Car trouble.

[Callipygous]

the thermometer on my car has never budged above the middle line, even when i drove it across the country. this morning it started to overheat on a 5 minute drive through town. i pulled over to find a smoking (steaming?) radiator and an empty coolant tank. i poured in a bottle of water i had, waited for it to cool off and drove the rest of the way home. it was still gradually overheating so i took another look at it, to see if i could find more problems or if it just needed more than a bottle of water, and i discover that one of the two fans on my radiator doesnt spin.

 

so... if i just pump it full of water can i get it to limp the way to my job about 20 minutes away on the freeway, or will i throroughly destroy my car by doing that? obviously i need to do something to fix it, but i have work at 1pm today and no one who could give me a ride.

[Callipygous]

update.

 

there's a plastic something or other (can you tell im good with cars?) at the left edge of my radiator, which is the side with the broken fan, and when it gets hot a little crack shows up and starts spraying boiling water. my coolant level drops at a rate that would make me think it would be empty in half an hour or so, and it over heats in about 5 minutes : P

 

i think i might be calling in today. do i need a new radiator?

[Glider]

the thermometer on my car has never budged above the middle line, even when i drove it across the country. this morning it started to overheat on a 5 minute drive through town. i pulled over to find a smoking (steaming?)

Steam.

radiator and an empty coolant tank. i poured in a bottle of water i had, waited for it to cool off and drove the rest of the way home. it was still gradually overheating so i took another look at it, to see if i could find more problems or if it just needed more than a bottle of water, and i discover that one of the two fans on my radiator doesnt spin.

 

so... if i just pump it full of water can i get it to limp the way to my job about 20 minutes away on the freeway, or will i throroughly destroy my car by doing that?

Eventually, you'll get caught traffic or something and yes, then you will seize the motor.

 

and obviously i need to do something to fix it, but i have work at 1pm today and no one who could give me a ride.

Bummer. Is the climate particularly warm where you are? In moderate temps, a car should be able to keep going without one radiator fan, as long as the car is moving (i.e. there is some airflow over the radiator). I'd like to know how the coolant tank emptied as well. Did the thing actually boil over?

 

It sounds like your temp gauge is knackered to begin with. I would get the fan fixed, but also take a look at the thermostat and water pump to make sure water is actually circulating through the motor and the radiator.

[YT2095]

yeah, I`de go with the water pump idea too, often the fan and pump run on the same belt too, but even if that`s not the case, check the bearings on the water pump spindle and the gasket for it.

if you`de lost a rad full of water by steam alone, you`de REALLY know about it!

 

you`ve got a leak somewhere dude

[Callipygous]

no, i live in indianapolis, and while it does get hot summers we are starting to get into the colder season, its been rainy recently. this morning it didnt last very long at all, its only like 5 minutes to where i was dropping off my gf. then again, its also stop signs the whole way, so no chance for the car to really be moving a lot. the trip to my work is generally moving a lot faster. im pretty sure the coolant emptied because of the crack in the plastic thing, which im told is an "overflow resevoir", which starts spraying hot water when it warms up.

 

 

whats wrong with my temp gauge? it seems to have done a fine job of alerting me to the problem. (here im assuming "knackered" is some word you brits have made up to mean "broken")

 

 

"if you`de lost a rad full of water by steam alone, you`de REALLY know about it!

 

you`ve got a leak somewhere dude :("

 

i wasnt thinking it happened all at once. my coolant was gradually dropping when i turned it on to check it out when i got home.

 

alright.... scratch that. i just went out and looked at it after it had sat there doing nothing for 30 minutes or so and my coolant is empty again. a leak it is : P

[YT2095]

God Bless Occams Razor

[gcol]

I would not automatically suspect the temp gauge. Depends on where in the cooling circuit it is. It will only go off the scale when affected by steam only, not liquid coolant. I think the overflow reservoir will only begin spewing when over-pressurised by steam. The crack may have been caused by over-pressurisation. The event that caused the overpressurisation may have been a one-off, even just letting coolant get too low.

 

Knackered: as when a broken down end of life horse is sent to the knackers yard.

[Callipygous]

check the bearings on the water pump spindle and the gasket for it.

 

does some part of the last few posts give the impression that i have the faintest idea where to even start looking for that, much less "checking" it?

 

[YT2095]

well an Easy way would be to dissolve some Fluorocein in the water, turn the engine over for 10 secs, and use a UV lamp (you`de be blind to miss it then) failing that, use some good Food coloring in the water, and drive onto a sheet or a clean bit of road and just watch and wait.

[gcol]

My experience is that faulty pump bearings and gasket will result in an obvious leak in that area, even when the engine is cold and idle. Look for all the devices that are driven by the knobbly rubber belt that drives lots of things around the front of the engine. one of them will probably be the waterpump.

[Callipygous]

My experience is that faulty pump bearings and gasket will result in an obvious leak in that area, even when the engine is cold and idle.

 

im sure i would have no problem spotting a leak if we hadnt recent entered the rainy season. unfortunately everything is already wet. : P

[YT2095]

get some news paper then or wallpaper off cuts...

 

you`ll notice the Dye

lets just hope it`s NOT the waterpump bearings though, that can lead to an engine full of metal filings

[Callipygous]

get some news paper then or wallpaper off cuts...

 

you`ll notice the Dye

lets just hope it`s NOT the waterpump bearings though' date=' that can lead to an engine full of metal filings [/quote']

 

 

basically the message im trying to get across here is that the thing is going to a mechanic. i dont have the experience to fix it myself, i dont have the time to use it as a learning experience. if i did tell you the water pump was "knackered" that would just be one more thing the mechanic would be replacing.

 

i was just checking to see if the thing could get by to get me to work today, or if it would be foolish to try.

 

overall im not terribly worried about it. its a 15 year old car with 230,000 miles on it. its had a good run, and it cost me all of about $350. if there are filings in the engine, thats where they are going to stay.

[Callipygous]

i dont know what im gonna do with it at this point, my gf was raised by a bunch of mechanics, so shes down for trying to fix it, but i dont have the knowledge for that, and i dont know if we have the tools for it. then again, im not sure i can afford the labor on top of the parts.

 

thanks for all the advice.

[JohnB]

Callipygous, it would perhaps have been better to say what make and model car you have.

 

If the car is 15 years old, then there shouldn't be too much trouble fixing it.

 

Step 1. Buy the bloody workshop manual.

 

Step 2. Follow the instructions.

 

The only tools you should need are a couple of phillips head screwdrivers and a set of socket spanners with a rachet drive.

 

Oh yes, and do a Google on "swear words" or "expletives". You're gonna need 'em.

 

Might I suggest "Filius tu canis et cameli" as being worth knowing?

[Callipygous]

the car is a 1991 subaru legacy. apparently the whole problem was the crack in the radiator. the mechanic said that under as little as one psi the water was squirting out of my radiator. its been replaced.

 

the reason i doubt my ability to fix it is not because i dont think i can turn the bolts, its because i dont know how to diagnose the problem. im sure i can get the radiator out of my car with all of about 2 or 3 tools, but i dont think i could narrow it down the radiator on my own.

[JohnB]

Hmmm, so why wasn't your second fan working? Unless it's the electric one and doesn't cut in until a certain temp is reached?

 

Anyway, it's always worthwhile to get the workshop manual as it has far more information than the dribbly little "Owners Manual". With the information you can have a stab at diagnosis and then decide whether to fix it yourself or not.

 

I've saved $hundreds by spending $40 on the full manual.

 

Cheers.

[YT2095]

have a look here: http://www.nextag.com/subaru-legacy-manual/search-html

 

I personaly always go for the Haynes manuals.