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Does Stop Leak Work? - EricTheCarGuy
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- čas přidán 12. 12. 2010
- Does Stop Leak Work? - EricTheCarGuy
www.ericthecarguy.com/
As technicians we all have opinions based on our experiences and sometimes the experiences of others, stop leak seems to be one of those things. In my experience it really hasn't done much for me and I haven't seen it perform any miracles but that's not to say that it hasn't at one time or another. I welcome your responses on this topic and look forward to hearing your opinions just be nice.
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Eric, we love you and thanks for all your help. In this case, I respectfully repeat what you said, you are still learning. Everyone knows the best solution is to replace the gasket. Just like that cardboard that is taped on the window of your door behind you in the video. The best solution is to replace the door or put up a blind, but the cheap easy solution was to tape up cardboard. You are not so different than us stop-leak users. It worked good enough but door window professionals will strongly suggest you hire them instead.
I would add that a mechanic is not the best source to judge stop-leak. If it works then the mechanic will never know about it. You only see the times it did not work. I just tried it and it seems to be working good enough. I know it is probably temporary. If/when it fails, I will visit my mechanic.
@Ons Huis I used it twice. Once on a Civic and it worked great for a year or so before I gave the car to my daughter. She later sold it so I don't know if it is still working. On my present Saturn Vue it has been a year with no problems.
Great point! This Eric dude is not open-minded. Not everyone has 8k laying around to change a head gasket for a mechanic or even change it themselves with limited knowledge of cars.
I used Bars Leak on an old car with a leaky radiator. It stopped the leak immediately. I drove the car several more years and 100,000 miles and had no further problems with the leak, and the heater worked great.
Looking for experience with Bar Head Gasket leak stop.
I used it the correct way on 2 of my cars and it has been doing good for 3 years now
+Toby Blevins BS.
There are actually instances that this can work just fine. Is a blown head gasket the correct instance? Hell no. Is a minor leak from a seal or o-ring somewhere an instance this may work? Absolutely. That said it won't last forever. It is a band aid but this band aid can last much longer than you may think. Same can be said for power steering and oil leaks. As long as it's a small or low pressure side leak then it stands a chance to work. This all said if you are able to track down where the leak is coming from then you are MUCH better off actually fixing the leak rather than throwing a bottle of "wish/hope" fluid into the system.
if the dude let the motor overheat THAT MUCH, chances are he never evr maintained the vehicle or changed the coolant - so don't blame all the gunk on stop leak.
I took my car to a mechanic because I was loosing coolant.
I paid him 1,500.00 to replace a leaking gasket so he claimed. 2 days later it was loose on coolant again. The mechanic wanted more money to "guess" where the leak was conning from. I put in stop leak, the leak stopped, and the car has been fine for the past 4 years.
Now I wish I had tried that in the first place. Would have saved me 1,500.00!
Gutsyndicate
Have you ever had to have any mechanical work done. You wouldn't rebuild this engine for 1500. It is a supercharged 3.6 with inter cooler, and there are so many pipes and hoses under the hood that it is impossible to get at anything.
Mechanics are all crooks. I have never met one that isn't. Every time I have ever had any work done, it is always 2 to 3 times what the quote was, and if you waffle they just give your car back with the engine in pieces.
Gutsyndicate
This wasn't a "big box" shop it was the local garage / gas station, and he came well recommended from people. We have in my town 5 small repair shops. They all charge 95.00 to do an estimate. The last time I got hosed was another local that worked out of his garage at home, and he took me to the cleaners as well, and on top of that he messed up my ABS system, and now tells me I need a 4,000 part to fix it. That was fine until he told me my brakes were worn and needed replacing. The day after getting my car back from that bandit, the ABS warning light started coming on intermittently. Took it back, he read the diag codes and said I need a ABS high pressure pump and it is 4 grand, than recommended that I trade the car in. It went to him initially because of a vibration in the front wheel, which turned out to be a bad tire. I told him to replace the tires, and he called back, while I was working, and thus couldn't talk and said the brakes were worn and needed new pads, and that would be couple of hundred more, so I OKd that. When I went to pick it up, the bill was 1800.00 for 4 tires, 4 brake pads, he said the rotors wouldn't machine so they had to be replaced.
This guy was a friend of a friend that did it, and since that time, because I bad mouthed him, my original friend has unfriended me on face book, and we haven't spoken in a year. I go in thinking 600 or 700 for a set of tires and it ends up being over a grand more. Of course he isn't admitting fu--ing up my brake system, but I don't believe in coincidences do you? It is a Hybrid car, and I think it was over his head, but some people do not admit when they don't have the training, or expertise they just go in blind. At my company you do that, and you get a day in the park or worse. Not trained for a specific job, call the boss and get someone else to do it until training is provided. But then again, I work for a utility where a screw up could leave hundreds or thousands of customers without service, so failure is not an option.
Gutsyndicate
They are all crooks. Just like veterinarians. They are crooks. They know that your dog or cat isn't going to make it the second you walk in, but they milk you 500 or 600 for tests that will just confirm that the animal is going to die.
They are all in to separate you from as much money as they can.
30 years ago I took my old car in to have the water pump replaced because I did not have the right tools to do it. The mechanic told me he would charge me 80.00 to change it, which I though was fair.
Wouldn't you know, once he got the pump off, he said the one I supplied was "different" and couldn't be used, so he had to sell me a new pump, but he would be a great guy and buy the pump I supplied back from me.So now it was 130.00 for a pump installed. Then he quoted me for a serpentine belt another, 80.00 as mine was all cracked. I said DO NOT REPLACE IT, as I can do that myself.
