Steam from coolent tank
Discussion
Just picked up the car after 5 weeks in the garage, was having overheating problems. Got home after ten minute drive gob smacked to see loads of steam coming from the coolent tank and sounding like an steam train. The mechanic told me earlier in the week there was no problem and the temp gauge was broken. Cannot speak to the mechanic till monday as he is closed at the weekend. Can anyone shed any light on the problem as the bloke at the garage is taking the piss.
The cap on the coolant tank (blue plastic IIRC) Check it's tight first.
I'm not too sure about cerbs, but I know that when the system gets hot and therefore under pressure, if the cap is faulty you will see steam coming from it. Check for staining around the top of the bottle where the cap sits. Basically if you have a faulty cap on the expansion tank, your system can run dry with inevitable results to your engine.
Caps can be anything from £3-£5.
I'm not too sure about cerbs, but I know that when the system gets hot and therefore under pressure, if the cap is faulty you will see steam coming from it. Check for staining around the top of the bottle where the cap sits. Basically if you have a faulty cap on the expansion tank, your system can run dry with inevitable results to your engine.
Caps can be anything from £3-£5.
I was constantly refilling the expansion tank to the 'full' line and the water level always dropped after an hour or so's driving. A main dealer told me that they 'always found their own level' and I've followed this advice, with no over heating ever since.
Try not refilling it (assuming that there is water in the expansion trank when the engine is cold) and see how it goes.
Try not refilling it (assuming that there is water in the expansion trank when the engine is cold) and see how it goes.
You need the workshop manual - Section N - Cooling
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dave.hinns/workshop.h...
I'd make sure there isn't an airlock first.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dave.hinns/workshop.h...
I'd make sure there isn't an airlock first.
Byker28i said:
You need the workshop manual - Section N - Cooling
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dave.hinns/workshop.h...
I'd make sure there isn't an airlock first.
Had the same problem on mine a few months ago, sh!t myself to be honest as I thought I had blown the head, turned out to be air in the system.http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dave.hinns/workshop.h...
I'd make sure there isn't an airlock first.
On another heating problem, my gauge started reading 115 plus,OH GOD NO! Parked up until the road cleared and made a dash home keeping the gauge in the 90s. Another night of OH GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE. Had the car hooked up onto the laptop the following day and it turns out my gauge is faulty.
So what can seem like major problems can in the end turn out to be nothing but a load of hot air or a bent wire.
Don't panic is the first thing.
It's probably something simple.
As above, try the (usually blue) coolant cap. When cold make sure you have water in the tank. Run the car up to fully warm and lift the bonnet - reason I say lift the bonnet afterwards, is that it takes longer for the engine to warm up with the bonnet open.
Get your head reasonably near the tank and watch for steam escaping from around the cap. It may hiss and bubble slightly as well.
With any of these symptoms, it either means that the cap is faulty - it's not done up properly (they take a good firm clockwise turn) - or the tank is split near the top (unlikely).
If none of these, come back on here and we'll take it from there.
MB
It's probably something simple.
As above, try the (usually blue) coolant cap. When cold make sure you have water in the tank. Run the car up to fully warm and lift the bonnet - reason I say lift the bonnet afterwards, is that it takes longer for the engine to warm up with the bonnet open.
Get your head reasonably near the tank and watch for steam escaping from around the cap. It may hiss and bubble slightly as well.
With any of these symptoms, it either means that the cap is faulty - it's not done up properly (they take a good firm clockwise turn) - or the tank is split near the top (unlikely).
If none of these, come back on here and we'll take it from there.
MB
Three things, IME, are the usual causes of this:
1) Tank cap. Make sure it's screwed up really tight. Normally on cars you can just screw the cap on until it locks and the rubber gasket holds everything in, but on my Cerb that cap had to be on really tight.
2) Bubble of air in the cooling system (there's a name for this but I've just back from hospital feeling a bit woozy so I can't recall it). This happens when the system has a leak or hasn't been correctly bled. As you just picked it up from the garage, this one's a possibility if they drained the coolant. Sure sign of this is the temperature guage wobbling or flicking around.
3) Overfilled coolant. When cold, coolant level needs to be enough to cover the square hole in the expansion tank (otherwise air will leak in) but not past the "seam" halfway up the tank. Overfill it and it'll just blow a load out of the expansion tank.
HTH
1) Tank cap. Make sure it's screwed up really tight. Normally on cars you can just screw the cap on until it locks and the rubber gasket holds everything in, but on my Cerb that cap had to be on really tight.
2) Bubble of air in the cooling system (there's a name for this but I've just back from hospital feeling a bit woozy so I can't recall it). This happens when the system has a leak or hasn't been correctly bled. As you just picked it up from the garage, this one's a possibility if they drained the coolant. Sure sign of this is the temperature guage wobbling or flicking around.
3) Overfilled coolant. When cold, coolant level needs to be enough to cover the square hole in the expansion tank (otherwise air will leak in) but not past the "seam" halfway up the tank. Overfill it and it'll just blow a load out of the expansion tank.
HTH
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