Discussion
Been out for a drive this afternoon. When I stopped at the shops on the way home, I thought I could hear a hissing noise, but there was a fair bit of traffic, so though nothing of it.
Got back in and headed home....when I pulled onto a dual carriageway there were some trees on the central reservation which sound was bouncing off, and I could then clearly hear a hissing noise was coming from underneath my car.
As I was looking around for somewhere to pull in, I glanced at the temperature gauge and it was pointing straight at H and as I pulled up to a stop, lots of steam started coming from the underneath of the car, shortly followed by the bonnet.
When I got the bonnet up, it seemed that the steam was coming out of the back of the engine and it looked like it was "blowing" against the bulkhead and then getting directed/blown backwards along the underneath of the car.
A kindly bloke in a Rover gave me some water in an old coke bottle and after putting about a litre in, and leaving it turned off for 5 mins, I turned the ignition on and the temperature gauge was pretty much showing as normal. So I quickly jumped in and drove round the roundabout to a petrol station and put what seemed like loads of water in the radiator....but in a sort of Top Gear style, a fair bit seemed to be on the forecourt too, but from further back than the radiator.
I managed to then drive about 5 miles home with no further incident...although pulling onto the drive I could hear the hissing from under the car again.
Can anyone give me a clue what this might be? Serious, or just a dodgy pipe or something?!
Any help or advice would be much appreciated
Got back in and headed home....when I pulled onto a dual carriageway there were some trees on the central reservation which sound was bouncing off, and I could then clearly hear a hissing noise was coming from underneath my car.
As I was looking around for somewhere to pull in, I glanced at the temperature gauge and it was pointing straight at H and as I pulled up to a stop, lots of steam started coming from the underneath of the car, shortly followed by the bonnet.
When I got the bonnet up, it seemed that the steam was coming out of the back of the engine and it looked like it was "blowing" against the bulkhead and then getting directed/blown backwards along the underneath of the car.
A kindly bloke in a Rover gave me some water in an old coke bottle and after putting about a litre in, and leaving it turned off for 5 mins, I turned the ignition on and the temperature gauge was pretty much showing as normal. So I quickly jumped in and drove round the roundabout to a petrol station and put what seemed like loads of water in the radiator....but in a sort of Top Gear style, a fair bit seemed to be on the forecourt too, but from further back than the radiator.
I managed to then drive about 5 miles home with no further incident...although pulling onto the drive I could hear the hissing from under the car again.
Can anyone give me a clue what this might be? Serious, or just a dodgy pipe or something?!
Any help or advice would be much appreciated
Oil from the O-ring leaks onto one of the heater hoses and perishes the rubber over time. Same thing happened to me, but let go in a rather sudden and spectacular fashion - couldn't see where I was going for the steam. 
It's an easy enough fix on the driveway, but if you have large hands get a pair of hose clip pliers!
It's an easy enough fix on the driveway, but if you have large hands get a pair of hose clip pliers!
BonzoG said:
Oil from the O-ring leaks onto one of the heater hoses and perishes the rubber over time. Same thing happened to me, but let go in a rather sudden and spectacular fashion - couldn't see where I was going for the steam.
It's an easy enough fix on the driveway, but if you have large hands get a pair of hose clip pliers!
Thanks for all the advice chaps. It's an easy enough fix on the driveway, but if you have large hands get a pair of hose clip pliers!
It sounds like you were all right...I took it in to mate who's a mechanic on Saturday morning, and the steam seems to be coming from the rubber (I think) hoses which are to the right of the engine and up against the bulkhead. Are they the heater hoses?
As you can probably tell, I'm not that mechanical....where should I be looking for an oil leak from the O-ring?
I have noticed a couple of spots of oil on the drive, but couldn't see where it was coming from. My mate is going get it up on his lift on Monday and give it a quick once over
If you have a 1.8 I'd maybe change the oil cooler water hose as well - it's only a tenner but it's a complete pain in the arse to get to and was the next one to blow on me after the heater hoses.
Like the heater hoses it joins at the back of the block so seems to catch a lot of the oil and grime round there - mine perished round the back near the union. It's the thin hose which runs round the drivers side under the inlet manifold towards the oil filter.
Like the heater hoses it joins at the back of the block so seems to catch a lot of the oil and grime round there - mine perished round the back near the union. It's the thin hose which runs round the drivers side under the inlet manifold towards the oil filter.
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