Urgent help needed!! Pleeeeease!? stuck in Czech!

[Curly]

Hello,

I have a 1998 Gen 3 Surf, and have just arrived in the Czech Republic after driving it for 12 hours straight from the UK, and i noticed the temp needle rising slightly above the half way mark when we were about 30 km's from our destination.

It has never gone above exactly half before, plus it was -10°C outside which made me wonder if there was something not right..

On arrival, I opened the bonnet and saw that the expansion bottle was full to the brim, and the water inside was 'moving', and on closer inspection, i saw that it was bubbling..... i opened the rad cap after it had cooled down, and put 2.2 litres of ready mixed antifreeze in to the rad to bring it up to level.

I checked the oil, and it was still clear and not creamy in the slightest, and the coolant was still bright pink as normal, (before filling it up with new stuff i mean!) and as soon as I started it with the rad cap off, it started chucking the coolant back out almost straight away.

I put the cap back on, and revved it a bit to circulate it round, and could hear a random knocking noise coming from the top of the engine!

I dont have any breakdown cover for over here, and am worried that I am going to get skinned if I take it to a local garage and mention that I am desperate to get it fixed ASAP in order for me to drive home in 2 weeks.

Please can anyone give me some good news, or atleast an explanation as to what is, or what could be wrong?

many thanks in advance

Very Worried Curly

[si tate]

Did you do a coolant change just before you set off from the uk?

Im thinking "air lock".

Not sure on the knocking noise though.

[Curly]

hi there,

thanks for the reply, but the levels and colour of the coolant have been perfect since i changed it before the last time i drove over here, so i didnt see the need to do anything.

Cheers,

Curly

[Curly]

hey thrifty,

I was thinking of trying to drive it home with 5000 ltrs of water in the boot to top it up, but dont want to risk it incase it completely wrecks the engine.

I will check for leaks tomorrow, cos it was covered in snow when we arrived, so the whole rad was wet.

Thinking about it, would pressurising the system force all the water out the expansion tank? or would it force a small amount out, then bubble through?

2.2 ltrs would pretty much fill the rad wouldn't it?

oh god, i'm clutching at straws now!

Cheers,

Curly

[Wolfracer]

hi there,

thanks for the reply, but the levels and colour of the coolant have been perfect since i changed it before the last time i drove over here, so i didnt see the need to do anything.

Cheers,

Curly

There wasn't - Si was checking just in case you had an air lock.

[Wolfracer]

hey thrifty,

I was thinking of trying to drive it home with 5000 ltrs of water in the boot to top it up,

5000 litres wouldn't fit in the boot. and I doubt any surf can carry 5 Ton!

You have overheated the engine.

As Thrifty says (don't believe I'm saying this) but do what he says and check for ALL OTHER possibilities of coolant loss CAUSING the overheating before even mentioning the H word to a CZ mechanic...

[Curly]

There wasn't - Si was checking just in case you had an air lock.

Oh sorry mate, i am just in a right old state, and cant think straight at the moment!

I didnt flush and change the coolant, and have'nt done so for over a year now, and have driven to Czech i think twice since then without problem. I wish it was an air leak though! but unfortunately dont think it is. :0(

Thankyou Si for your thoughts though. much appreciated.

Cheers,

Curly

[TonyN]

Sounds classic head gone symptons, why did you not arrange some recovery?!

I wouldn't take a new car that distance, let alone a 13 year old one.

Toss some rad seal in it, and keep planty of spare coolant and see how you get on. Otherwise you'll have to let a garage pull the head for you.

If you're at a 'base camp' how about do it yourself? Can get parts sent to you no problem if you have an address there.

When the cooling system gets pressurised, it'll just keep pumping coolant into the expansion tank, till it loses enough that it then get gets hot, as there isn't enough coolent left to cool the motor.

Check your rad cap, or just get a new one, this is really the only other thing it could be apart from the big thing if you don't have any other overheating or leaking issues.