I go in to pick up my car, what was the bill 210.00 I questioned how come, as I told him not to replace the belt, which he didn't but came up with the excuse that my car had dealer installed air conditioning, and that took extra time. Like he didn't see that as soon as he opened the hood. He was pissed because I wouldn't buy an 80.00 belt (my buddy worked for goodyear at the time and got me one for 23.00) so he invented a new charge that just happened to be 80.00.
All crooks. I have never found an honest mechanic yet. My dealers service dept has been pretty good to me, but my car has been under warranty so I have never had a bill yet for it.
Most shops warranty their work for at least 3 months/3,000 miles; even if not, a professional shop is still likely subject to an implied warranty of workmanship/merchantability, depending on the state. Even if Stop Leak did work, it's merely a band aid solution; if you're losing coolant, mechanical repair is the only long-term fix. I would get that rectified while you still can.
Tyler Brown
The car is not on the road now, it has been in storage for the past 4 years.
Eventually it will be a project car. It is a 95 Supercoupe in excellent condition, that I have owned since new, and my son has said since he could talk that he wanted the car, so eventually it will be his car, and I really hope he takes pride in owing one of the last TBird supercoupes to roll off the line. It is a very rare color, chameleon blue.
Look up that color and you will see that they didn't make very many in that color. It is all original, right down to the am fm cassette radio and original speakers.
Will definitely be collectors car.
I used K- seal on my 1998 Nissan Maxima.. it worked. I’m not being payed to promote any product,I simply care for people like me who are living check by check.I agree with this man 100% read the directions.people have asked me “ this stuff doesn’t work” I ask them to bring me the bottle and I explain to them how it should have been done, most of the time they are eager to stop the leak that they end up messing it up.
It worked on a 2004 1500 & Hummer H3 too.
Hi Eric, I just wanted to take a second and let you know I always go to your channel firstl and search for repair videos for subjects I need help with. You always seem genuine kind and most of all very knowledgeable. So big thank you keep it up!
ericthecarguy - you are quickly becoming my go to source when I am faced with car repairs/fixes. when faced with a leaking water pump on my wife's SUV, my local shop offered an obviously more expensive replacement or a much cheaper stop leak treatment...you helped convince me to bite the bullet and fix the part rather than take the easy (and cheaper) way out. thanks
I've been able to go another 30,000 without a leaky head gasket after using the kind of sealant that goes directly in your coolant (k&w nanotech in my case). Problem is, it eventually contributed to a radiator clog. If you try the stuff, make sure you flush most of it out after a few thousand miles.The metal particles eventually fall out of suspension and settle where you don't want them to be.
I usually just take the thermostat out if the car is a old school never clog since water in radiator flows
used Bar's Leaks Liquid Aluminum in my 99 dodge dakota. my water pump wasn't sealing with the hose running to the heater. Sealed it right up within a day...
Thank You for your honest appraisal of the long term effects of a possible short term fix.
excellent video. I've watched a lot of youtube mechanics (because I drive older trucks that are always breaking) and you are by far the best spoken, most explanative guy out there. Thank you.
Thanks for the video, Eric. However, my dad had a '99 Caddy DeVille with the NorthStar V-8, on which the head gaskets CANNOT be replaced, due to the head mounting studs being stretched upon the initial engine build. Rather than replace the engine [111,000 miles], I used a head gasket sealing product. Following the directions TO THE LETTER, it sealed the head gaskets! I prefer to change the gaskets also, but in this instance the stuff worked as promised, could even run A/C and sit in traffic with NO temp issues. But thanks again for the opinion, Eric!!! 3:)
In my 60+ years, I have tried a few different stop leak products, and I also draw from the experience of my mechanic father. One kind - and one only - has ever worked, and that is the silver powder stuff. It's great for small hole in radiator, etc. Another huge benefit: That stuff feels slippery in the coolant and I have NEVER seen a water pump go bad with that in the coolant. Lubricates pump, maybe? Whatever the reason, it's worth the price if stop leak for a lifetime water pump.
Mmmmm thank you for the info... You dad was a mechanic, he used that and it worked ??? That's unusual.
The silver powder stuff? What is it called?
Greetings from Germany. Gotta say I like your videos. They are well done and very informative. In this case I have to say that I like the fact that you always state that it is your opinion that it didn't work or that you think that it didn't work. Very professional.
Thanks for the vids Eric, I love them . You are helping me update , back when I in my apprentice days , we used to call all those quick fix gimics, Mechanics in a can. Trouble is many consumers try them before they surrender and bring it to a real automotive technician.,
my dad suv had hairline crack on engine head he used to fill 1 liter of water every sunday in the radiator for 5 years then i saw this product and used ever since no water need every week and first time after 6 year he used coolant in this suv . that head problem was manufactured defect but we detected after warranty
I was Driving from California to Oklahoma and the water pump went out...I put a bottle of bars stop leak in the radiator never thought it would work but it did the leak stopped within about 10 minutes I topped it off and made it all the way to Oklahoma and it lasted another 2 years after that so it worked for me
You make getting up in the morning awesome too Eric. We love you and your videos 👍
man i remember watching this video back in 10, over te years your videos have helped me out alot, thanks Eric
I have used Stop leak and had success. That said I have only used on small heater core leaks and it is only a temporary fix. but long enough to get me thru the winter so I didn't have to mess the cooling system in 20 degree weather.
