I have a 1996 GTS with only 4800 miles, I drove it the other day and noticed it was running on the hot side. I kicked on the heat to try to lower the temp, no hot air. I checked the coolant level and found it almost empty, I filled it up, drove it and was fine, until it happened again. I noticed a smell of coolant in the cabin, opened the hood and checked for leaks but found none. I went for the dip-stick and found the oil was a caramel-cream colored. To me, all signs point to a head gasket but just doesn't make sense that a car with so few miles would experience this, am I in the ballpark? am I missing something?
Sounds like a head gasket but...
- Thread starter dscrebar
- Start date
Cars that get driven little can have head gaskets fail, esp gen 1, but that is NOT what caused your failure.
Low Coolant caused an overheat and a warped head.... THAT caused the leak. More proof is the No-Heat HEATER...a sure sign of low coolant and trapped air in the upper motor.
When there is air in the motor, your temp sending unit is not reading coolant temp!
Faithfully BURP THE AIR from your Gen 1-2 Vipers! If your cold upper radiator hose is as flacid as an empty football, you have a problem. It should be firm and full like a water balloon.
Gen 1-2 guys: "DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR COOLANT OVERFLOW BOTTLE IS?"
Hint: it is NOT atop the Right Front fender well!
Low Coolant caused an overheat and a warped head.... THAT caused the leak. More proof is the No-Heat HEATER...a sure sign of low coolant and trapped air in the upper motor.
When there is air in the motor, your temp sending unit is not reading coolant temp!
Faithfully BURP THE AIR from your Gen 1-2 Vipers! If your cold upper radiator hose is as flacid as an empty football, you have a problem. It should be firm and full like a water balloon.
Gen 1-2 guys: "DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR COOLANT OVERFLOW BOTTLE IS?"
Hint: it is NOT atop the Right Front fender well!
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agentf1
Enthusiast
There is a slot in the PS front inner fender. Shine a light to see level.
Am I right Jon?
jdeft1
Enthusiast
Time to pull the heads and take them to a good machine shop. Have them milled to remove the warp. Be careful to burp all the air from the system after you reinstall 'em!!!
Don't drive the car anymore untill it's done!!
Tom F&L GoR
Enthusiast
Speaking as a Gen 1 owner, didn't Gen 2's have a common timing chain gasket leak that filled the sump?
I almost feel like this is a nah-nah, you have a head gasket leak... well, you have timing cover leak!!
I almost feel like this is a nah-nah, you have a head gasket leak... well, you have timing cover leak!!
I'm with Tom. Yes, there are likely pockets of air in the cooling system...but that's becsuse the coolant went into the oil !!!
Timing chain cover gasket failure...common on early Gen II's (96-98).
I would also get a new pressure cap to be sure that you can get all of the air out after you do the repair, change oil, and coolant.
Timing chain cover gasket failure...common on early Gen II's (96-98).
I would also get a new pressure cap to be sure that you can get all of the air out after you do the repair, change oil, and coolant.
There is a slot in the PS front inner fender. Shine a light to see level. Am I right Jon?
YUP ! It helps to illuminate the bottle thru the fog-lite-access grommet.
It COULD be the T/C cover, but the history of overheat makes me worry of a warped head. Id COULD be that T/C gasket!
As JonB says, a light helps...and a bright UV light really helps...such a the Inova LED pocket light...makes the air in the overflow bottle appear purple while the OEM correct coolant glows day-glow green!!!
GTSPOWERED
Enthusiast
My 97 lost the coolant into the oil pan and it was the timing gasket. pull the pan and put pressuse into the raidator and listen for air leaks thats how I found my leak.
Tom Sessions
Enthusiast
Yep timing cover gasket.If you pull the pan and pressurize the system as GTSPOWERED says you will find it leaking on the drivers side of the cover.Gasket crackes and with cause a oil leak, coolant leak outside the block or in your case a coolant leak inside the engine. You may want to consider changing rod and main bearings as well. They do not like to have coolant run on them. Cheaper to do it now then later when they fail and damage the crank.
Two R/Ts
Viper Owner
I say its the Timing cover gasket, very common on early GenII.
Thank you VCA guys!!! for all the helpful advice, you've been a huge help! I especially would like to thank JonB at PartsRack for spending a ton of time with me on the phone answering all my rookie questions and guiding me in a direction that I know will help resolve this problem, Thanks again Guys!!I will post the outcome after the car is repaired.
Viper Wizard
Enthusiast
I also agree, timing cover gasket. Dscrebar if you'd like give me a call, I have done over a hundred of them and maybe I can give you some tech tips for doing this job? And yes your right JonB is a great asset to the Viper community!
914-763-3136
914-763-3136
Chuck, since he is in NY on Long Island I suggested you immediately! His car is not driveable so he said U were toooo far.....but we did agree you would be worth the drive.
Tom F&L GoR
Enthusiast
I see a poll coming.... which was (is?) more common - Gen 1 head gasket or Gen 2 timing cover gasket?
Front TC gasket, 96 GTS had gaskets that would shrink and leak. I have repaired numerous.
revived_gearhead
Viper Owner
Tom, Tom, John B and Tater all hit it on the head. Timing cover. My '97 did it also. Please consider replacing the bearings and inspect the cam and lifters. When mine happened, all of the previous parts were junk. Coolant will kill the bearings in a heartbeat. The oil cooler also had to be replaced as no amount of flushing got all of the junk out. Sorry to hear this, but you are not alone.
Dwight
Dwight
