Temp Gauge maxing out

[ramielman]

Hey Guys,

I've never had a problem with this car before. It does slowly leak coolant but I refilled it a week ago. Timing belt, water pump, thermostat were changed about 15k miles ago.

Here is what I noticed.

-Temp Gauge shot up and behaved sporadically
-Heater was not blowing hot air

If it wasn't for the temperature gauge reading high, I would have never noticed a difference in the way the car was driving.

After I brought it home tonight, I noticed a pool of liquid in the driveway, put my finger in it but it wasn't really green or brown, more water colored. Looked at my coolant reservoir and it was completely empty. Jacked the car up and the whole bottom of the car was covered in coolant. I'm assuming a hose came loose and I lost all of my coolant?

Anyhow, check out the pictures and let me know what you guys think it is, I need to get to work!!

Thanks in advance!

http://imgur.com/Lkn7Hvs

http://imgur.com/EgBI9e9

http://imgur.com/pGURBDH

http://imgur.com/j12C3nx

http://imgur.com/7JHcyhs

http://imgur.com/B0OtqaG

http://imgur.com/YfrL5nV

http://imgur.com/Pvqy3kB

http://imgur.com/LJq3yGQ

http://imgur.com/0AMUBgT

http://imgur.com/DKnjzxQ

http://imgur.com/KOrVFzp

http://imgur.com/Fwt1upQ

http://imgur.com/vBx3ppp

[jlevie]

Air in the cooling system from a loss of coolant or a head gasket leak can make the temperature gauge behave oddly and will cause the heater to stop delivering heat. You obviously have a leak, which a pressure test of the cooling system will find. But the larger question is whether the head gasket has been damaged by the overheat. A single overheat has been known to damage the head and/or gasket.

[jalopi]

Jeez man, hope you didn't drive too far like that... sounds like you might have to sniff it after you fix the coolant leak.

[ramielman]

I pulled over when it hit red and walked a few miles home, then I waited for traffic to die down and walked back a few miles and limped it home.

[ramielman]

Air in the cooling system from a loss of coolant or a head gasket leak can make the temperature gauge behave oddly and will cause the heater to stop delivering heat. You obviously have a leak, which a pressure test of the cooling system will find. But the larger question is whether the head gasket has been damaged by the overheat. A single overheat has been known to damage the head and/or gasket.

When I got home the upper radiator hose was hot, and the bottom was cold as well

[ramielman]

put it up on jackstands today. filled the car up with coolant and let the car run. For about 8 minutes at idle the car maintained a pretty cool temp. Once it started heating up the temp rose quickly. I turned the car off and it cooled very quickly. Once I started her up again the temperature passed the half way mark I turned off the car.

I started to hear a hissing sound. I look under the car and there is coolant spraying in every direction (from, what it seems like, the location at where the head and the block meet) in quite a steady flow, like a morning piss after a night of drinking.

The good news (i guess?) was that it was only coolant and not oil. On a side note, the heater still doesn't work and the radiator hoses were not hot (maybe I didn't run it long enough)

Don't know too much about cars so I don't know what to think, did a failed thermostat lead to overheating that led to a blown headgasket? Is it even a blown headgasket? Is it most likely worse? Time to head to the mechanic.

[NoM54me]

Which side did you observe the leak on? If it's the intake side, maybe you'll get lucky and have just mistaken a bad heater hose for coolant spraying out like that. I can imagine steam from a head gasket, but your gasket would have to be seriously blown with a huge crack in the head or block for it to spray like you described, and if that was the case, you'd probably see oil too.

[ramielman]

I'll upload the YouTube video shortly