Your videos are great, and you are a great mechanic...however as you said yourself, you aren't a Chemical Engineer. The copper on that gasket is the remnants of copper slip or similar, a compound often used by OEMs and some mechanics on head gaskets, def. not stop leak. Stop leak blocks holes using fibers that cover the hole and that traps either copper or aluminum flakes in the fibers. a sealing agent then seals the repair. For this process to work it requires air as a catalyst. Basically the blocking process and the chemical reactions wont start internally without air. Could air bubbles in the coolant start the process internally ? I doubt it, as they are transient., but theoretically I guess in some situations where there is a lot of air in the system they might. That said, when parts get clogged up with what looks like liquid copper or aluminum is generally because like you said, people haven't followed directions properly and used way too much in a last ditch attempt to fix something stop leak wasn't indicated for, like a blown head gasket. For small radiator leaks where the leak is in a metal part , not a plastic section or hose, the success rate is higher. You can even drain the remaining stop leak out and the hole will remained sealed. Jaguars Factory manual for the V12's used in XKE's and XJ12's actually included a step to add a small bottle of stop leak as part of every coolant service. That was back in the 70's. The chemical technology of these products has most certainly improved since then. The bottom line still ties up with what you advised, it wont fix a major internal issue and it wont perform miracles on areas of the cooling system other than those its indicated for. Even then it depends on the size of the leak. Mechanical repair is always the best, but with respect, I suspect some of your observations were factually incorrect. Most of the compounds that had clogged up that cooling system were caused by silt or minerals in the water/coolant mixture, breakdown of the coolant or past mixing of different coolant types. Most people use tap water mixed with coolant, some tap water is really high in mineral content and just like a tea kettle or coffee maker, gets furred up.
+Lisa Phillips So what are you trying to say my nigga??
+Lisa Phillips your comment was so long so im just gonna agree with you lol jk
+Lisa Phillips
Would the lack of air as a catalyst be the reason the lower radiator inlet he points out at 6:21 is free of the "fuzz" that is present in the upper inlet?
+Lisa Phillips How do I say this without sounding inappopropriate? Intelligent women, such as yourself, are far too few. I'm sure the same goes for males, just for the record. Thank you for the informative comment.
+Lisa Phillips i used stop leak because i had an oil pan gasket leak in a 90's ute. it stopped leaking after a couple of weeks and never leaked another drop for around two and a half years before i sold it. i think if people are using as instructed and can prove damage to their engines the should have a good case for court
I agree, for a head gasket I wouldn't take the chance. I might use it to get home. I have used bars leak in radiators when I cant find a small leak and it has worked. The one with the pellets. I have used other brands which has clogged up the radiator which had to be cleaned there after. I have never had the problem with the bars leak pellets. I have never seen build up in the hoses or inlet. Great videos.
Thank you for this video! I have two jobs and I'm a single Mom dealing with an overheating 1997 Honda Civic Ex. I have put new hoses, radiator, and thermostat on. I was going to use that stuff to get me by until I can get a new water pump. Due to your knowledge I'll park it til I can fix it
Been 2 years..did u ever fix it
I used this stuff call K-Seal for a head gasket leak and it worked. Car used to sputter real bad and leak coolant into the cylinder well. 6 months later, still no problems on my 300,000+ mile motor. Hoping to actually replace the head gasket if I have get the time to tear the motor down but I barely get vacation time.
Wow really I'm on my 300k mile and getting white smoke now I'm going to try some stop leak do u know the best one to buy?
+pk06511 The stuff I used called K-Seal came from Autozone. It's about $12 a bottle. I've also been recommended by a mechanic to use Blue Devil but that stuff is quite expensive. Just have to make sure you read the instructions carefully. Some products say you can leave it in for future protection, others you have to do multiple flushes after the sealer has worked which is the stuff I think is giving people problems.
+dekoldrick thanks
+dekoldrick You don't have to tear the motor down, pull off the intake and exhaust manifold, losen the timing belt/chain and pull it off the cam gears and pull the head, shouldn't take more than 5 or 6 hours to replace the head gasket.
+dekoldrick I'm torn between the K-Seal or Blue Devil, did you do a flush after the K-Seal worked its way through the system?
Scotty Kilmer vs/ Eric TheCarGuy rap battle, winner takes all the mechanic internet cread.
Bill Dollarmovie
It might be a tie, ya know.
Bill Dollarmovie
I just figured, I wont take advice from a guy that reminds me of Ozzy Osbourne if I have a second resource. Does that make me a bad person ...? :S
You know you've made it when you're on ERB.
We have a similar product here in the uk. What I used on my old BMW 320i, worked as a quick repair whilst I didn't have the spare cash to do the job properly. It lasted a couple of years, but then the car started to burn a lot oil so I decided to do the job properly when I had the cash.
Stop Leak worked for me about 20 years ago when it was the most faintest minute coolant leak. But, if you have substantial leaking, it's time to replace the radiator and upper and lower coolant hoses. Your video on replacing a Honda Civic Radiator provided helpful precautions for me to follow when I replaced the radiator on my 2001 Honda Odyssey. I used a new aftermarket radiator from KOI/Federated but, I made sure that I purchased the coolant and upper and lower hoses from the Honda Dealership Parts Counter. I would never use stop leak for a leaky head gasket.
I had a head gasket go out in the dead of winter in a 95 civic and I didnt have a place to work on the car. I used stop leak and it sealed until summer then the headgasket went out again. Replaced head gasket, timing belt, water pump, thermostat and flushed all the coolant. So I guess you could say that in my case I had a good experience. Now that I have a shop at my house I would fix the problem not the symptom.
i use it in my toyota. had a small headgasket leak.12 years now. no trouble.
