LLY coolant after mud hole

J

JShe8918

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Feb 17, 2009
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So tonight i went and played in some mud. I got stuck cut my truck off until help arrived. He hooked to my truck and started to snatch. 1500 trying to pulle me out with the rear axle over a stump. None of the back tires were touching. Anyways. When he rehooked the tow strap he said what is this? I looked down and the water was diluted with tons of black stuff. So i told him it was just from the soot aka black smoke of my truck. We get out in like 20 minutes mostly idle time. I never checked my temp or anything. I was running my max effort tune to turn over those big ass tires. When i finally get out i head 5 miles to a gas station to fill up my friends truck and head home. Home is like 4 miles and takes 10 mins to get there. All of a sudden halfway home my truck starts dinging and a check engine light came on. As a reflex i pulled over and looked at all my gauges. My tranny temp was good, oil pressure was low probably around 10 or so (hmm black stuff in the water??), ENGINE TEMP had pegged 260!!! So we sit and let the truck cool. Nothing but smoke or steam coming from the engine bay. After 30 mins of waiting it was still above 230. I drove on my smallest tune home as lightly as i could. Get home and the peg is still at 260. The heater will not work and my low coolant light thing was scrolling accross the screen. I filled the coolant up a month ago if that. It was about 3 weeks ago actually and it was empty then after about 2 months of use! I turned off my truck and set for a second and nothing but smoke was coming from my hood. it didn't have the burnt mud smell so i know it wasn't that and my temp was still 260. Do you think i blew a hose or is is a headgasket or what is your thoughts!!! Or possible a thermostat gone bad.

Thanks
Jon

List of things to check tomorrow well later today...
FIRST AND FOREMOST look for leaks
1. coolant in the oil
2. for additional smoke
3. drive the truck and then squeeze the hose to see if i pressurized the coolant system
4. pressure test
5. water pump
 
JoshH

JoshH

Daggum farm truck
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Sounds like a head gasket problem to me. The black stuff in your coolant tank is soot being pushed into the coolant and collecting in the tank.
 
J

JShe8918

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Feb 17, 2009
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Well i haven't check the actual coolant tank yet since it was dark and it was so hot i wanted to keep my skin if ya know what i mean. ;) But it was black stuff all in the water around me. Cruising my oil pressure is normally like 50 or so and now it is like a hair above the 30 mark. Maybe it was just from the motor being so hot and making the oil loose it's density or vicosity.

But that was what i was afraid of.... I hope GM covers it. If i find out it is a head gasket i am going to remove everything but my lift pump. Lift, wheels tires, and everything else just to try and get it passed. And then i will pay for head studs to be put in while it is already opened up!
 
Last edited:
JoshH

JoshH

Daggum farm truck
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Feb 14, 2007
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Texas!!!
Oh, I guess I misread. If your coolant tank is clean, you may have just got it hot and puked out a bunch of coolant. You may have plugged the cooling stack with mud when you were stuck.
 
J

JShe8918

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Feb 17, 2009
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That actually is a good thought. I haven't even though of that. i pray it is. I am going to look at it in a few minutes. Is there any other thoughts on what it might be?
 
J

JShe8918

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Feb 17, 2009
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I did open it today and this is what i found. Soft hoses which is a good sign. Means the system wasn't pressurized. Bad signs... the engine bay was coated with coolant and the resivor for the coolant was full of dark grey fluid!
 
Lb7KID

Lb7KID

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im not to sure about these trucks but i dont no at work win a k.w comes in and it looks like that it usaly the egr cooler????? like i said i could be very wrong here haha
 
J

JShe8918

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Feb 17, 2009
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The shop replaced two hoses yesterday one going to the EGR and a radiator hose. It worked fine last night. This morning at 5 am i cranked it up and noticed a puddle of coolant on the ground beneath my truck. I drove to work and of course the low coolant light came one. It is going back into the shop tomorrow. Any ideas? Water pump possibly? EGR system? Or do those only leak when the truck is in operation? The tech said there were not any other hoses leaking.
 
J

JShe8918

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Feb 17, 2009
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It was but i don't think it is anymore. It was shooting coolant out the overflow tube but now it isn't doing it nearly as often. It is still getting soot in the coolant tank though. I was told to run the truck for a while then squeeze the radiator hose and that would give me the news whether it is Headgasket or not. It is soft! BUT the oil is extremely thin and PITCH black. The oil is fairly fresh. It wasn't milky though, which seems to be another good sign.
 
J

JShe8918

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Feb 17, 2009
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That was my first guess as well. But if it was a blown head gasket would the head leak while the truck was parked? The puddle under my truck starts under the center of the motor. I pulled the fenderliners and the bottom side of the heads are dry. i can't see the top or feel of the top.
 
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