Quote Originally Posted by calista View Post
OK well thanks for that. I don't really have much of a clue because I'm not a mechanic, which is why I signed up to this forum. The only question I haven't answered is whether the radiator gets hot, but I'm afraid I don't know how to tell that.

I have had two mechanics look at it. They both said they have done as much as they can without spending alot of money. I presume that means that it is a head gasket but they can't tell without spending the money, which is my problem.

I was really looking for someone who might be interested in helping me to fix the car at a decent price. I should have been clearer on that in the first instance, if at least to avoid the flak.
Calista, I meant no offence toward you, it just looked like you had ( as so many do ) only joined to extract free help, but had taken a week to respond till now.
I'm not an offensive falla and apologise if my remarks were taken that way.Your car being a v6 will have 2 head gaskets

To your car, you can tell if your radiator gets hot by feeling if there is heat coming from it, which will show itself by being warm.
Sorry , being sarky, a little light hearted forum banter.

Some checks you may be able to make for yourself without being a mechanic
1, look into the tank where you put water/antifreeze, which on your car should be under the bonnet near to the windscreen on the passengers side, and see if the water is a clean watery fluid , possibly pink.
It should be clean pink water.
If you can see an oily creamy gunk in the water, a bit like mayonnaise you may have an issue with a head gasket.
If you pull the dipstick for your oil level, on your car this is a large orange ring handled pull stick on the drivers side of the engine, under the bonnet.
You should find just oil ( clean and gold if recently changed, or maybe a bit black if service is due ). If the oil dip stick shows a lot of the aforementioned mayonnaise you may have an issue with the head gaskets.
If you open the oil filler cap, on your car this is a round black twist off cap just on top of the engine and almost directly above the dip stick on the drivers side and will have a picture of an oil can on it.
The oil filler cap may have a very slight showing of the mayonnaise but this can sometimes be acceptable if it is only a slight amount.
The mayonnaise/creamy gunk I have mentioned is the affect of your engine coolant/water/anti-freeze mixing with the engine oil and emulsification occurring
This can happen when a cylinder head gasket goes and allows the 2 fluids to meet, and they shouldn't.
The above checks should be made with the engine SWITCHED OFF AND COLD, for your own safety and should take you less than a minute to complete

If the above tests seem beyond your own ability or a bit daunting, you really should have the car looked at by somebody you can trust not to rip you off and to give you a qualified opinion
It doesn't sound like whomever looked at your car has been very helpful and it would be a shame to scrap a lovely cabriolet based on not really knowing if it has a serious problem or a simple sensor/sender issue

Again if my comments previously made offended you or any other forum user it was not my intention.

Good luck