Overheating, rapid gauge fluctuation, resivour blew up

[Hades]

Ok, whats goin on here? On the highway yesterday, my temp gauge went to the red like 5 times during a 2.5 hour trip home. Air dam is fine, no blockage, etc. Around town it fluctuates high, but not to red. It will go up to like redline on the highway, then plummit to half way.

Today i popped my hood and noticed that my resivour had shot antifreeze all over my engine bay out the top of the cap. Also, my heat doesnt work well, so i know the heater core is cloged and i need a reverse pressure flush.

Are all these related? Would a pressure flush, new coolant, and a new thermostat fix this? Ive flushed the system before when my Dexcool sludged up, but just with a hose. Also, my water pump has been replaced recently.

1996 camaro, 99K miles

[97rs4life]

probably need a coolant flush, have you looked at the coolant and is it pretty muddy? Still have the stock thermo in there? Also check the cap for any cracks. I know a person with a lt1 that had the cap crack on him and cause his to overheat and spew coolant everywhere.

[pr95blackbird]

if the temp gauge went into the red 5 times... that's a very bad thing. you may have blown your head gaskets. get your coolant system flushed, check/change your thermo, get the rad flushed/recored if needed, and if it is the head gasket, get a compression test done on the motor.

edit: forgot to mention, if you want an easy way to see signs of a broken h/g, pull the dipstick out if you see coolant on it, that's very bad.

[slow6]

so are you saying to do a compression test after you put in new H/Gs?

I'm trying to decide if this is coolant in my oil. Or is it Oil additives like seafoam, or some other oil additive....

[vanbibber]

no you do the compression test before.

[slow6]

Originally posted by slow6:

I'm trying to decide if this is coolant in my oil. Or is it Oil additives like seafoam, or some other oil additive....

or it could be B-12 ChemTool.
I guess I cant get all this sludge out. There will still be some in the oil pan, some in the piston rod area, etc...

Why do we need to do a compression test b4? Can you do one once the valve covers are off? no?

[cam98aro]

sounds like the thermo

[98Camaro3.8]

Originally posted by slow6:
so are you saying to do a compression test after you put in new H/Gs?

He says to do a compression test if you think the head gaskets are bad. That'll tell you if they're bad or not.

Originally posted by slow6:
Can you do one once the valve covers are off? no?

Valve covers have no effect on a compression test.

[slow6]

awesome 98camaro!! finally U have given me some common sense!! THANKS!!!

victimization: you arent talking to me huh?

[BobbyZ72]

Originally posted by victimizati0n:
sounds like the thermo

i dont think its the thermostat, becuase if it was it would not have come back to the resivour. So the coolant had to have been flowing past the thermo. Id do a coolant flush, if it still does it, id lean towards the head gaskets also.

[Hades]

Thanks guys. IM gettin a reverse flush tommorrow and ill put a new thermostat in it. See if that works.