Wether you have to take it apart or not depends on how long it takes to use enough coolant to start overheating. If you can get 2 or 3 hours out of it you'll probably get home ok if you take your time.

Sucks...

[Curly]

5000 litres wouldn't fit in the boot. and I doubt any surf can carry 5 Ton!

You have overheated the engine.

As Thrifty says (don't believe I'm saying this) but do what he says and check for ALL OTHER possibilities of coolant loss CAUSING the overheating before even mentioning the H word to a CZ mechanic...

LOL! shame though, I reckon I could tow a bowser behind me with a garden hose to the rad!

Even if it was a tiny crack in the head for example, would it overheat and make loads of steam pour out of the exhaust?

And would I be able to smell the exhaust gas coming through the coolant?

Also, if the rad cap was faulty, could that cause my symptoms?

Cheers,

Curly

[Curly]

Sounds classic head gone symptons, why did you not arrange some recovery?!

I wouldn't take a new car that distance, let alone a 13 year old one.

Toss some rad seal in it, and keep planty of spare coolant and see how you get on. Otherwise you'll have to let a garage pull the head for you.

If you're at a 'base camp' how about do it yourself? Can get parts sent to you no problem if you have an address there.

When the cooling system gets pressurised, it'll just keep pumping coolant into the expansion tank, till it loses enough that it then get gets hot, as there isn't enough coolent left to cool the motor.

Check your rad cap, or just get a new one, this is really the only other thing it could be apart from the big thing if you don't have any other overheating or leaking issues.

Wether you have to take it apart or not depends on how long it takes to use enough coolant to start overheating. If you can get 2 or 3 hours out of it you'll probably get home ok if you take your time.

Sucks...

I have driven here in various old cars loads of times with no probs, so it didn't even occur to me! but i guess something was going to end in disater sooner or later i spose! dam it!!

how do i check the rad cap by the way? it has a spring to it, but i dont know how strong it needs to feel..

Just been chatting to a mechanically minded friend, and he didn't seem to think it sounded like anything REALLY drastic, and the first thing he said was to put a new rad cap on it. could the rad cap really cause so much greif?

Cheers,

Curly

[Curly]

if the springs got weak or it got really hot(which after 12hrs non stop what do you expect) it will spit coolant into the expansion bottle. it may just be as simple as that but again i could be talking utter donky doo dooo i think also the rubber seal if slightly knackerd might also cause this.

Fingers crossed!!

please please please please please please please please!!

[Overland Tonka]

On a positive note...

You got to your destination...

This means you have friends and a base...

Being where you are the labour rate is cheaper??..

Help from the forum as well..

[Wolfracer]

LOL! shame though, I reckon I could tow a bowser behind me with a garden hose to the rad!

Even if it was a tiny crack in the head for example, would it overheat and make loads of steam pour out of the exhaust?
No. you don't normally get steam out the exhaust with a cracked head, it will overheat when all the coolant has blown out of the rad...

And would I be able to smell the exhaust gas coming through the coolant?
Nope, unless you like boiling coolant up your nose!

Also, if the rad cap was faulty, could that cause my symptoms?

possibly....

Cheers,

Curly

.

[TonyN]

It does actually, the last couple of 3.0 heads I've done made smoke like a steam train, and have seen it in the past its does this when it can suck coolant into the combustion chamber on the intake stroke.

Oddly these one are ones that are harder to get a result of the head tests.

They can also drip into bores when turned off, and semi-hydrolock when you try and start it.

These ones are normally cracked behind the valves by the guides rather than between them and you can't see it.

[slobodan]

If you don't know what you are doing, take it to a mechanic.
They are no more likely to rip you off than one in the UK.
Anyway they may take pity on you as you drive a 14 year old truck.
Most people there seem to have new Octavias.
They can do a 'sniffer' test or diagnosis of the problem and leave it up to you what to do.