Bubbling coolant

[MWP]

Hi all,

First, this isnt a Toyota (i wish it was!), but i really do need help with working out my options with this.

Recently my van which i have here in Canada started overheating badly.
I took it to the local Chrysler dealership which then diagnosed it as a blown head gasket which they fixed (and charged me ~$1200AU for).

They have just called me back and said after changing the head gaskets, the coolant is still bubbling a little so they suspect its a cracked head or block but cannot say which (so they are guessing).

Does this sound right to you guys??

Every car ive had before has always bubbled a little at the radiator and has never caused a problem.

If they van runs smooth and doesnt overheat, can i consider the bubbling to be a non-problem and consider it to be reliable?

My plan is to go on a 2 month tour around Canada and the USA in this van in 3 weeks time so i want to make as sure its going to make the distance.

Any ideas?

[millsi]

if they are charging that to change a head gasket, they should be skimming the head to make sure its not warped!

[NeoNasty]

I know that when I replaced the coolant in the soarer/VN/anything it does bubble for about 15 mins. Then once that is done, its out of the system. Try and make sure its bled of air. If it still bubbles you must have a leak somewhere.

They quoted you to fix the problem, if it is now not fixed, doesnt the problem come back onto them? Shouldn't they fix it?

[BigWorm]

There's a test that can be done on the coolant that will tell you if the bubbles are combustion gasses or not, it's a simple matter of taking the cap off & sticking a probe in there. As NeoNasty said, it might bubble for a bit after having the system drained & refilled, but this should stop eventually.

[Smokey228]

yeh, u gotta make sure they bleed the system properly. otherwise its not gonna work to well at all...
also, id think wat neo says would be on the money. if they charge u to fix a problem then dont fix it. arent they still responsible for the problem?
have u payed for it yet? this is why i dont pay for a job untill its finished and im happy wif it

[rvrolla]

There's a test that can be done on the coolant that will tell you if the bubbles are combustion gasses or not, it's a simple matter of taking the cap off & sticking a probe in there. As NeoNasty said, it might bubble for a bit after having the system drained & refilled, but this should stop eventually.

Teekay (sp?) test.

I agree with the other comments, if you paid $1200 for a HG repair, they should have shaved the head, had it pressure tested and thoroughly cleaned for that price.

[rvrolla]

Another through. Could it simply be a bung thermostat? If it is not opening correclty, the coolant will not cool through the radiator, hence reaching a boiling point?

[horse]

mwp, a lil off topic, but something u might want to read anyhow

http://donotbuydodge.ca/

[MWP]

mwp, a lil off topic, but something u might want to read anyhow
http://donotbuydodge.ca/

Oh yeah, i wont buy anything Chrysler related ever again.
They have LOTS of electrical issues... some of which i have had.
My van has 4 big computers (2 for the engine, 2 for the transmission) in the engine bay and another under dash, crazy.

Thanks for the help guys.
I think the big problem is that im in a small town... the dealership doing the work is quite small.

Should i ask them to do a compression test?
BHG, cracked head/block should show up as low compression right?

[rvrolla]

Should do (10char)

[JustCallMeOrlando]

My car had perfect compression but had a warped head and royally fucked HG. Take it to a radiator shop or the like, ask for a Teekay test as Joel suggested. Takes them 5 minutes, mine was free, and will give you 100% confidence that you do or do not have a BHG.

If you do, then you take it back to the place who did it, beat the shit out of them and make them fix it or at least give you a refund. For all the work to replace a HG, you do NOT put it back on without having it properly checked out, particularly when someone is paying for it.

[EldarO]

depends what kind of bubbles they are.

if they're big bubbles the go away as soon as they pop, theres generally nothing to worry about.

if it comes up more as a froth, with hundreds of tiny bubble that refuse to pop, its BHG again.

Get it re-done on warranty, and make sure they check everything, and prep everything this time.

Eldar.O.