Blowing water???
Discussion
My car has started chucking water out of the Swirl tank. I have the pressure cap on the swirl tank, tried to bleed the system, as told by Hexham Horseless carriages, but it still does it? Replaced the pressure cap with on that wasn't in 3 pieces.
Doesn't overheat though and I get hot air through the heater.
What could it be?? Please help.
Doesn't overheat though and I get hot air through the heater.
What could it be?? Please help.
It isn't easy to tell whether the problem is the system not holding normal pressure, or a blown gasket or overheating problem causing the system to go over pressure. Are there any other symptoms, does the temp gauge still read normal?
Hopefully, the problem is only that the pressure cap isn't holding pressure. Which can be caused by putting a standard pressure cap on the swirl tank (the neck of the swirl tank is too tall, the cap won't compress the spring far enough to seal properly). If the temp gauge is reading normal, I suggest you put the blanking cap on the swirl tank, put the pressure cap on the header tank, and check carefully for leaks when it is up to temperature. With the caps this way round, the swirl tank should be full to the brim, and the header tank should be about 1/3 full when cold.
Hopefully, the problem is only that the pressure cap isn't holding pressure. Which can be caused by putting a standard pressure cap on the swirl tank (the neck of the swirl tank is too tall, the cap won't compress the spring far enough to seal properly). If the temp gauge is reading normal, I suggest you put the blanking cap on the swirl tank, put the pressure cap on the header tank, and check carefully for leaks when it is up to temperature. With the caps this way round, the swirl tank should be full to the brim, and the header tank should be about 1/3 full when cold.
If water is going out of the Swirl Tank it should be going into the Resevoir tank - is it ?
They say that the Swirl tank should be topped up to about 1" of the top to allow for expansion and the Resevoir tank filled only to the line at the bottom.
If you changed the Pressure cap does it seat correctly onto the top of the Swirl tank, on mine I had to cut another washer to fit inside to make it "watertight"
Assuming this applies to an S3 as well as mines an S2.
They say that the Swirl tank should be topped up to about 1" of the top to allow for expansion and the Resevoir tank filled only to the line at the bottom.
If you changed the Pressure cap does it seat correctly onto the top of the Swirl tank, on mine I had to cut another washer to fit inside to make it "watertight"
Assuming this applies to an S3 as well as mines an S2.
Mine has the pressure cap on the expansion tank and a standard cap on the swirl and works fine. How ever mine will leak water from the swirl tank if the cap isn't fitted tight, as the tank lip is a poor seal. Take a pair of pliers to the edges of the swirl tank cap where the locking lugs are and nip it up tight (once in place on the swirl tank of course). Works for me.
Andy
Andy
"Bleeding" the system IMHO simply means letting the air out.
As you would "bleed" a radiator at home to let the air out.
As you put water in it will push the air out but to clear "air locks" you may have to follow the procedure a few times to get it all out ie "Bleeding it".
Hope this makes it clear now.
As you would "bleed" a radiator at home to let the air out.
As you put water in it will push the air out but to clear "air locks" you may have to follow the procedure a few times to get it all out ie "Bleeding it".
Hope this makes it clear now.
On home radiators, you undo the bleed screw until air starts to come out. The pressure in the system forces the air out. On a car radiator the system isnt under pressure until it gets hot. I dont think simply filling the system with the bleed screw taken out will expel all the air (I could be wrong and usually am 
). So I would suggest filling it with the bleed valve out until you cant get any more in, then put the caps on and run the engine until the pressure building up as the engine gets hot forces the air out of the bleed screw hole and hopefully then coolant will begin to trickle from the hole at which point you should replace the bleed screw. Thats how I intend to tackle it once all of my S is rebuilt.
Roy.
). So I would suggest filling it with the bleed valve out until you cant get any more in, then put the caps on and run the engine until the pressure building up as the engine gets hot forces the air out of the bleed screw hole and hopefully then coolant will begin to trickle from the hole at which point you should replace the bleed screw. Thats how I intend to tackle it once all of my S is rebuilt. Roy.
To bleed the rad you just need to get the engine up to temperature and crack open the bleed screw with the engine running. Any air will hiss out, closely followed by a dribble of very hot water (so use a cloth or something to protect your hand). No need to completely remove the 'bleed' screw. On mine the bleed screw has a T bar on it and can be undone very easily by hand. But this may be missing on some cars.
Rozza!!! said:
On home radiators, you undo the bleed screw until air starts to come out. The pressure in the system forces the air out. On a car radiator the system isnt under pressure until it gets hot. .
Err. not true.. !!
The uppermost acheivable level of "water" in the Radiator is below that of the level in the swirl pot. You effectively have a "head" of pressure = to the distance from the top of the radiator, to the water level in the swirl pot.
This statement applies to pre explansion tank cars, with expansion tanked cars, the head of pressure exists to the level of the coolant in the expansion tank.
The Radiator can be bled with the engine cold and switched off by filling the system from the swirl pot to 1" from the top of the pot, then removing the bleed screw, then adding more coolant to the swirl pot until there are no more bubbles coming out of the bleed screw, only coolant mixture, then doing the bleed screw up again.
Cheers,
Matt.
Edited to add... If you parked the car on a slope, nose downwards, you could increase this head of pressure and therefore aid the bleed process too..
>> Edited by M@H on Wednesday 12th November 16:28
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