I recently bought a 1999 sw2 with 147,000 miles on it. Pretty nice car
And I like trying to get it to run perfectly. I had p0341 code
So I change plugs and wires. Cleaned coils and code went away
For a while. I put new torque axis mount on and also new egr
Temp gage reads low so will change thermostat and ects
Now I have noticed bubbles in expansion tank when adding
coolant. It does use oil but see no smoke of any color
Does Anyone know what these symptoms mean. It also seems
to idle a bit too high at about 1,100 rpms

 

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Bubbles in the expansion tank could mean a cracked head (sure hope not). Out of curiosity, just how much oil does it use?

 

It uses 1 quart every two tanks of gas. I was thinking the bubbles in expansion tank meant a bad head gasket. I was thinking of trying Steel Seal before tackling the head gasket. Does anyone have any experience with this product?

 

most additives of those types may help with the symptoms but they don't address the underlying problem -- and will often gum up the rest of the works in the process

 

Yes, a bad head gasket is a possibility. I'm with Derf though, products that "purport" to stop leaks seldom do, although they work great for gumming up radiators and prevent them from cooling properly. Simple answer - you probably gonna have to pull the head to fix it. I, for one, would not use the "stop leak" products - personal preference here ...

 

I concur that you should not use any type of sealer. It's merely a bandaid fix at best. And they can stop up both your radiator and heater core. If you've ever had to replace a heater core in any car, then you know what a pain in the butt job that is. You don't want to do it due to something like that. Pull that head and do the head gasket job and drive it like you stole it!

 

Oil usage with that kind of miles on it generally indicates worn or stuck piston rings and/or cylinder wear. I agree with the others that the bubbes generally indicate a head gasket problems.
The only fix frankly is to take it apart and replace it. It probably would not hurt to do a compression check before you start to try to see if something else is wrong too.
The upside to all of this is possibly this is a good time to replace rings, a somewhat crude repair with out doing other things too, but something that might be able to be gotten away with It could solve the oil consumption problem and as you are going to take a lot apart anyway, a little more taking apart may not hurt your.
At least you can see the condition of the pistons and rings when you take them out. How easy it might be to get away with something like this is the size of the the "Ring" at the top of the cylinder bore cause by wear of the piston Rings to the walls leaving a ridge at the top of the bore.
It is possible you can HONE the ridge and cause it to go away and not be a problem.
A perfect solution? No, but A solution.
And when you get it together ignore the oil weight recommendation on the engine and use something heavier.

 

I am by no means an expert, but can tell you the sealant is a bad idea. I used it and clogged the radiator an started to overheat. And the leak I was trying to stop was still leaking. The other guys here can guide you with the hard parts. I am just a beginner.