Questions and Answers

Oatmeal & Eggs In The Radiator Q. Hi, I am curious about a problem I heard about with a 1992 Honda Accord 5-Speed with 277,000 miles. I don't know what engine it has. The oil mysteriously leaked out of it somewhere along the way during a short trip in town. The owners had it towed somewhere to be looked at.

They thought some bearings may have gone out somewhere (doesn't sound right to me) or possibly the oil pump was failing. They came up with no explanation, and didn't install any new parts. They dumped three quarts of oil in and drove it somewhere else where it is now waiting to be looked at. They say it has been an awesome car driven very easily about 120 miles a day. Where would you begin to diagnose this problem?

Thank you!

I also would like to ask if you've ever heard of putting raw eggs in a radiator or oatmeal to stop a leak. They both sound stupid to me like they would clog up the evaporator core or thermostat. I have a 1995 Nissan 200SX SE 1.6 automatic with 170,000 miles. There is a very slow coolant leak that right on top in plain view under the hood where the engine meets the transmission.

Is this something I could fix without pulling the engine? Do you think it's life threatening to the engine? This has been a great car that still runs like the day I got it at 80,000 miles and many wrecks. Also with this car I replaced the A/C compressor with a used one over the summer and replaced the receiver/dryer at that time. Currently I am having a brand new compressor installed, should I replace the receiver/dryer again? Thank you again for your time.

Sincerely,
James

A. As for the Honda, oil just doesn't "mysteriously" disappear. And there are always signs of where it's going. If it's a leak it will be obvious, maybe the origin won't be, but the fact that there is a leak is.

If there is no leaks then the engine is burning it. You'll see signs such as blue smoke from the exhaust and/or black oil fouling spark plugs. If it is burning it, a wet/dry compression test will determine if it's from valve seals or piston rings.

Raw eggs and oatmeal in a radiator? If you want to cook and clog things, cook the eggs and oatmeal on the stove and clog your arteries. I think poaching eggs in slightly salted water would taste better than poaching in anti-freeze. I can't be 100 % sure, but I'm fairly certain that they would, indeed, clog up the cooling system.

I had a customer that came in with an overheating problem and I found the cooling system was filled with rice... cooked rice. So I don't recommend putting any type of food in the cooling system, especially and older one. And with 170,000 miles I wouldn't even recommend regular stop leaks. If it's one of the freeze plugs between the engine and transmission, You'll have to pull the transmission out. No two ways about it.

If the A/C system hasn't been empty for any length of time and the old A/C compressor didn't crumble and fall apart internally, I don't see any reason why it can't be reused.