Expert: Rob Painter - 9/9/2010

Question
My 2003 Cadillac cts errored check coolant level, I added coolant that morning and that afternoon on my way home it errored engine overheated, engine hot ac off, and the radiator surge tank inlet hose broke. I replaced the hose and added coolant but now when I try turn the car on it wont start, it tries to but its like the engine wont turn over... What could be wrong?

Answer
Hello,

Sometimes I have problems with questioners meaning on thier desriptions of a problem. This is one of those times. Usually when someone states the engine turns over, it mean the engine cranks but won't start. Does the engine crank?

Some cranking but no start problems can be easy to diagnose, but in you case you gave me another variable by stating a hose broke and the engine over heated.

You may want to check the engine oil for a milky color. That means at minimum from driving the engine hot that at least one headgasket is blown. You are going to need the problem diagnosed at a service center, not a dealer.

It has been very common for people not to realize that overheating the aluminum Cadillac engine can easily destroy it. If the temperature is above 3/4 on a temperature gauge or above 220 degrees for seconds not minutes, the engine is seld destructing.

People don't want to deal with an overheated engine and want to get home or somewhere safe before they shut the engine down. You cannot do this with a Cadillac aluminum engine!

The first year Cadillac introduced the aluminum engine was 1982 and is used currently. Over the years there were cubic inch or cc differences and design changes but the one common factor is that all of the engines were aluminum.

Overheating damage was so common that chances of finding a good engine in a junk yard are non-existent.

Please keep in mind, I am not there to diagnose the problem, but if you did in fact run the engine hot for seconds severe damage to the engine often happens.

If you look in my archives here, at least twice a week I am dealing with these issues in my answers and it is more common than not that severe engine damage was done.

Its not your fault for not knowing, but replacement components or engine assemblies has made Cadillac billions of dollars over the years at the expense of the consumer.

I feel that at minimum that Cadillac should have had to install a warning label on the dash stating severe engine damage can happen if overheated.

Even the Chevrolet Vega had a switch that would shut the engine down if oil pressure got too low and I feel the same type of switch should have been installed in the cooling system of this problematic engine design.

Such a switch would have been inconvenient and an admission by Cadillac this was a very severe problem.

Hopefully, my speculation of engine issues does not apply here.

Bottom line no matter what, this is a question that cannot have an answer without any certainty without a tech being physically with the vehicle to eliminate a fuel issue, spark issue etc. My concern is that it ran, was overheated and now won't start.