Catastrophic Coolant Loss

[Craig-o]

Does anyone out there remember an article in the last 4 years published (I think) in Corvette Quarterly that dealt with this topic?

I swear I recall reading a techincal article that said in the event of a catastrophic loss of coolant in an LS1/LS6, the computer will shut down the fuel injectors on 1 bank of cylinders, and have it pump only air, then alternate the cylider banks periodically (every 30 or 60 seconds?) effectively making it an air-cooled engine.

I mentioned it to some guys at work who all thought I was crazy. I'm going to go home and search through stacks of old magazines this weekend, but can anyone else confirm that this article does indeed exist and is not a figment of my imagination?

Thanks for your help.

Craig

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

Read your owner's manual. I believe the car can be driven 50 miles without damage, but under reduced power.

 

[DRTH VTR]

I would not drive without coolant. I would certainly not drive 50 miles. The risks are way too large.

 

[Patrick]

Cadillac's Northstar engines have had this feature for years. My '96 Eldorado actually had it happen the day after I got my coolant changed a local Grease Monkey right after I bought it, and they used the wrong type of coolant. The engine begins shutting down a pair of cylanders and cycling which pair gets switch off in order to keep the engine from overheating. I hobbled into a local AAA-rated place, and they took care of flushing and re-filling it with the right coolant, and yes, the Grease Monkey paid for it.

That said, I didn't know Corvette engines were similarly equipped.

Even if they are, based on my one-time experience with the Eldorado, while it's a "peace of mind" feature, it's also one you don't want to have to use.

-Patrick