Driving my car with little to no coolant
Discussion
Hi folks
Long story short my ST220 has a leak from the top of the hose that attaches to the bottom of the water pump. I had to have it recovered home. Steam everywhere as the water landed on the exhaust as it dribbled out.
I want to get it to a Ford garage tomorrow somehow for it to be sorted, and am not sure whether my local one (Dagenham Byfleet) will be able to pick it up.
First question - do most main dealers have low loaders they can bring out to stranded customers' cars?
Second question - If not, how far could I safely drive the car with not much in the way of coolant? The dealer is 1.4 miles away. Could be up to 10 minutes' drive with traffic though.
Thanks.
P.s. the temp gauge didn't move from the middle throughout the whole ordeal yesterday and I think it pissed the majority of its contents out once I had stopped.
Long story short my ST220 has a leak from the top of the hose that attaches to the bottom of the water pump. I had to have it recovered home. Steam everywhere as the water landed on the exhaust as it dribbled out.
I want to get it to a Ford garage tomorrow somehow for it to be sorted, and am not sure whether my local one (Dagenham Byfleet) will be able to pick it up.
First question - do most main dealers have low loaders they can bring out to stranded customers' cars?
Second question - If not, how far could I safely drive the car with not much in the way of coolant? The dealer is 1.4 miles away. Could be up to 10 minutes' drive with traffic though.
Thanks.
P.s. the temp gauge didn't move from the middle throughout the whole ordeal yesterday and I think it pissed the majority of its contents out once I had stopped.
I have RAC cover, they got me home from Winchester yesterday. Will they take me to a garage if I call them again?!
I could replace it given enough time but it's not something I feel comfortable doing to be honest. I also need the car to get to work ASAP. Not something I really want to be arsing about with on a Sunday.
I could replace it given enough time but it's not something I feel comfortable doing to be honest. I also need the car to get to work ASAP. Not something I really want to be arsing about with on a Sunday.
It's ok I'm not going to drive it, I've got my reassurance that it'll kill it 
I'm not 100% sure it's the hose. It could be the pump itself, or a seal or something. And access for a relatively inexperienced DIYer like me doesn't look too simple, having to go from underneath as it's beneath a load of other coolant pipes and crap.
I'm not 100% sure it's the hose. It could be the pump itself, or a seal or something. And access for a relatively inexperienced DIYer like me doesn't look too simple, having to go from underneath as it's beneath a load of other coolant pipes and crap.
If it's a leak from the hose, can you patch it with duct tape for the trip.
It's not the distance so much as the time taken. If the traffic is free flowing so you're not sat in traffic heating up you should be ok if you patch the hole on the hose and fill the system with just water. It should get you there provided you've stemmed the leak enough.
To fill it, park with the front of car up hill and rad cap off and then top up via the expansion tank and run the engine to stop any airlocks in forming in the system.
Also keep a litre of water in the car for a midway top up if it's really bad.
It's your call as to how quickly it drains and if you can make it but I've limped home with worse before so you'll probably be ok for such a short distance.
It's not the distance so much as the time taken. If the traffic is free flowing so you're not sat in traffic heating up you should be ok if you patch the hole on the hose and fill the system with just water. It should get you there provided you've stemmed the leak enough.
To fill it, park with the front of car up hill and rad cap off and then top up via the expansion tank and run the engine to stop any airlocks in forming in the system.
Also keep a litre of water in the car for a midway top up if it's really bad.
It's your call as to how quickly it drains and if you can make it but I've limped home with worse before so you'll probably be ok for such a short distance.
Agree with tricky. If it's not as obvious as a hose like you first said, ten minutes driving if its pissing out will be a head gasket or even a warped cylinder head worst case.
You could always juat bodge job the recovery diy style and get a ten quid tow rope from Halfords and a mate to tow you on the towing eye...if the RAC won't do it.
You could always juat bodge job the recovery diy style and get a ten quid tow rope from Halfords and a mate to tow you on the towing eye...if the RAC won't do it.
Duct tape on the hose
Brim it with water
Take loads of water in the boot
Ensure the route you take to the garage has no traffic congestion so maybe a longer route is better
Take it very easy coast as much as possible
Also as Ozzie suggested remove pressure cap - problem with that though is it will hear up quicker as the pressure cap means it takes much longer to boil ie boil a kettle on the beach v boil same kettle in Everest they boil at different tenps
Brim it with water
Take loads of water in the boot
Ensure the route you take to the garage has no traffic congestion so maybe a longer route is better
Take it very easy coast as much as possible
Also as Ozzie suggested remove pressure cap - problem with that though is it will hear up quicker as the pressure cap means it takes much longer to boil ie boil a kettle on the beach v boil same kettle in Everest they boil at different tenps
The easiest option is get a mate to tow you there - only 1.4 miles is not far .
Failing that , I doubt your car would warm uo in 1.4 miles , start from cold with water fully topped up , rad cap off . The journey is only going to take a little under 3 minutes at 30 mph , hardly time to build up any significant heat .
Failing that , I doubt your car would warm uo in 1.4 miles , start from cold with water fully topped up , rad cap off . The journey is only going to take a little under 3 minutes at 30 mph , hardly time to build up any significant heat .
My current plan is now, as suggested, to drive it carefully and keep a supply of water, stopping half way to top up. I'll do it this evening when the traffic is light and visit them first thing to explain the situation on the way to work, in my mum's car 
It still has a little bit left in the expansion tank (the only way to fill the Mondeos) so it's not loosing it all. It just dribbles out of the pipe at a rate similar to if a tap is "just" left on to trickle out, for example. Unfortunately it's accompanied by s
tloads of steam because the offending leak is right next to the exhaust.
The RAC (who got me home) wanted another £85+£2/mile so sod that.
It still has a little bit left in the expansion tank (the only way to fill the Mondeos) so it's not loosing it all. It just dribbles out of the pipe at a rate similar to if a tap is "just" left on to trickle out, for example. Unfortunately it's accompanied by s
tloads of steam because the offending leak is right next to the exhaust. The RAC (who got me home) wanted another £85+£2/mile so sod that.
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