Coolant pouring out from under radiator - help

[Wheeler hogs]

Hello, just been on a 2 hour motorway drive and v close to my destination at a traffic light, someone kindly points out that coolant is pouring out from underneath the radiator. No warning lights but steam rising from the radiator.

Am I right in thinking this could be a clamp that has come loose or is it a stone problem ?

This is a 997.2 Turbo and under warranty - imagine damage by a stone would not be covered but a clamp issue would.

Anyone with similar experience ?!

[Diesel130]

TADTS...

Common problem. Rads rust away where leaves and other crud gets between the air-con and coolant rads.

[alfa phil]

on a 2009 - car ?

[Rockster]

Wheeler hogs said:

Hello, just been on a 2 hour motorway drive and v close to my destination at a traffic light, someone kindly points out that coolant is pouring out from underneath the radiator. No warning lights but steam rising from the radiator.

Am I right in thinking this could be a clamp that has come loose or is it a stone problem ?

This is a 997.2 Turbo and under warranty - imagine damage by a stone would not be covered but a clamp issue would.

Anyone with similar experience ?!

Unlikely a stone holed the radiator, unless the center radiator is leaking. The two corner radiators each sit behind an A/C condenser.

Could be a hose clamp that has failed, or a hose that has failed or you hit some road debris and the lower portion of the radiator has been cracked (been there done that with my 02 Boxster and have the huge tow bill and repair bill to show for it...).

Or could be mostly likely is the radiator has corroded from the trash that collects in the radiator air duct.

These need to be cleaned out -- in some cases the front bumper cover removed to get at the nasty stuff -- then kept clean by using compressed air (a leaf blower works too) to blow the stuff out before it gets all wet and compacted.

Those that only have the car serviced yearly probably need to consider having these blown out/clean every 6 months or so.

These Turbos are just big hoovers when the radiator fans are running and they can run a lot. The ducts can get quite full of trash over the fall and winter seasons if one drives where there is a lot of plant/leaf litter on the roadways.

(I have these ducts cleaned (blown out) every time I take a car in for service but given I drive so many miles the car are in for service every 3 or 4 months so the trash stays light and fluffy and easy to remove).

Anyhow, if one radiator corroded the other side (and maybe even the middle radiator) can't be far from being corroded through too so have the center and other side checked when the bumper cover is off the car and the trash is removed.

[Wheeler hogs]

Thanks for all of this - turns out it was a stone after all - £840 please, sir....

[Diesel130]

Wheeler hogs said:

Thanks for all of this - turns out it was a stone after all - £840 please, sir....

£840 for one rad? !!!

[Wheeler hogs]

It's the central rad - that's the Porsche quote from London.....

[Trev450]

Bummer. And being under warranty you're tied to using OE parts.

[EvoSlayer]

Diesel130 said:

Wheeler hogs said:

Thanks for all of this - turns out it was a stone after all - £840 please, sir....

£840 for one rad? !!!

!!That's what I thought, I wonder how long it takes to fit one of these...

http://type911shop.co.uk/shop/article_7594/997-Tur...

I replaced all 3 on 996 turbo for less than that!

[unclepezza]

Wheeler hogs said:

It's the central rad - that's the Porsche quote from London.....

Take a look at the grill sets, stops the stone impacts.