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Plugged radiator.. grr


The Fred

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Well the radiator on the 1994 STS is plugged I guess..

It overheated today to almost 250 degrees.

Both main hoses to the rad were hot but the radiator was just barely warm except for the passenger side 1/5th of it was pretty good and warm

So that is not a thermostat, right, it is the radiator plugging up, right?

Will that coolant flusher thing they sell at autozone do the trick? The one you hook into your garden hose?

The odd thing about it is on the way home part of the time it just stayed stuck at 249 degrees.. part of the time it was just fine stayed around 200+- (this was after dark)

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Heh,

I am always up earlier because I stay up so late :)

PS: Which hose should I put the flush connection on?

There are two right on top of eachother I just drove it and couldn't tell which one was warmer I guess cause I had the heater going (It didn't overheat at all this morning.. hmm)

And do I want to leave the petcock open or closed while the garden hose is on?

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DO NOT FLUSH THE ENGINE or use that GARDEN HOSE T-attachment... You will introduce minerals and impurities from the water into the engine and it will be very hard to attain a 50/50 coolant to DISTILLED water mix.... USE DISTILLED WATER ONLY.

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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Oh lord

Well heck

uh

I used distilled water and dexcool trying to do it right and all but I did what you said not to do first

Oh lord

Well heck

uh

I used distilled water and dexcool trying to do it right and all but I did what you said not to do first

Well you know for a fact that I am at a loss for words when I say "uh" :unsure:

Just when I wasn't mad at the car too badly anymore it goes off and makes me mad

At myself ;)

MerryChristmas

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MAKE SURE you have a 50/50 mix you can buy a tester at a good auto parts store

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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Looks like the damage has already been done. :o Your car is now doomed.

If you have a repair manual, you could look up the coolant capacity. Divide that amount in half and that would be how much antifreeze to use.

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Well I am sure some other idiot already put tap water in it sometime in the past any way--- I am in kansas and there aint many rocket scientists around here..... I've just proven that I'm afraid

MAKE SURE you have a 50/50 mix you can buy a tester at a good auto parts store

Ok I will

MerryChristmas

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Well the radiator on the 1994 STS is plugged I guess..

It overheated today to almost 250 degrees.

Both main hoses to the rad were hot but the radiator was just barely warm except for the passenger side 1/5th of it was pretty good and warm

So that is not a thermostat, right, it is the radiator plugging up, right?

Will that coolant flusher thing they sell at autozone do the trick? The one you hook into your garden hose?

The odd thing about it is on the way home part of the time it just stayed stuck at 249 degrees.. part of the time it was just fine stayed around 200+- (this was after dark)

Have you considered an Exorcism for your '94?

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Well the radiator on the 1994 STS is plugged I guess..

It overheated today to almost 250 degrees.

Both main hoses to the rad were hot but the radiator was just barely warm except for the passenger side 1/5th of it was pretty good and warm

So that is not a thermostat, right, it is the radiator plugging up, right?

Will that coolant flusher thing they sell at autozone do the trick? The one you hook into your garden hose?

The odd thing about it is on the way home part of the time it just stayed stuck at 249 degrees.. part of the time it was just fine stayed around 200+- (this was after dark)

Have you considered an Exorcism for your '94?

I've been considering some bullet holes for it and not the fake sticker ones either

But I have been awake for 900 hours and I'm tired and mad but calm so I will go to bed before the automobile DOES get shot at :blink::angry::(<_<;):o:lol:;):unsure::(

:(:(:(:(:(:angry::angry::unsure:

MerryChristmas

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Oh lord

Well heck

uh

I used distilled water and dexcool trying to do it right and all but I did what you said not to do first

Oh lord

Well heck

uh

I used distilled water and dexcool trying to do it right and all but I did what you said not to do first

Well you know for a fact that I am at a loss for words when I say "uh" :unsure:

Just when I wasn't mad at the car too badly anymore it goes off and makes me mad

At myself ;)

There is no reason to use DexCool in a '94 car.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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Does exposure to tap water once just ruin it and it's doomed to corrosion now?

