to what and where
Thanks in advance
Any suggestions a to what and where
Thanks in advance
06-01-2014, 09:15 AM
#5
Platinum Member
Join Date: 12-06-2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 11,098
I agree with whopper on this one.
Any way you look at it, if you have oil in the coolant, it will have to be torn down again.
Not really understanding why you're thinking oil pump. Not something related to the coolant loss issue unless you have no oil pressure.
Couple questions.
Did it run hot originally before the head gasket replacement?
Was the head gasket confirmed bad?
Was the cylinder head checked by a machine shop for warpage and cracks?
Was the block checked when the head was off? Especially for cracks between cylinders.
Any way you look at it, if you have oil in the coolant, it will have to be torn down again.
Not really understanding why you're thinking oil pump. Not something related to the coolant loss issue unless you have no oil pressure.
Couple questions.
Did it run hot originally before the head gasket replacement?
Was the head gasket confirmed bad?
Was the cylinder head checked by a machine shop for warpage and cracks?
Was the block checked when the head was off? Especially for cracks between cylinders.
Last edited by firemangeorge; 06-01-2014 at 10:49 AM.
06-01-2014, 12:58 PM
#7
New Member
Join Date: 07-31-2010
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 12
The oil sludge could be left over from the original busted head gasket as the shop may not have thoroughly cleaned the rad. Is there fluid under the car leaking? If you are putting that much fluid into it, I would also expect there to be antifreeze in the oil as well making it look milky. The car normally will smoke also if the head gasket is busted.
Either way, I would march it straight back to the shop. Could also easily be an undetected head or block crack as others have mentioned.
Either way, I would march it straight back to the shop. Could also easily be an undetected head or block crack as others have mentioned.
06-01-2014, 11:18 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: 06-20-2011
Location: Savanna Illinois
Posts: 737
I've been dealing with this myself. At first I thought it was just the water pump. We replaced it and it still used water. At that time there was no oil mixed with the antifreeze or vice versa.
Everything was fine for a month or so then one day I noticed there was antifreeze in the oil so I checked the cooling system and sure enough there was oil in the antifreeze. A head gasket kit was ordered and for good measure a new timing chain guides and the other chain for the water pump was installed.
The head was sent off to be magnafluxed and no cracks were found.
Again everything was fine for a month or so then little by little it started being low on antifreeze again. Shortly after that the oil and antifreeze was mixed again. This time the oil was not reading as over full for all the antifreeze in the oil just a little over full and has stayed that way so far.
I keep a close eye on the radiator to make sure it is full before I go anywhere now and soon as I can swing it I will be getting a different engine.
The choices for engines are limited for the 2006 model year, it seems the 2.2 for that particular machine is a 'one of' so you can't just grab a different engine out of anything else that has a 2.2 ecotech engine and stab it in. I can get a crate engine for a tad over $4000.00 but another place offers a used one for closer to $1200.00 and a hundred dollars more for the three year guarantee which is what I plan to get.
I plan to swap the engines myself so far. The local dealership said they will not do the job for me if they don't get the engine directly from GM but an engine from GM is something like $8000.00. I'm not totally clear on whether or not that is the whole job or just the engine.
While I really like the HHR a lot, I don't like it that much.
The used engine I plan to get does not require a core so I plan to strip the one that is in the car down and see if I can find where the leak is.
I already have a new set of chains and guides and another water pump on hand so I will be changing those and the thermostat and the chain tensioner as well. God himself may not really know how many miles will be on that engine.
I bought a cheap digital movie camera so hopefully I will have video of this job.
One outfit in town thought he could do it for a grand, might be worth it for me. Mainly because he already has all the necessary tools and he said two days tops.
I'd probably be bumbling around for a week or better.
Also he claims to have all the scanners needed to reflash anything that needs it to get the car going again once everything gets swapped.
Everything was fine for a month or so then one day I noticed there was antifreeze in the oil so I checked the cooling system and sure enough there was oil in the antifreeze. A head gasket kit was ordered and for good measure a new timing chain guides and the other chain for the water pump was installed.
The head was sent off to be magnafluxed and no cracks were found.
Again everything was fine for a month or so then little by little it started being low on antifreeze again. Shortly after that the oil and antifreeze was mixed again. This time the oil was not reading as over full for all the antifreeze in the oil just a little over full and has stayed that way so far.
I keep a close eye on the radiator to make sure it is full before I go anywhere now and soon as I can swing it I will be getting a different engine.
The choices for engines are limited for the 2006 model year, it seems the 2.2 for that particular machine is a 'one of' so you can't just grab a different engine out of anything else that has a 2.2 ecotech engine and stab it in. I can get a crate engine for a tad over $4000.00 but another place offers a used one for closer to $1200.00 and a hundred dollars more for the three year guarantee which is what I plan to get.
I plan to swap the engines myself so far. The local dealership said they will not do the job for me if they don't get the engine directly from GM but an engine from GM is something like $8000.00. I'm not totally clear on whether or not that is the whole job or just the engine.
While I really like the HHR a lot, I don't like it that much.
The used engine I plan to get does not require a core so I plan to strip the one that is in the car down and see if I can find where the leak is.
I already have a new set of chains and guides and another water pump on hand so I will be changing those and the thermostat and the chain tensioner as well. God himself may not really know how many miles will be on that engine.
I bought a cheap digital movie camera so hopefully I will have video of this job.
One outfit in town thought he could do it for a grand, might be worth it for me. Mainly because he already has all the necessary tools and he said two days tops.
I'd probably be bumbling around for a week or better.
Also he claims to have all the scanners needed to reflash anything that needs it to get the car going again once everything gets swapped.
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