GoodSkoolRevltn

96 dx with b16a...previous owner guesstimate of 30k

i havent driven the car in a while for fear of what may go wrong, trying to get through one build before tackling the next (the next would be this one).

but due to the need of having a vehicle, im addressing this one again to see what it may be.

rad fan runs constantly on startup, no bubbling of coolant when rad cap is off.

black specs all over bumper, sometimes on garage floor (oil coming out of exhaust)

i was gonna drive this car to work today which is relatively close, jumpstarted it, brakes didnt work (this i know what the issue is and how to fix)

in any case, this is what im getting to, turned it off, checked out the caliper in question and noticed white smoke filled in the exhaust.

this car has been losing coolant since day one with no leaks, and oil as well (but i lose oil from a stripped dizzy bolt as well that i havent gotten around to, as well as the spitting i mentioned in the exhaust)

no "chocolate milk" oil though

did a compression test ages ago, when the motor was stone cold, cyl 1 had 0!!! (i did this cyl several times to confirm, and even the day after, yes it was 0) and 2-4 read 120. I do not have access to compressed air or a leakdown test that isnt free. after this i decided to leave it alone until i have the car in a place where i can really tear it down.

my own conclusion: bad oil rings, possibly a compression rings in the cylinder in question, hg on its way out. valve seals? the fan still has me perplexed; however i have not done any type of electrical testing to see whats up.

Former User

The black soot may be unburnt fuel from cylinder 1.

The head gasket is almost surely blown.

Somebody probably shorted the fan switch connector on the thermostat housing.

GoodSkoolRevltn

so some/most of my assessment is correct, and to truly fix i would have to tear the car down from top to bottom. I suppose driving to and from work (3mi with little to no traffic) would be ok once in a while. oh and coolant loss is significant in stop and go traffic but not really in constant driving. not like that changes diagnoses but a point to make. by shorting it, i guess i should check to see if all wires are pinned and in place. the car has a mild tuck which i foresee as being a headache to troubleshoot that issue. Ill take a look, but most likely ill ride this motor out here and there or stop driving it if all the consumption gets to me, and use the shell for some grander plan. after all, at the end of the day, its all money already lost.