Blew a head gasket on the 405 and learned to check the damn temp gauge

Last Tuesday I was hauling a load of used transmissions from a shop in Burbank down to Anaheim when my 2004 Silverado started running rough at 65 mph. I figured it was just a misfire, so I kept going instead of pulling over. About 3 miles later the temp needle hit the red and the coolant was boiling out of the overflow tank. I got off at the Sepulveda exit, shut it down, and saw the milky oil on the dipstick. Cost me $1,400 for a used motor swap at a shop in Torrance. Has anyone else been burned by ignoring the warning signs early on a long haul, or am I the only one who thought she'd make it?

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laura_wilson12d ago

Was the gauge even working before you left, or did you just never look at it? A lot of these older trucks have sensors that go bad, so maybe it gave you no warning at all. Either way, $1,400 sounds like a cheap lesson compared to what a full rebuild would cost.