I was parked when i smelled a heavy chemical odor. i popped the hood to find the coolant boiling and smoking. the radiator cap shot off and spilled fluid everywhere. i was told to try and add water to get it to a mechanic, but i cant even get the radiator cap back on. what could the cause be? hose, or fan belt or clog?
I would guess the radiator cap blew off because it wasn't completely tight. That also could be where water was leaking out, causing it to overheat. When the radiator cap blew off, it likely bent the radiator up. Replace the radiator cap, and refilled your radiator. See if that don't completely fix the issue. I wouldn't necessarily drive it until my watched the temperature just idling for driving around the block.
The root cause can be a failed radiator fan relay, bad water pump or a blown head gasket. But the fact that you can't get the cap back on is troubling. Call a tow truck. Trying to drive this when it's overheating can destroy the engine. A tow is always cheaper than a new engine
SOURCE: 1996 mustang 3.8 v6 smoke from pullies?
if you drained all the water out the system needs to be blead always mesure the coolant/water so you can put the same amount in again there will be a bleeding screw on one of the hoses loosten and let all the air out. hope this helps
SOURCE: i have a 93 buick lesabre and the coolant is not
If it over heats it could be going out the overflow tank
if it is leaking where it connects to the radiator it might be the radiator itself. take it to a shop and they can pressure test. some shops won't even charge for test.
SOURCE: My Buick 95 Gran Sport's steaming/had shut down on the freeway
Sounds like you had air lock possibly need a new thermostat. Sealants work on pinhole leaks, but not much larger. I may be bearer of bad news. Sounds like your radiator had given it's life to save your motor.
You don't state miles, but you may be due for timing belt at which point most often a change of water pump is cheap insurance and preventive maintenance rather than paying same labor twice.
When car was hot did you by chance run the heater? That can help bring temp down on coolant. It will tell you if system is plugged too.
If it blows cool than normal and radiator has big leaks you'll need to replace or re-core your radiator after which you should get a good radiator flush done to remove excess sealant that is not required if you replace the radiator, water pump & thermostat so it doesn't plug heater core and smaller cooling holes in the engine. Too much sealant can plug your thermostat too making issue even worse.
Hopefully you haven't warped the head due to excessive heat.
On my '99 528it Wagon the temp gauge will spike on occasion if I don't drive it regularly. For temp fix I put car in neutral, shut my car off, then restart. So far the thermostat has released. Hoping to make it until next spring when it warms up. As my second BMW one of the easiest brands to work on I've owned. Bentley Shop manuals I buy provide all a back yard mechanic can use. Though not cheap (Haynes is also supplier of shop manuals) even if you don't work on your own vehicle it provides information so you can verify what your mechanic is doing.
PEACE
114 views
Usually answered in minutes!
×