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Question
I recently bought a 94 DeVille and when driving it in stop and go traffic it overheated and drained out all the coolant, I discovered the drain valve missing, However it did not all come out and I would like to know if there is a way to get the rest of it out without removing the radiator?
And I'm not sure if that is why it over heated so I was also wondering if there is a way to install a manual Temp senor gauge to monitor it without effecting the original operation?
Hello,
You might have caused severe damage to the engine already by overheating it. The aluminum blocks do not hold up to overheating and the head gaskets can blow as well.
I would recommend towing the car to a service center and let them remove the lower hose, check for coolant leaks with a pressure tester and once filled and purged of air, check the engine to see if you did major engine damage. All Cadillac aluminum blocks since the eighties and into the Northstar like you have cannot be driven hot!
Years ago, the Chevy 283, 327, 350, Chrysler 318 and 360, Ford 289,302, 351 could all run hot and do no damage to the engine. These had cast iron blocks. You don't have that luxury.
You can ask the tech if he can put a manual gauge in it for you.
Many engines stall the engine if the oil pressure gets low. It would be nice if they had an engine stall for overheating, but then the dealer could not sell you a target master replacement engine.
Good Luck!
Rob
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Rob Painter
Expertise
Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet. My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine. This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle: Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?
Experience
Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.
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