problem #4 - cooling system

rseldner · Post by **rseldner** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 2:59 am

i was driving to the gym 2day and all of a sudden i started hearing this gargling/bubbly noise from under the hood & the car starting beeping. the car then started to smoke and i pulled over ASAP. i waited a bit as I watched all the coolant pour out from underneath. I popped the hood and the first thing i noticed was a hole at the bottom of the coolant reservoir tank.

2 questions...

1. What the hell happened???

2. Where online can i find a coolant reservoir? I can't seem to find any.

Swordfish2Cowboy · Post by **Swordfish2Cowboy** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:46 am

It got too hot and then melted maybe? No no, that doesn't make sense. I dunno, what does the hole look like?

Check any of your standard parts suppliers, like Rock Auto and Parts Dinosaur. Maybe ebay, too. Or Craigslist. Might be able to find someone parting out a car.

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:03 am

You can also get one of the cheap Bondo fiberglass kits that Wally World sells. I have repaired plastic tanks with those before. But if you can get a replacement for under $12 then don't bother. But in a pinch this will work. Does the overflow on your car have a level sensor? Because mine doesn't. And the cooling system should not drain immediately from the reservior suddenly leaking.
Unless the hole has been there a while, and the coolant level finally got too low, from not being able to recover it at cool down.

A soda bottle secured somewhere will also work until you get it fixed. Just put the tube at the bottom, so it will pull fluid back into the system.

rseldner · Post by **rseldner** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:58 pm

i still haven't been able to locate one online

my plan is to replace the reservoir, thermostat & radiator cap. I'm afraid of some other problem to have caused this issue. any ideas guys? i don't understand how this happened.

here are some pics of the damage.

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 3:18 pm

No shit?

Well if you're doing maintenance, a coolant flush couldn't hurt. Especailly, if the coolant is acting like the blood from the alien in Alien.

rseldner · Post by **rseldner** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 4:40 pm

all the coolant has already flushed itself out thanks to this ordeal. i'm worried about what could have caused this problem. Pressure build up in the reservoir? i don't know much about cooling systems. is there anyway a faulty water pump could cause this?

i've been looking around for a reservoir tank online without any luck. tried several car parts websites and craigslist. i'm going to call up some junk yards. in the meantime i'll be replacing the thermostat and radiator cap.

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:26 pm

As small as that hole is, you could put some RTV silicone on a wood screw, and seal it. It will get you by at least. Something had to rub against it, or road debris hit it some how. It should not build pressure in the recovery tank, as it is vented to the atmosphere, and the snap cap wouldn't seal well enough if the tube was clogged.

excon · Post by **excon** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:20 pm

I bet your car was ingulfed in smoke! All that coolant hitting the exhaust manifold... wow.

Hope your block is ok.

rseldner · Post by **rseldner** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:34 am

i thought my car was going to literally start on fire. the hissing kept getting louder and louder after i turned my car off . and yes. lots of smoke.

SO i finally found a reservoir tank on ebay. Hopefully i'll get it by saturday. I really hope the leaking tank was the only problem

Donkeypuncher · Post by **Donkeypuncher** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 4:06 am

Looks like more of a plastic or molding defect if anything. Considering how many of these coolant bottles are produced at once, there are bound to be defects in a small percentage.

If something got that little corner of the bottle hot enough to leak, it would have warped or melted a larger section of the bottle and be obvious.

rseldner · Post by **rseldner** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 7:12 pm

I received the reservoir tank this morning and just got finished installing it. The bottom of the old tank was falling apart! I tapped it and pieces would crumble off.
SOO...I can finally drive around. I still have a problem though. I refilled on coolant noticed it was still leaking before i even turned the car on. I got underneath the car but i can't precisely tell where it's coming from. It's coming around the front part of the oil pan. is it the water pump?

Paul56 · Post by **Paul56** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 6:51 pm

rseldner wrote:I received the reservoir tank this morning and just got finished installing it. The bottom of the old tank was falling apart! I tapped it and pieces would crumble off.
SOO...I can finally drive around. I still have a problem though. I refilled on coolant noticed it was still leaking before i even turned the car on. I got underneath the car but i can't precisely tell where it's coming from. It's coming around the front part of the oil pan. is it the water pump?

Check ALL the coolant lines, hoses and metal pipes (running under the intake manifold) for leaks. If those are all dry then it may well be the water pump.

What is your mileage and has your timing belt ever been changed. My water pump was due to be changed at the same time as the timing belt as it was not running smooth and there was evidence of seepage.

blue demon02 · Post by **blue demon02** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:26 pm

Check the coolent line that is coming directly off the water pump and takes a 90* bend then goes to the hard coolent line. its a bitch to get to. preety much have to take the intake manifold off. But it sure sounds like that's what it is.