How did u do it
no video=didn't happen
My son has an dodge avenger 2011, with back pressure from engine. I told him we should try Bars. AMD I have a 99 dodge 1500, with a coolant leak, coming from head gasket. If it works for his car ....I'm using it for my truck.
@@ericbowman6607 this product is exactly the thing for cars not worth fixing. exactly.
@@garonburwell9008 kind of like a last resort.
Great vid..I agree never use sealant on a headgasket problem..but leaking heater core on a FORD Freestar where the entire dash and steering column has to be removed to access the heater core for replacement..yes.. I used a product called Irontite...mixes with coolant..no need to flush and/or drain...follow instructions to the letter and run vehicle for an hour..no more core leaks...no plugged thermostat.This product is the consistency of milk with no pellets or chunks. I was very sceptical but for $20.00 it did the job. One year later still no leaks. Worth every penny. Best to you and yours.
Great vid,info,and channel.Thank you much.
Been using it for 40+ years from flatheads to Northstars and NEVER failed.
DONE CORRECTLY it is a permanent fix.. Remove thermostat and reinstall housing. Three clear water flushes of the cooling system with the engine brought to temp each time before starting procedure. Start procedure and use ONLY straight silicate (
This makes sense. Where do you get the silicate? I assume in comes in a powder form, in a bag, or a bottle, perhaps? Is there a name brand I should be looking for and should I be looking for it at Home Depot or something like that? Quick G search didn't turn up a whole lot and I have a lady friend with a bad head gasket who would like it fixed sooner rather than later. I hope to have some good head....... gaskets this weekend. ;)
good luck to do it on an audi 2.8. one needs to remove timing belt in order to access to the thermostat
@@jlagant9 absolutely gold
you have never used bar's leak head gasket fix before i have used it to repair a cracked head drove it for 2 years thinking it would be temporary fix sold it and i still see it from time to time
Had a endless leaking problem on my Volvo V70xc, used Rislone/Barleak and the shit really has worked. Saves me having to open up motor up again=)Def worth trying out. Love your work Eric the car guy=)
Thanks Eric, I really enjoy your videos. I bought an 02 Chev Venture ten years ago, it had the copper gunk already in it and it didn't fix the coolant leak, so I got the van cheap enough to offset the cost of a top end overhaul. I had a few hundred miles to get it home so I picked up the aluminum flaky bottle of gunk instead, dumped it in. By the time I got home, the leak stopped. I never did reseal that top end, and still run that van every day. It still consumes maybe a quart of coolant a year, and I catch a whiff of coolant in the exhaust on cold mornings (like 30F below zero or colder cold) I think the deal breaker is that it wasn't a coolant to combustion chamber leak, it was just coolant to intake port leak. The heater isn't terribly effective either, I expect the heater core is gunked up.
Thank you for your info...
I drove an old chevy six cylinder with a small crack in the block for over a hundred thousand miles with barrs leak. I had to recharge the stopleak about every six months. The down side was it rotted the hoses quicker, but it was an old chevy with only 4 hoses that were easy to get to, no big deal. I don't know about modern cars with sixteen hoses going every which where and it where it takes three months training to learn to change a fan belt.
I'm gonna be trying head gasket sealant tomorrow on my 04 Outback. The thing has 250,000 miles. The engine doesn't even sound like it's super strong, you can def. tell it's an older engine. Is it worth putting $1000-2000 for a gasket/engine replacement when the whole thing is worth $3000? I don't think so. So I say sealant is worth using on a inexpensive car that either way you're gonna need to replace the engine. Would I use it in my Impreza with 60k? hell no. But this 11 year Outback probably has it's day's numbered. I'll probably part it out if something goes.
Did it work mate
I bought a 05 Grand Am with a suspected head gasket leak, while bringing her home it was no longer suspect, I was a rolling fog machine!
I have the same thought you do but couldn't get a gasket and ended up getting the permanent head gasket stop leak. (Claim guaranteed to work)
Followed directions to the letter after reading 3 times to be sure I'd get it right.
Result, shocked! She's running like the 3.4 heavy weight champ! No leaks and it's been 5 months.
Continue to keep inspecting and see how it goes.
Oh, and doing the CZcams research the first step ;)
Thanks Eric, stay dirty!!
In some cases a stop leak product can be useful. I stopped a leak on my 1948 Buick lever action shock absorber. I substituted Power steering fluid with stopleak for the usual shock oil or jack oil these old shocks used. It softened/swelled the the 2 leaking seals in the housing. (These old shocks were refillable).
The reason pppl try stop leak instead just putting on a head gasket, as simple as you made it sound, is because most ppl don’t have $1500 laying around.
Seriously.....Hell Eric why didn't I consider just replacing it?
changing a head gasket is not hard especially on a v8
Ok you can do mine on a Northstar V8
It's the labor that costs so much. Not the part. So if you know how to do it yourself then it's pretty cheap. You just have to be interested enough in learning how to do it lol. The amount I've saved being able to repair my own car was enough to spark an interest in learning how to do it. It can be kinda fun
I thought the reason for these videos was to "do it yourself" so fix the head gasket yourself.
Maybe if mechanics didn't charge $1500 to $2000 for a head gasket repair AND also keep the customer's car for two weeks while the repairs are being done, then more people would probably get it fixed properly.
