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NG900 & OG93 Bulletin Board
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While we’re on the subject of V6s in trouble ->
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Posted by Derek in Durham [Email] (more from Derek in Durham) on Wed, 23 Jul 2003 06:39:05 Share Post by Email
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1994 900 S V6 133,500mi. Internal coolant leak. Have ruled out hoses, heater core, and radiator. Car had same problem in the 120-125k range. Took 3 shops to diagnose problem as head gasket. My father and I did the repair at home at 125k last summer and it seemed great for about 6000 mi. This spring it began leaking coolant again around 130k, and it has gotten a little worse, just like before.

Amount of coolant loss seems directly related to the number of warmup/cooldown cycles. City driving leads to fast coolant loss (1.5 cups low in 100 miles) but with highway driving, can go 500+ miles (probably a lot more) without losing coolant. We get some white smoke after the engine has sat a while and a coolant smell after startup through the vents.

Car still runs great. Awesome highway mileage, 32-33 mpg at 60 mph.

I’m confident we did the job correctly. We checked the head for signs of warping at home and determined it to be OK—but did not have a shop do it. Are paying for this now? Everything else seemed OK; the gasket damage was minor. My father thinks the original leakage (back in the 120k range) began after a lower radiator hose blew on a very hot day on I-95; he pulled over immediately and didn’t think it hit the red, but the temp gauge was rising fast.

So, what to do? I think the only sure-fire cure is to replace the engine. I am loathe to replace the gasket again; it’s expensive, time-consuming, and may not fix the problem. But I also cannot afford a new/rebuilt engine ($3000 + timing parts, etc.) and with the trade-in value of the car around $2000, it’s not smart. I can’t sell it w/o informing a buyer, and the value will be almost $0 if I do. Carmax might take it and won’t detect the coolant leak if the engine is warm, but I bet they give me $1000-$1500 max.

Right now my plan is to drive the car (more on the highway if possible) for another year until I have a Ph.D. and a new job, when I want to get a used 9-5 wagon for $15k. Any thoughts? Will I be able to drive it that long?

Derek / 1994 900 S V6 133,500mi

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