Hot Griff.

[cindydog3]

Last took the Griff out on 2/1/16 and after a 10 min warm-up got less than 400yds up the road when steam started flying out via screen vents and hot water landing on my wife's feet on passenger side! Managed to coast most of the way back and into garage.

As car is kept at holiday home 120 miles away didn't get a further look til this past week.No visible loss of coolant in exp tank. Started up and warmed up again, 10 mins approx., and when temp hit 90 steam again through vents but no sign of water leak at hoses or pipework above passenger footwell behind glovebox. Is heater matrix within black plastic casing behind glovebox or elsewhere? No real indication in SH bible to location of matrix.

Any theories? Plenty of antifreeze in system and car is kept in dry insulated garage. Prior to 2/1 previous outing was November.All belts intact and new water pump 3 yrs back. 94 pre serp 500.

[TV8]

Check the thermostat would the first thing I would do. The pipe to the radiator from the stat should get a surge of hot water through it when it opens. If it doesn't, then the heat and expansion stays in the engine.

If you change the thermostat, read up on which make to buy. The TVR ones are slightly different to the standard rover ones. Also, on the pre serp, make sure it seats properly. I didn't and the car ran to cool for a little while!

[Loubaruch]

A blockage somewhere in your cooling system. As said above remove the thermostat and see if problem goes.

It could also be caused by a kinked hose from the swirl pot to the expansion tank or worse gummed up hoses and or outlets see here:

http://www.bertram-hill.com/griffith-cooling-syste...

[Sardonicus]

Your heater matrix or the foot-well hoses have failed its the only way your going to get steam out of the hater vents and coolant on your wifes feet

[Loubaruch]

Sardonicus said:

Your heater matrix or the foot-well hoses have failed its the only way your going to get steam out of the hater vents and coolant on your wifes feet

Not true for a Serp 500 as I had exactly the same problem when a heater hose burst and was due to the swirl pot overflow hose blocking.

As your car is a pre serp, Sardonicus could be correct as I believe there is a bypass somewhere in the cooling system that is missing on the 500.

[cindydog3]

Thanks guys. Initially assumed it was heater matrix or hoses. Am I correct re position of heater matrix behind glove box? Will be a couple of weeks before I get checking it out so will update then.