Most people can't afford EITHER the repair and/or the loss of their transportation for two weeks. People have to still get to work in order to put food on the table for the family
Until then, Barrs Leak and Blue Devil will continue to sell
I know, they should make minimum wage like fast food joints.
Mountain Man no they rob people like car salesmen
8 hours work
Parts
Coolant
Plus over heads
What do you think they should charge?
You have no argument.
Dealerships are the root of evil, not mum and dad businesses
It's not so much the mechanics it's the manufacturer process
For real man that the true
this guy makes decent ass videos. he doesn't fuck around for several minutes in the beginning like I've seen a lot of videos. he's very professional and informative. also shows proof rather than hearsay. I like this guy
Your the man Eric i completely agree i might would use the stop leak in my ford tempo if i had too
there is a permatex product that is a copper spray treatment that I have seen people spray on headgaskets before install..... I think that I whats on this headgasket it is a fel pro gasket so it has been changed once already
Timothy Cote you wouldn’t want that on a composite gasket. Not at all unless you want immediate failure of new gaskets.
Hey eric great videos bro but what do u think of lucas oil stabilizer
I use Lucas synthetic stabilizer with great results.
I like Your Videos and Ive been subscribed to Your chan for years . With that being said , Ive used Bars-leak on 2 different 6 cylinder Chevys that developed intake leaks .
One was a 96 Monte Carlo , the other was a 2000 Monte Carlo .
It sealed leaks almost completely.
Both of the cars had over 220, 000 when I finally sold them .
I was told by a mechanic , who suggested using it ,that he felt Bars-leak was the only Coolant Sealer that did NOT do any long term damage .
He was right .
Had an old B2000 and drove 2 hours out of town. When I got there it had drank literally all the coolant but somehow managed to not overheat but was making some interesting sounds. Filled it up and it drank it all in 5 miles. Clearly headgasket failure. I needed to get home so tried one of the more expensive stop leak products. Within 5-10 minutes of idling it stopped needing me to keep topping off the water. Drove it home and every day for a few days until I had time to replace the gasket. So I don't know about long term but it worked a miracle in my book to get me home.
hey I'm broke bro I'm going to try it lol
Did it work???
@burningfeet 57 liar
@Ons Huis can you get to to point. Ffs
Broke. Nation
The question should be rephrased,
If your head gasket blew in the middle of a desert during a zombie apocalypse, do you think stop leak would get you out of the situation.
I used stop leak (don't remember what brand) on an old Ford Maverick with a leaky radiator years ago. It worked. I never had to replace the radiator. But it also plugged up my heater core. But in my low budget situation. It was still worth it, provided you live in an area where it doesn't get too cold in winter.
I had a win with the new Bars Leaks Liquid copper sealant. I have a copper head gasket on a turbo engine and have been getting a small amount of water into one or two of the cylinders. Not an issue during normal driving..but start up when cold produced a lot of water from the exhaust pipe and running on three cylinders for a couple of minutes. The copper sealant has totally eliminated the leak..which has saved me a costly tear down.
The best stop leak in a pinch I've found, is creek water. I use to buck hay in the summer time for $ and we had an old late 80s early 90s Dodge that was overheating horribly. (Going around a field all day long in 100*F weather at idle) There was a hole in the radiator, and whenever we took a break we'd fill it back up with creek water, after awhile all the crap that was in the water plugged up the hole and no issues since.
i like the duct tape and cardboard over your window in the background... very high tech :3
It's worked for me on a 2000 Chevy Express 3500 5.7L gas engine. I used Bars Stop Leak the $30 bottle.
It also worked on my 98 Ford Taurus 3.0L gas engine. I used the Bars Stop Leak $9 bottle from Walmart the stuff that is the 2 part mixture.
After the stuff has done its job and fixed the leak I always do a complete coolant system flush to avoid potentially clogging my coolant system from using the stuff. They say you can leave it in but I don't le the idea of keeping it in there.
Every and all etcg video is GOLDEN!!! there is nonee better
Somebody told me about pepper. I tried it.... It worked tooo. For a coupla weeks. BUt I just kept puttin it in. I got it fixed though. BUT YES PEPPER WORKS.
It can work, but only for a short period of time. It should really only be used in dire emergencies and is not a long term fix for radiator issues.
BornToQuill I agree with this 110%. It's not for repairing, claiming it's fixed, and wiping your hands of the situation. It's for dyer needs like being stuck at a truck stop at 1 a.m. with 5-6 hours drive to go. It's pearly a possible backup in time of (as you said) emergencies.
Barrs golden seal stop leak works. I have fixed 2 out of 3 head gasket leaks. Both stood the test of time the 3rd was to far gone. Love your channel.
Hey Eric, last week, I replaced the engine oil in my 1995 Hyundai excel, after not having done so for quite a long while (2.5+ years). I used a 20-50w mineral oil.
Since then, I had some issues with my car, which started to white smoke in the exhaust, and creamy white residue on the oil cap. This forum suggested it was a leak issue and to change the head gasket. I've since installed a new one myself.
The issue is still continuing, and there is still white creamy build up on the oil cap. The parts store i visit, suggested I use 'Seal-tite'/'Stop Leak' style product. Essentially the steps are to run the engine to get the thermostat to open, flush the radiator, fill it up again, and then add the product. It's meant to seal up leaks, using copper solution (or that's what i got from our conversation).
I've read some mainly negative things about using such a product, but it might be adequate to give our car more years (which is all we really need).