Over the years I have used tap water in a lot of radiators and I have yet to determine that tap water has catastrophically destroyed any of them. I sold some of them with 130,000 miles or more. I have also just put a bottle of corrosion inhibiter in instead of changing the coolant, if the coolant was not dirty. I do not think you are doomed.

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Does exposure to tap water once just ruin it and it's doomed to corrosion now?

Not unless your tap water is full of iron and other minerals. With distilled water, you don't need to worry about it. Since the '94 came from the factory with green, silicated coolant, the internals are plated with silicates which will deplete the corrosion inhibitors in the DexCool. There is no practical way to remove the silicates. If you flushed out all the green coolant, you should be fine with the DexCool just realize that it is no longer a 5 year/150,000 mile coolant for the reasons I described above - it will need to be changed every 2 years/24000 miles.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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Does exposure to tap water once just ruin it and it's doomed to corrosion now?

No. Distilled water is for the purist in us. Tap water will introduce iron, calcium, lime etc into the cooling system in very small amounts so we try to avoid it. We drink it and it does us no harm so I doubt your car will suffer any damage. Before I came here I always used tap water and never had a problem. Don't loose sleep over it.

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Does exposure to tap water once just ruin it and it's doomed to corrosion now?

I didn't mean to cause you to loose faith in your car. :( I have wondered about the same thing. It would be a great Myth Buster topic. Probably the whole thing about not using tap water was started by some Californian tree hugger. As they say, tap water has all these horrible chemicals that will lead to a horrible death. If it'll kill you, then obviously, it is bad for your car. What amazes me is the fact that people will pay more money for water that comes from some special source than for gas.

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I have been away sorry. As Ranger said, distilled water is for fanatics and purists, I'd rather have it, but if I was stranded I would use URINE if I had too to get home! :lol: Hey, its the same color as Dexcool! Don't worry about it, if you used it already, I was just saying if you were going to do it, do it with distilled... Hell, it sounds like you have bigger fish to fry with your car....

But one thing, if you are UNSURE about something and you ask a question here, wait for the answer before you act... While many of us have NO life (I am speaking for myself and anyone else over 4000 posts :lol:) and sit here waiting for you to ask a question, it could take some time, :lol:

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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I have been away sorry. As Ranger said, distilled water is for fanatics and purists, I'd rather have it, but if I was stranded I would use URINE if I had too to get home! :lol: Hey, its the same color as Dexcool! Don't worry about it, if you used it already, I was just saying if you were going to do it, do it with distilled... Hell, it sounds like you have bigger fish to fry with your car....

But one thing, if you are UNSURE about something and you ask a question here, wait for the answer before you act... While many of us have NO life (I am speaking for myself and anyone else over 4000 posts :lol:) and sit here waiting for you to ask a question, it could take some time, :lol:

Mike, You better see the doctor - Orange pee is a baaaad sign.... :lol::lol::lol:

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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Bahaaaaa, nope, Kevin, I take a hand full of vitamins every day, it looks like Dexcool, I have very expensive pee! :lol: Hmm, maybe Vitamin E, Mega Men Daily, Vitamin D and a B complex would be good for the cooling system..... hmmm

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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Bahaaaaa, nope, Kevin, I take a hand full of vitamins every day, it looks like Dexcool, I have very expensive pee! :lol: Hmm, maybe Vitamin E, Mega Men Daily, Vitamin D and a B complex would be good for the cooling system..... hmmm

Maybe it would better at stopping leaks than Bars stopleak. :lol:

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:lol:, maybe ill grind up some walnut shells and eat them also! We may be onto something here...

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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after u do all that do u still have to change it every 5 yrs :P

Naturally! There is only one problem with this idea, if your heater core leaks your car will smell like a gas station bathroom..... hmmm, need to rethink this... :lol:

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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