legacycentral bbs

I was helping my friend try to jump start his truck today and my engine started to get hot, then the overflow tank bubbled over.

I hurried up and shut it off and let it cool for a little bit before I pulled it out of the way to let another car try to jump my buddy. When I started it back up there was some white smoke coming from the tail pipe, not a lot or a cloud but enough to worry me. I pulled it into a nearby parking spot and let it sit for the next 20 minutes till my friends truck gets started. There was no smoke that I noticed when I got it started back up but the CEL was on the whole hr ride home only to go off after I get off the freeway for the last 5 minutes of my drive.

I checked the codes and it's throwing up 21 and 35.

21 is coolant temperature sensor
35 is purge control solenoid

Currently my main fan is off the car because it's not working, took it off last night. I suspected it wasn't working and confirmed it when I applied 12v to it and nothing happened.

I knew my engine was going to get close to overheating but the idiot temp gauge wasn't even in the red yet when the overflow tank bubbled over.

I don't see anymore white smoke since I've gotten home but I'm concerned that I may have blew the head gaskets. Could I have gotten coolant in from anywhere else to give that white smoke?

This really concerns me because this is my dd and it has to go 60miles one way for work.

Well I would suggest burping the system to make sure there's no air in it, and then clear the codes and see if either come back.

The fans have three wires, are you sure you're testing the correct two wires?

I'm certain the fan is not working. I took it off and applied 12v to all 3 wires but starting with the ground hooked up first. I tried all 3 just to be redundant. The A/C fan will turn under it's own power but it's so weak at it that it's probably bad too. I had thought about moving the A/C fan to primary but I'll have to see if this one will react better to the direct 12v.

No CEL on the whole ride into work this AM so that's a good sign. Didn't see any smoke either but that's always been difficult for me to see while I'm sitting in the drivers seat.

I'm pretty sure the actual motors are the same, so you could in theory move the ac fan's motor to the main fan. But if you said the AC fan is really weak, then that motor may also be failing.

I'm still getting the CEL coming on at random times. The idiot temp gage isn't even at the half way mark and the CEL is coming on. It's coming on at random times too. Which temp sensor do you think is causing this?

It's still throwing the same 2 codes.

I would replace both. Sounds like the one for the gauge isn't working and IIRC the CEL only comes on for the main one.


I have a hunch you're running way hotter than you think you are with 1 weak fan.

code 35 is common. fuck that purge control. It's nothing to worry about.

What you've described certainly SOUNDS like a blown head gasket; but that's a worst case scenario. Start by checking everything else first.

Keep a very close eye on how much coolant you have in the reservoir.