Question? Do i use the product? What other cheap options/alternatives do I have? How else can I diagnose the problem?
oatmeal is another home remedy lmfao, love ur vids btw keep it up.
My dad told me about owners of Ford Model Ts who would, indeed, use Quaker Oats to plug leaks. Another home remedy was a raw egg. Dad's personal preference was flax seed.
You are the king of CZcams auto DIY, but I have to admit, I've watch a lot of Scotty Kilmer videos,
it's diy aka do-it-yourself not dyi do-yourself-it......
You don't seem to be able to read very well.
lt 1 engine head gasket
NO, NO, NO, SOUTH MAIN AUTO. DR. O, IS THE KING....
Eric the car god
I used Wynes stop leak, as I was loosing coolant slowly. Yes it did stop......., but one overtaking and getting close to red on rev meter was enough to blow gasket anyway. I would say it does work if you willing to sacrifice and drive much, much slower after applying it. It did leave some mess in cooling system. I did replace gasket some 4k miles later, as I had to.
Good video Eric.... I agree. I would say; if you're gonna use this stuff, use it for now, till you can get the job done correctly. I realize many people don't have $1000 or $2000 laying around to do the job right. But it is do-able.
have you tried using 1 piece of duct tape the horizontal way on the door window?
Most people use this stuff because they are gonna junk the car and need a few more miles off it.
I've been a mechanic for 30 years and the only "mechanic in a can" I have ever seen work was STP in my 77 Civic that was burning oil so bad there was a continuous cloud behind me and it was a rust bucket so i had nothing to lose. It stopped buring oil and lasted a long time. BTW ericthecarguy is one guy on the internet that actually knows his stuff. Thanks for the videos.
Thanks for the video. I am having some cooling issues now with my Ford Crown vic. Oil looks fine and can't find the leak at all. Taking it in Monday and praying that it isn't a head gasket.
Are piston return springs covered under the manufacturers warranty. I am afraid to ask since they laughed me out of the office over the muffler bearings I needed to have replaced. :)
Ask at the dealer the quote will only be $15,000 or just a tad more, don't forget the cigarette lighter included free with $90 installation fee.
Not sure, but you need to get your blinker fluid levels checked. Muffler bearing corrosion is a symptom of depleted blinker fluid ;D
Matt Hall Really, I never knew this. Wow! Thanks for the tip.
Bahahahaha. Wait, you are kidding right?
Tucker Not Sucker! great, we hope to see you at the dealer soon, we can have your automatic windshield crack fix fluid replaced at your home though.
Of course this mechanic doesn't like it, because it will put him out of business. Sealants are just options for people with limited budget. If you have a car with a book value of 3500 are you going to spend 1500 or 2000 dollars on it? You mechanic want to have more business, lowered the cost of your service by learning how to machine these darn parts!!
This wouldn't put him out of business. Stop Leak won't fix everything. Most car repairs can't be fixed with a $20 bottle of chemicals. Stop Leak doesn't work all the time, and he's probably not going to get someone bringing their car to him after Stop Leak worked.
For many people, Stop Leak works. But not everyone. And even when it does work, it shouldn't be considered to be a permanent fix. In most cases, you won't get more than a few months of driving from it.
Glad to stumble back across your channel again. Your presentation is direct and to the point. I like that. Yea for me!!
Have you thought about the gasket looking like it was coated with Copper Coat, a KW product. The job had been butchered before, Just another thought replacing the Stop Leak Idea.
I agree with you to disagree with all the stop leak ideas. I don't think it is an answer.
My Nova had a decent sized rear main oil leak, and I didn't feel like pulling the trans to fix it, so I used Lucas Oil stop leak, and it didn't completely stop the leak, but it did slow it from about 20 drops an hour, to maybe 3-5 drops an hour.
sodium silicate..otherwise known as liquid glass cement sealer has worked 2 times for me with blown head gasket.one lasted all summer and one has been going for 4 yrs..
Worked like a charm the one time I dumped it in a beater. Outlasted the rest of it..
Jeffrey Moore Jr the sodium silicate or the stop leak?
Love the channel. Great videos and great approach. However, the expression is, "as I say" or "as I have said" not "like I said."
Wow your fucking dull
I totally agree. I tried some stop leak from Blue Devil about a year ago. It was garbage. At least Blue Devil paid back the cost of the bottles. I finally went to a mechanic and had the head gasket replace and took care of the head gasket leak.
although I agree with your view of quick fix - tech in a can, I have used risoline rad stop leak heavy duty and it worked well for about a year for coolant bypass elbows on a 2000 SSEi, the thing that sold me was it said DO NOT FLUSH SYSTEM ON BOTTLE so I assumed it was reversable - any how, it bought time till I could replace elbows and she seems no worse after using bars
If you put the tobacco from a cigarette in the radiator it get so hot the tar comes out and will only get into the open gaps were the coolant is leaking it works I have used it
I work in the automotive industry, I stopped in here to say the only and I mean only stop leak product that works is Blue Devil. No other one seems to work and almost all shops will use it and charge you for a head gasket fix.
It's expensive stuff but as Eric says it will not perform a miracle. If your head gasket has a small and I mean smaaaaaaaaaall leak it may work.
But I am completely with Eric on this. I will never use any stop leak in any of my vehicles. period. I just know some people are desperate and cannot afford to have a car out of commission for x amount of time. The more head gaskets you replace the better you get. Also being familiar with the engine is a plus.
For heavens sake look at the water jacket holes and oil passage holes in a head and think about it when you put any kind of foreign product in your car.
