Lasting engine damage from driving overheated car? (UPDATED)
So as much as I don't want to sound like an idiot, I had some car trouble today and I am concerned there could be more than just fan and radiator trouble.
The car is 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 211k miles (she has been a trooper!) I have her down in NYC with me since my place in brooklyn has a garage and free on street parking. Today I was about 30 minutes outside the city sitting in bumper to bumper traffic when the car started stuttered and we hear a "pop!". A half mile later the car starts to over heat and steam. I pulled over before it stalled or anything. The electric fan had snapped in half and did a number on the radiator.
If you know NYC the cost and idea of towing the car back from City Island in the Bronx to the bottom of Brooklyn near Staten Island was just terrible, and Gieco wanted to tow it to a Jeep dealership in the opposite direction. So we let it sit for an hour and filled it up with water. She made it back into Manhatten before getting hot again. Pulled over, same motions. Got down from 96th street to 60th the second time. For the last trip I needed to make it under the tunnel to Brooklyn. then down the BQE to the belt parkway and home.
About 1/4 mile from my exit the engine gauge lit up and the car starts sputtering, lost power, and limped off the exit. A cop pushed me to the side of the road and it wouldn't start. An hour later I got it to start but it sounded like death, and limped the 4 blocks home.
What type of lasting issues could driving the car in that condition have caused? It was literally 4 blocks from its stalling out. But with 211k miles and a questionable transmission, I don't know what I can put into fixing her if it is more then just a new fan. It just might not be worth it anymore given her growing list of issues. But with rent, student loans, yada yada...buying something else probably is not a possibility either.
So before I talk to the shop this week I just wanted to hear your thoughts.
Thanks,
Tim
UPDATE
Got home from work, started it up. Took a while to turn over, and alot of vibration. Sounds like hell still. When I pop it in gear it idles down to a growl at 500rpm (normally just over 1k)
The shop is 3 blocks down so I drove it down, wierdly is sounded normal once it was out of 1st gear and over 2k RPM, but still feels really LOW on power.
The block doesnt have any signs of cracking, no oil leak. It actually smells like gas?
Anyway...shop will tell me tomorrow what issue is. Any guesses in the meantime?
Tim
__________________
In memory of those gone before us
In gratitude for those who care.
Last edited by BC69; 04-06-2009 at 08:32 PM.
|