Overheating engine

Hi,

No, it doesn't mean it's non-repairable. A little coolant hitting something hot, like an exhaust manifold, will cause steam.

Have you tried restarting it? Have you checked to make sure the coolant is full?

Let me know as much as you can so I can better help you.

Take care and God Bless,

Joe

Hi Joe, i recently bought a used car after many years buying new from dealers. That smell of coolant hitting something hot brought back memories of my youth.

Anyway I didn’t recognize it, the car a 2003 Cadillac CTS (which has a history of leaking hoses) does start up fine now with no knocking sounds or jerky throttle movement. The concerning thing is I don’t know how long the previous owner ran it hot. Day of test drive he had the heat way up like 90 degrees and I’ve learned that could have been to mask the problem taking away heat from the engine. There was no smell that day though.

It’s so odd that immediately upon taking delivery next day end of January I see “Service A/C” and smell the weird smell when starting up the engine. Due to the Pandemic DMV did nt send my plates until end of February so I started it up maybe 3 times before taking it out for a real drive on March 3rd.

It’s in the shop now and they say I need a brand new radiator installed. I am praying that’s all I’ll need and the Cadillac engine is still useable.

Look forward to hearing from you Joe

Take care,

Mark

Mark,

That is very possible. As far as running the heater on the test drive, it is true that it helps reduce engine temperature (slightly).

Regardless, if you have a chance, please let me know if the radiator takes care of the problem. Also, feel free to let me know if you have questions.

Take care,
Joe