helpp!!

[zanzibar]

Driving to work today noticed my temp gauge go off the scale and that there was no heat coming from the air vents, as soon as i came to a traffic light the car conked out. Managed to start her and get to a safe place. Checked under the bonnet and sure enough there was smoke, the water resevoir was full. Can someone please advise to what this could be.

[Colin Wiltshire]

Checked fan belt?

[zanzibar]

Belt is intact

[Erni902]

Was it smoke or steam??
Did it have a smell??
Did you remove the radiator cap and check the level of water in the radiator?
Could you tell where the smoke/steam was coming from?
At what speed did it happen?
Were you accelerating hard or cruising?

To me smoke would suggest something such as oil etc burning (obviously you'd smell this). Steam would suggest a water leak somewhere and due to the temp steaming like a b!tch. If the water reservoir was full and there was lack of heat from the vents could this point to a possible air lock somewhere along the line?

Im sure if you can answer the above questions and give as much info as possible someone will be along to offer their suggestion based upon this.

Hope you get it diagnosed and sorted mate

Rikki

[Nick Mann]

Sounds like a big water leak to me. As Rikki said, check the water level in the radiator.

[TAR]

do you mean smoke or steam?

Were the fans on, if they fail (electrical fault or fuse) it can cause overheating when stationary or moving slowly.

If you had a leak, I would have expected the reservoir to have been empty. However it's possible that the system has become pressurised with a head gasket failure between a waterway and a cylinder.

IF the fans are OK, let the car cool down then check the level in the radiator and reservoir, topping up if necessary. Go for a drive and keep an eye on the temp gauge. Once the car is hot and done a couple of miles, check to see if you have anything in the reservoir or if its overflowing.

There is also the possibility that the radiator cap is faulty and letting water past it into the reservoir which overflows out of the car. Given enough time, this may affect the level so much it makes the blower air cold.

Its the sudden increase in temperature which is most worrying, especially if you cannot find a leak.

[zanzibar]

Only noticed the temp when on the motorway , 20 mins at 70mph cruise, the smell was like a burning rubber type not overly strong though,smoke was coming from under the engine cover. Did notice when i started the car before setting off the revs where at 2k rpm for 3-4 mins. Have not had a chance to check the rad will check on this later and update.

[crazydriver81]

Only noticed the temp when on the motorway , 20 mins at 70mph cruise, the smell was like a burning rubber type not overly strong though,smoke was coming from under the engine cover. Did notice when i started the car before setting off the revs where at 2k rpm for 3-4 mins. Have not had a chance to check the rad will check on this later and update.

2k rpms would only be normal when really cold. If engine is warm, that's not good at all.

First check would be fan operation. Do they kick in at all and how fast are they moving?

With such a massive overheating it sounds like either sticky thermostat, dead temp sensor or faulty fans.

[zanzibar]

Just had a butchers at this, rad pipe at the bottom passenger side his pissing out water rad was completly empty . Thanks for the help guys much appreciated

[Erni902]

Just had a butchers at this, rad pipe at the bottom passenger side his pissing out water rad was completely empty . Thanks for the help guys much appreciated

Had the same hose go on mine a while ago mate. Slightly different symptoms as I had a coil pack fail on me too. When you get a new one keep an eye on it for a few weeks after fitting. I fitted a brand new one and the hose would not stay on for love nor money. Would be ok poodling round town but as soon as I accelerated aggressively the hose came off and I lost every drop of water. I now have a used on there and its fine. May just have been a dodgy one I got delivered but just warning you.

Glad you found the issue mate

[Nick Mann]

Yep - sounded like a large leak. If the leak is big enough there is no pressure of any sort in the system, so the reservoir stays at exactly the level it was at. Fingers crossed that a new hose and a few litres of water will solve the problem.

[zanzibar]

Hose was not split it had just come off, the retaining clip looks a bit rusty, should i use a jubilee clip instead to prevent this happening again?

[zanzibar]

Does anybody know the diameter of the bottom hose please

[Nick Mann]

Yes, a jubilee clip should be fine. It's the same size as the top hose... Sorry, I don't know for sure. I think that the inside diameter is approx 32mm. So I would guess an outside diameter of between 40 and 45mm. Please don't quote me, but I would be suprised if I was a long way out.

[crazydriver81]

Hose was not split it had just come off, the retaining clip looks a bit rusty, should i use a jubilee clip instead to prevent this happening again?

IMPORTANT: Clean the metal pipe, the hose slides over, very carefully from the oxide. If there was coolant leaking, the Al-pipe will oxidize and the oxide layer will prevent proper sealing of the hose! just use fine sand paper to clean it.