AoA to all Pakwheelers,
I’ve had a strange situation with my immaculate Swift 2010 DLX 200k driven. It started overheating about 15 days ago. Here’s a summary of what happened with the cooling system:
The engine overheated and the heat gauge went up while I was driving to CBR Town at night. Suddenly, the AC stopped working and no cool air was coming from the vents. I pulled over and found that the car was scorching hot. A couple of small coolant pipes connected to the T and throttle were burst, and coolant was leaking out. After cooling the car and topping up the water, it overheated again after a few miles.
I had new pipes installed, but they kept leaking from the clamps. I had them fixed as well, but the overheating continued.
After a few days, another large pipe connected to the T was leaking from its clamp. The connector or the T was rusted, so I bought a new one and replaced it.
A few days later, the iron pipes connected to the thermostat developed leaks. I installed new ones and even replaced the thermostat after checking its operation in hot water.
A few days after that, the radiator tank cracked and developed leaks. I bought a new tank and had it installed, along with a radiator service.
After a few days, the newly installed tank started leaking from its seals. I had it reinstalled properly under the service warranty.
On a trip from PWD to G-13, the car started overheating again. I had to turn back to PWD, and the heat gauge moved towards H three times during the trip. I kept pulling over, cooling the car down, topping up with water, and eventually made it home.
On another trip from PWD to Ghauri, I noticed the fan was running at a lower speed but wouldn’t turn off. When I pulled over, I saw the fan was actually running at high speed, as it normally does when the AC is on, but the AC wasn’t on. I had stopped using the AC after the first overheating incident.
During these 15 days, the gauge hit H six times on the highways. I had it checked by three mechanics, all of whom suggested that the gasket might be blown. However, I’m skeptical because there are no signs of a blown gasket such as:
- No frothy or milky oil from the dipstick or oil cap
- No white smoke from the exhaust; instead, it was throwing water (what we call a "water throwing engine")
- No residual oil or contaminants in the radiator coolant
- The car isn’t misfiring and starts perfectly on the first ignition in the morning
- No bubbles in the coolant; neither does the coolant jump up when starting a cold engine
- No noticeable reduction in coolant levels
The only issue I’ve observed is excessive pressure, which seems to be causing the parts to burst. I visited the Suzuki Centre in I-9, where they also suggested changing the gasket after inspecting it and charged 2000 Rs for the check-up. The estimated cost was over 75000 Rs, which is quite high.
After getting second and third opinions from professional mechanics, including Suzuki Centre, I chose one of my trusted mechanics to inspect the head. Although he appears experienced, it’s hard to tell who is honest.
He removed the gasket today and showed me spots of leakage, but I couldn’t see any damage to the gasket with my own eyes. I’ve shared the pictures.
The mechanic said he will replace the gasket with a 1.5 mm steel one instead of the paper gasket (Gattay ki gasket) after "Amri Facing" of the head, rather than using a cutting machine.
I still don’t believe the gasket is blown. Please review the pictures and advise me on what to do.
PS: I haven’t had the heater coil checked yet. But the core fault he found was a clogged tiny iron pipe with big rust paricles that connects the thermostat line to the water pump. Plus, he said he will clean out all the connectors including small and main hoses. Plus. I have been using a distill water, Nestle, and not a colored coolant. This was suggested by one of a radiator Ustad that coolants can rust the engine and lines. I wondered why the world is using branded coolants in their car, and he is suggesting me a Nestle mineral water.
