yesterday when I went to start my car the battery light flicked about 2 times. I had let the car warm up for about 10 minutes because it was about 20 degrees outside. Remember I just got done fixing the no start problem which was in the starter because of corrosion. I must have more corrosion somewhere right??? The battery light is indicating low voltage correct guys? Also I do have a evident coolant leak somewhere might be the start of an intake gasket or head gasket. Not to worry its winter now and plus I wanna start building a motor outside the engine this spring. If someone could though sum up how hard head gaskets are on these cars? I have done them before on front wheel drives. update though the car does squeal the internet says its prolly the tensioner or serpentine belt too being too tight?? Any ideas.
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I would check to see if it is an intake manifold coolant leak first. Head gaskets are only going to take precious resources away from building the new engine. If it is a head gasket ( is it running bad? white smoke? milky looking oil?), use some stop leak in it for the next few months until you are ready to change the engine.
It likely is not the head gasket as they are not known to blow too often without a brutal overheating on iron head and block engines. I would suspect the intake as it is aluminum and they tend to corrode around the coolant passages, eventually causing leaks. If you do pull the intake, make sure to silicone the coolant passages real good to prevent further leaks. Just don't silicone the intake passages as the gas will eat through the silicone and cause a massive vacuum leak ( if you're lucky!).
It likely is not the head gasket as they are not known to blow too often without a brutal overheating on iron head and block engines. I would suspect the intake as it is aluminum and they tend to corrode around the coolant passages, eventually causing leaks. If you do pull the intake, make sure to silicone the coolant passages real good to prevent further leaks. Just don't silicone the intake passages as the gas will eat through the silicone and cause a massive vacuum leak ( if you're lucky!).
Yeah
theres no real evidence of head gasket problems, no smoke no oily and antifreeze mixing. Just the odd miss ive always had and the main one. Dad had to put about a gallon of antifreeze into the car when we got it back together. He also mentioned he could smell it under the car on the back of the engine. It must be leaking out of the intake in the back im assuming. Ill have to look at it this spring I guess.
theres no real evidence of head gasket problems, no smoke no oily and antifreeze mixing. Just the odd miss ive always had and the main one. Dad had to put about a gallon of antifreeze into the car when we got it back together. He also mentioned he could smell it under the car on the back of the engine. It must be leaking out of the intake in the back im assuming. Ill have to look at it this spring I guess.
For the battery problem, check your ground cables.
I had a similar problem to yours a few years back on an 80 GP. It wouldn't start. SO I went and bought a new battery. No go, so I went and bought a new starter and installed it. Still no go. Then my boss (who was out of town) got back and pulled out his multi-meter and figured it was a bad ground. Sure enough my ground wire (engine side) had come lose. So all I did was tighten the bold and the car fired right up. To bad I had already wasted all that money on a new battery and starter, not to mention many hours of swearing at the car in frustration lol.
For you coolant leak. Check all your heater hoses and fittings. Because it would suck if you started replacing gaskest just to find it was nothing but a rotted hose.
I had a similar problem to yours a few years back on an 80 GP. It wouldn't start. SO I went and bought a new battery. No go, so I went and bought a new starter and installed it. Still no go. Then my boss (who was out of town) got back and pulled out his multi-meter and figured it was a bad ground. Sure enough my ground wire (engine side) had come lose. So all I did was tighten the bold and the car fired right up. To bad I had already wasted all that money on a new battery and starter, not to mention many hours of swearing at the car in frustration lol.
For you coolant leak. Check all your heater hoses and fittings. Because it would suck if you started replacing gaskest just to find it was nothing but a rotted hose.
Their should be a ground strap that connects from the engine to the firewall. It is like a braided wire type thing. How does that look? Also, check the grounds coming from the battery going to the body and the engine block.
dan2286 said:
And while we're on this subject. Make sure you Have those grounds still. SOmetimes people remove them because they look kinda ugly. But they are there for a reason. Replace them if they are gone.
Grounds are good... very good 😀
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