Putting it in and praying can lead to eventual failure of the bottom end of the engine. Seems to me a head gasket and a little of my time researching the engine and doing a days worth of work far out weighs the cost of doing a bottom end of an engine.
Then if you do have it work it usually is for a very short time and then you get to clean and clean and then clean some more to reverse what you just did. Also check out the small hole on cam shafts that little tiny hole is an oil hole to keep the cam in top order. You plug it with this crap then you can say good bye to your cam bearings.
For those people who say they don't wanna or aren't confident enough to do a head gasket. Think about the fact the engine was assembled from parts and is meant to be disassembled for maintenance. I mean how many people know how to adjust valve lash that have push rod engines? There was a time where doing that adjustment was part of maintaining the engine.
I personally am in the midst of rebuilding the bottom of an engine LN3 3.8L engine because someone decided to see how far stop leak could take them. The total distance it got was around 75 miles before a nice knock developed in the engine. Now I get to do the bottom and top end of the engine because someone decided to believe an idiot who told them stop leak worked. But I'm persistent and can't stand to see a 3800 engine die even if it is the pre-series I 3800. And then again I was kind of looking for a reason to do a modded build. Big cam, bore 40 over etc etc that kind of thing. I know it's 60 degree V6 but I wanna see what I can pull out of it. :P
Lastly just a rule of thumb if you put black pepper in and it didn't stop it then nothing else will. Time for new gaskets. And for christ sake lap the head if it is aluminum. Tolerance should be around 0.0015mm of flatness in 9 points of measurement across the head. Machining does a decent job but lapping does better. Oh and lap on either granite or glass preferably granite. No need to redo it after you do it once.
I have had a good experience with the bars leak liquid copper for an antifreeze leak I had coming from my intake manifold, for me it worked wonders, but like you said with head gaskets, I have not seen or heard many success stories with it. I see it as a cheap alternative for some customers who are cost conscious about leaks for the $10-$15 retail cost it may work for them and save them a couple hundred dollars in labor costs, but its not guaranteed just a preemptive options saying you can try it, but in the worst case you'll be looking at pulling the motor apart to replace the gaskets
Actually Bars Block Sealer worked very well for me. I had a small head gasket leak that required adding a gallon of water after a ten mile drive and a fairly severe misfire with a check engine light from a PO301 code (cylinder 1 misfire). Adding a bottle of block seal not only eliminated the coolant loss to zero...but it also ran fantastic because it was firing on all cylinders and the check engine light never came back on. This car wasn't worth putting a new head gasket on, but for now it's running as good as ever...well worth this $10 investment.
Eric, i bought a nissan micra for 50 bucks and tested heavy duty block repair stopleak product.
I had oil and coolant mixed with together. Emptied the coolant and filled it with water + the stopleak.. Ran the car to work and back and then emptied the mixture out and replaced it with fresh coolant and oil + filter.
No more oil and coolant mixing with eachother. Temps are okay too. So my problem was fixed.
I wouldn't recommend it to a expensive car but a cheap piece of shit, yeah go ahead. It'll keep it running for a couple of months before it needs to be scrapped.
Nice
Couple months? Great
which one did you use?
Still running??
Shit im glad i watched ur video thanks Eric
I was sceptical of it. I used headgasket repair as I was in a bind and it worked brilliantly but as the instructions said it was only for coolant into cylinder headgasket failures
I did the Blue Devil Headgasket thing cuz I had a bit of oil in my coolant. Cleaned oil from coolant and it appears to be fixed now.
I think that car was seriously lacking regular maintenance... Stop leak can't fix that. How do you get an engine that hot anyway?? Temperature gauge anyone???
They put gauges and idiot lights on cars for a reason, but it takes a dumbass not to look at them!
The gauge and many idiot lights don't work when the coolant level is low.
Temp gauge doesnt get a engine hot lol.... My sending unit(coolant temp sensor) doesnt work on my swap since I’ve swapped it (5 months already) and I never overheated besides me forgetting to check coolant and revisor levels.
Thing is if a hose burst and all coolant leaves the engine the temp gauge wont read properly until its too late.
Stop leak is designed primarily for leaking radiators.
i used rislone head gasket fix in my 2jzgte powered silvia and it worked perfect. i had a small leak (which i discovered later was multiple small leaks) between my combustion chambers and water galleries because of a head gasket issue (OEM head bolts losing tension). it did NOT block my heater core or radiator and when i pulled the motor down 24 months later due to a rod bearing issue, the inside of my motor / cooling system looked great. i agree it wont work for everyone and there are lots of different products out there, this is just my 2 cents
i like your video ,i always find the solution everytime i watch your video ,now i know to fix a couple of things since i started to watch you fixing difference cars, pardon my english is not very well,however thanks for the grade job you doing ETCG HAVE FUN ,STAY DIRTY
your supposed to take the thermostat out before you run any sealant through the system
no ones got time to read directions man
Please explain this :)
lmfao everyone seems to forget this step in the instructions like why!!!?
Then don't use it. You make time
no, I have better shit to do
I put an egg white in my radiator and it smelled like something really gross was burning in my car for a whole month. Would not recommend it... Maybe cuz I forgot the black pepper?
You will NEVER GET RID OF THE PEPPER SMELL> NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!!!!not even ten years later!
jeff waltz Must still sealing your rad if you smell it!
I took it to a mechanic, he said it has to be an organic free run egg with fine ground black pepper.
Abraheam Rashead lol
Abraheam Rashead Definitely not corn fed as well?
