How soon do you know if you have messed up a car that overheated?

[Darrell KSR]

Daughter has a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It overheated on her Sunday -- all the gauges came on at once, and she pulled over and stopped it. Saw steam coming out.

Wasn't a major issue for the overheating--had a hose that had ruptured, and the antifreeze leaked out--but her temperature gauge was stuck apparently.

She was at a friend's house whose Dad works for a car company and is handy, and he replaced the hose, a gasket and the temperature gauge. Wanted her to drive it for awhile, then "check it."

I know one of the cardinal sins is to drive a car that has overheated, and I have no idea how long she did that. How long will it take to find out if this is a bad, bad thing, or if she was really lucky?

I'll be driving it today and tomorrow myself, so I can watch it, but anybody who knows me, knows I am not much ahead of her on mechanical aptitude, if any.

[dan_bgblue]

You will know some things immediately. If it starts and doesn't sound like an unbalanced washing machine on the spin cycle under the hood, that is a positive.

If it does not overheat again in 30 mins or less, that is a positive. If water is not leaking out of the engine block or on top of the engine around the intake manifold, that is a positive. Check the oil that is on the dipstick. If looks like oil and not a milky looking substance, that is a positive. Another positive is that there is no steam coming out of the exhaust pipe.

If any of the positives turn out to be negatives, then that is not good. Generally the 2 things that happen when an engine overheats for an extended period of time is the cylinder heads or head will warp and allow water to get into the cylinders or get into the oil channels and mix with the oil. Rarely, the water just leaks out between the cylinder head and the engine block. Last and worst is the engine block cracks and water enters the cylinders, mixes with the oil, or the engine loses compression on one or more cylinders.

[Darrell KSR]

Thanks Dan, that is great information.

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[Darrell KSR]

Seems to be fine. I have driven it all over town today, maybe 40 or 50 miles in pretty good traffic and have had no issues. Thank you again for the information.

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[Lfbj00]

D, not trying to be a negative type of guy here, but from reading several of your posts over the last few years between here and Scout, it seems to me that your children may be a little hard on vehicles?? Did they learn this driving skill from their Dad??

[Darrell KSR]

Nah, this daughter is good with cars. Her Jeep has been a jewel.

My oldest daughter? She's horrible with cars. Took one car and burned it up. Plays bumper cars with her present car. She. Did. Not. Learn. That. From. Me!

[Darrell KSR]

Fwiw, the Jeep is still in operation in the Cartwright fleet. Son is driving it at college. He has a low mileage 2016 Honda CRV that is being garaged in New Orleans currently to replace it, but for now, I'm going to keep the Jeep.

[kingcat]

Cool. Did it develop any oil leaks in the months that followed? I always heard excessive overheating sometimes cause gaskets to break down sooner than expected.

[Darrell KSR]

No, it's been fine. It has had issues like the door needing to be rehinged, overhead electronic compass/mpg/temperature thing being wonky, and lift gate needing fixing. I figure a car ages about 5 human years per year, so it's over 115 now and those things happen!

I used to say it never stranded the driver, but I was corrected that the fuel pump (I think) went out about 4 years ago when my youngest daughter was driving it.

1 time in nearly 24 years. Crazy good track record. I'm going to keep it as a spare until I have an expensive repair. I love driving it.

[dan_bgblue]

Do not under any circumstances have it repainted, and pat it on the rear gate every time you want to start it.

Trust me.

[KeithKSR]

No, it's been fine. It has had issues like the door needing to be rehinged, overhead electronic compass/mpg/temperature thing being wonky, and lift gate needing fixing. I figure a car ages about 5 human years per year, so it's over 115 now and those things happen!

I used to say it never stranded the driver, but I was corrected that the fuel pump (I think) went out about 4 years ago when my youngest daughter was driving it.

1 time in nearly 24 years. Crazy good track record. I'm going to keep it as a spare until I have an expensive repair. I love driving it.

It should be good for 300K miles or more. Those Jeeps of that vintage are tough.

[Darrell KSR]

It should be good for 300K miles or more. Those Jeeps of that vintage are tough.I believe it. Has been super solid. It's at 220k now, and I think it has life left in it.

[CitizenBBN]

Do not under any circumstances have it repainted, and pat it on the rear gate every time you want to start it.

Trust me.

Sound advice that definitely works. Didn't know it worked on Jeeps though.

[Darrell KSR]

Do not under any circumstances have it repainted, and pat it on the rear gate every time you want to start it.

Trust me.Will follow that advice.

[CitizenBBN]

Will follow that advice.

For the Jeep. Or at Hooters.

[Darrell KSR]

For the Jeep. Or at Hooters.Is it either/or?

[CitizenBBN]

Is it either/or?

Yes, depending on which one your wife is in at the time.