I have a 95 camry that's been having an overheating problem. Car gets hot quickly, up to normal temperature in about 2 minutes, then will run at normal temperature for about thirty minutes just fine. Beyond thirty minutes it's still fine as long as the car is moving, but if I stop the car it begins to overheat, it will cool back down once I accelerate. Thought the problem was the fan not comming on, but I fixed that and am still getting the same overheating. Flushed the system and saw no change. Finally I gave in and took my car to pepboys, they say it failed a block test, that water is getting in to the engine through the head gasket and the heads are warped ( yeah bummed). Fixing it really doesn't make sense, it would cost more than the car is worth. So I know my camry is on it's deth bed, the mechanic said it could last a few weeks or a few months. My question is would it last longer if I were to replace the head gasket, or is that just a waste on a dying engine? I really need this car to last me about two more months till I'll be in a good position to get a new one. Also where would I get the most $ out of my camry, the mechanic suggested taking it to a boneyard. Would really appericiate anyones insight or help on this, thanks.

 

There's NO WAY they can tell the heads are warped without physically checking them when they are off of the engine block. You likely have a headgasket problem only but there's no way you can find out until you have them removed and checked

 

You think this guy was bsing me, should I have it look at by another mechanic? Also the engine stumbles for about 30 seconds every time I start the car, this began happening at the same time as the overheating, does this point to any other possible problems? Thanks for the reply.

 

If you failed a block check- then you likely have a headgasket problem. What i'm saying is that there is no way they can tell you that you have warped heads by using a block checker. You can get as many opinions as you want but the ONLY way to know for sure if the heads are warped is to have the cylinder heads removed and then checked.

 

I see, and the stuttering engine doesn't point to any thing? Is the overheating likely caused by the gasket issue or something else? How much roughly does it cost to have the heads removed and inspected? I really appreciate your help, thanks man.

 

It depends on how much the shop labor is per hour. You'll get different estimates so show for your best price. Cheaper is not neccesarily better. The initial estimate would be to have your head gaskets replaced. While they have the heads off, they will check them for flatness. If all is well, then the original estimate will be what you pay for. If the cylinder head IS found to be warped- then the estimate will be revised depending on what they find.

JJ

 

If I replace the gasket myself would I be able to see with the naked eye if the head is warped or would I need a special tool to determine if it's warped or is this something I should let a specialist do? Thinking about trying a gasket sealer, anyone have any experience or opinions on that as a possible solution?

 

No, you cannot tell by looking at the head. A machine shop will clean and inspect the head. If it is not flat they will machine it to correct specs. Most repair shops send the heads out for this service but some may do it inhouse. They do know the normal cost of machining a head. They should be able to give you a reasonable estimate of the entire job but you cannot tell anything until you can get the head off to examine it. It could be warped, cracked or even unrepairable.

No, there is no majical fix for this problem. Sealers "normally" do 3 things; give you hope, remove $ from your pocket, and delay the inevitable.