1992-1999 Series I L27 (1992-1994 SE,SLE, SSE) & Series II L36 (1995-1999 SE, SSE, SLE) and common problems for the Series I and II L67 (all supercharged models 92-99) Including Olds 88's, Olds LSS's and Buick Lesabres Please use General Chat for non-mechanical issues, and Performance and Brainstorming for improvements.

burning coolant and plugs

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Old 08-29-2006, 02:36 PM
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Default burning coolant and plugs

What do they look like if you are burning coolant, also I just changed the o2 sensor last night, what would that look like?
Old 08-29-2006, 03:04 PM
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Typically, one or more of your plugs will look extra clean or even whitish with respect to the rest of your plugs. The same goes for the O2 sensor.

Have you tried to smell your exhaust? (two hours in an enclosed garage should do it...J/K ) If you are burning coolant your exhaust will often smell sweet.

Are you going for the trouble trifecta today?
Old 08-29-2006, 03:28 PM
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Originally Posted by lash
Typically, one or more of your plugs will look extra clean or even whitish with respect to the rest of your plugs. The same goes for the O2 sensor.

Have you tried to smell your exhaust? (two hours in an enclosed garage should do it...J/K ) If you are burning coolant your exhaust will often smell sweet.

Are you going for the trouble trifecta today?
Lash I wish i could have posted pictures of this car when I got it, I was just so wuick to start doing things to it that I forgot. It is in terrible shpae, the inside has a cracked dash board, I armoraled it anyway, the interior was filthy, literally dirt, garbage cloths, ext. I cleaned all that first and used my slteam cleaner on the seats, floor, door panels and head liner. So now from behind the steering wheel the car looks decent. On the out side the mirror is missing, fender is cracked off, front facia is busted, fogs lights are gone, ground effect is missing, rust, and so on. The motor as you can assume in in the same shape as the rest of the car. In need of some love. I did plugs and all that a week ago and all my plugs were golden except 2, so i relplced the coil on those, that was it, and last night I chaged the o2 sensor, so I wanted to know what I was looking for with a coolant leak (IE burning) my o2 sensor was whitish golden, so whatever that means. But my coolant over flow has no coolant in it and I am trying to figire out if coolant isn't leaking on the ground, is it burning it? Was it never EVER changed and just evaportated, things like that. My car is a mess, but it was 250 bucks and my brother needed the money so I helped him out. Now I really like the bonnie and i want to make her cherry again but I need all the help I can get........
Old 08-29-2006, 03:39 PM
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Well, have you changed the oil? One possible symptom of leaking manifold is coolant in the oil. That can show up as whitish "snot" on the dipstick or even in the top of the oil fil cap in bad cases. Or the oil can look "milky".

Like I said, take a whiff of the exhaust especially at startup, as that can give you an idea.

How does the coolant in your radiator look?
Old 08-29-2006, 03:45 PM
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Originally Posted by lash
Well, have you changed the oil? One possible symptom of leaking manifold is coolant in the oil. That can show up as whitish "snot" on the dipstick or even in the top of the oil fil cap in bad cases. Or the oil can look "milky".

Like I said, take a whiff of the exhaust especially at startup, as that can give you an idea.

How does the coolant in your radiator look?
Oil looked black a week ago.

I will smell the exhaust so to speak but it needs a new cat and it smells like an old car, will that mask the smell I am looking for?

I will look at the coolant this evening.....
Old 08-29-2006, 05:11 PM
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thats when it gets bad

they should be whiteish if coolant is a slow leak.
Old 08-29-2006, 05:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Hans


thats when it gets bad

they should be whiteish if coolant is a slow leak.
Well then my plugs looked good, they were golden brown........
Old 08-29-2006, 09:04 PM
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You think golden brown is good?
Old 08-30-2006, 07:44 AM
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Originally Posted by BillBoost37
You think golden brown is good?
I thought so, whats good then???????
Old 08-30-2006, 12:30 PM
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Here'* how mine looked.



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