I had a small trans fluid leak from the tail seal for the output shaft. I used the proper amount of Lucas stop leak designed for trans fluid and it worked wonders. I was no longer leaking trans fluid. Now it was a small leak. Probably like 4-8 drops of fluid per night. But in the long run, over a few months that could potentially be 8oz of fluid.
I have a leaky
power steering rack. Stop leak has improved it, not fixed it . I only plan to have the car a few more months and was just trying to stop the hemorrhage. I think for a temporary measure on a car near the end of it's life, it's certainly a viable option to squeeze a few extra months out while shopping for another car.
from what I have read Stop Leak is not for blown head gaskets. They even specifically say the car needs to be able to run for 20+ minutes and not overheat. From the looks of the parts you are showing the leak was already too big to actually work. You also cant use it if the coolant is dirty. I feel this only works for MINOR leaks. I am going to try this on my 97' Ford F150 (so far no overheating issues but has some signs of a head gasket leak). If I can find this video again ill post an update.
How did it work out for you?
Never got a chance to use it. Found that I didnt have a leak at all, just some muffler issues.
Michaell Michaud Either way, that radiator......
It does work, you kinda already proven that by showing us the head gasket. The gasket is saturated by the copper filler (as i call it) which is a good thing. However you also show us a NONE broken gasket but a warped one, no shit it did not work indeed.
Look up a couple of vids, it really works for most minor to even BAD head gasket issues given fact legit broken ones, not warped ones. I agree that replacing should be the way to go, you do this anyways as you have to make money of it (it's your profession) but it does work was my point.
+Michel Linschoten eric is a parts changer who does it far a living where it has to be done in a professional manner, personally i use what ever it takes and i have used it and some times it works sometimes it dont.
I saved a lot of money on just one time.
Johnnie Blevins
To be really honest with you the more videos i see of him. The more i am glad i never took any of my vehicles to the likes of him :)
May I bring my car to your shop to get fixed?
CzarPeppers
Why? Fix it yourself, most of the shit that happens to a car you can fix yourself. I recently bought a old Chevrolet s10 (see my channel it was in a very bad non drive able shape) i am far being an car expert. My neighbor and i worked on it a couple of days. And she is on the road again...we replaced pretty much the entire front end (bearing, bushings,link arm,blower motor, shocks, rag joint ectra) if i can do all that stuff why not you?
People rather spend a shit-ton of money to mechanics. While you can get a ODB2 reader for as low as 12usd and pinpoint problems pretty much yourself. All i takes is you not being lazy, and use the internet to do something productive instead of commenting on videos like this. LEARN, educate yourself and give it a shot yourself to fix the problem.
I am not saying Eric does not know his job, but i do NOT agree always with how he approaches certain projects. That is subjective..Eric and i had a discussion about this before with all respect to him and he was to me very respectful. I admire the man for the love he has for his job. Does NOT mean i have to take everything he does or says as gospel.
+Michel Linschoten lol someone was trying to pay you and ya shit all over them lol
Yep had a HG blow in my Civic and my mechanic said I could try stop leak if I didn't have the money for the repair at the time. He said he's heard of it working for one guy so it was possible but unlikely. Tried it and didn't stop any leaks, just went ahead with the HG repair and the problem was fixed.
Eric you are the guru and philosopher in cars thank you for being true in your trade .
Ive been watching your videos latly and i think im a female car nerd now
I'm just looking for a quick fix to get me through the holidays. I'd planned on getting a new (used) car next month. Thing is, I had no warning at all. No engine light, not over heating. Must be a hole in my radiator. 98 Corolla with 320,000 miles. That poor car is just plain tired. I'm going to try it and see what happens.
I put some Barr's leak to stop some rubber seals leaks. I'm not built for mechanic work anymore I have a bad back and a previous fractured leg. It stopped the leak ran good all day with AC booming
next day engine needle way up but engine is still running good from common sense i think I may have clogged some water passages up
anybody have any recommendations
cuz I'm on disability with no family support I need help
hi, what car and what is highest temp you get - where is the leak and how fast is it? - how much water do you add
you say rubber seals - do you mean hose?
+777jonah888 it's a 2000 6 cylinder I flushed it out because i thought maybe it was clogging up the radiator or something but it stopped the leak completely it's the stop leak with the pellets in the bottom of the bottle right now I have my radiator fans hook to a switch to turn them on and off at my control do u think I should use the stop leak again or what?
+777jonah888 it's a Dodge Caravan it leaking at the water pump seal and where it comes in the motor from the radiator with a rubber seal
james bondero
you should replace the hose from rad and upon cold start with rad cap off, do you see the coolant swirl? if not, the pump may not be moving enough coolant causing high temp_ may need to replace pump also- make sure the pump is not leaking from the weep hole- if it is/was, it will get worse and may killthe engine
Use K&W head gasket repair, in a bright green bottle. It is one of the only products that miss with coolant, and I have not see it clog up anything, but I do know it really, really works.. See my reply to the original post.. Hood luck..
love the opinion of a pro I used some of bars leaks on 2 Hondas and worked I followed the instructions and I sold them for profit I recently used a oil additive to make my car stop smoking blue instead of a heating issue it worked I think will it kill my engine ?
Hello from serbia. I had small leak from heater radiator in my car. 1998 Lancia Kappa, its very hard to get to it, and leak was really small, but it was giving smell inside the car and was making windows fog. I used Liqui Moly stop leak(white thick gelly thing), and drove 20 minutes. It stopped leaking, and now hot air is without smell. just hot air. I have had no negative effect.