What's Happened To My Cooling System?

[D_C]

So I just went from a subway run (literally 5 mins) and when I was parking up the driveway I smelt coolant... I immediately popped the hood and saw it spraying everywhere so I turned off my car...

After letting it cool down I took off the radiator cap and there's brown gunk shit all over it..

I topped up the coolant which seemed empty but it only took about 2L till full?

Can anyone help me? I don't know what to do and I don't wanna turn my car back on like this

[br3ndan]

could b a blocked radiator

i would try to flush it out and clean it.

AS well as flushing out the engine to make sure u get it out.

if that fails

get a new radiator. Give the engine another flush to make sure its all out.

add a new radiator cap as well.

and where was it spraying from? The radatior cap? or the radiator it self?

Or even the water pump?

Edited March 12, 2009 by br3ndan

[D_C]

Yeah I think you're right I reckon its a blocked radiator.. I don't know how to flush it out myself so I guess I'll have to get it towed to xspeed or somewhere... I hope its not the water pump, I'm on my second water pump already within 5k km... but thats another story..

[br3ndan]

flushing the radiator is easy

You dont have to pull it out to do it but i would recommend it.

If you can pull it out. Make sure you undo the drain plug underneath first... from memory its on the passenger side bottom of the radatior.

After its outs just shove a hose down the radiator and clean it all out.

THe engine wise you can just put the garden house up the radiator piping to clean it out.

[vidospace]

Could be a coolant leak too. If it was bone dry that is.

No smoke out the back?

[Messiah]

also get a new radiator cap. if the cap doesnt seal right, pressure doesnt build and a fluids boiling point varies directly to the pressure, so low pressure == low boiling point, high pressure == hight boiling point.

Not sure what the boiling point is of coolant, or if this is even the cause, but an old car of mine had overheating and coolant spraying issues and i replaced everything (hoses thermostat etc etc) but the cap last...

damn cap fixed it.

and they're cheap so why not.

[D_C]

turned out it was a busted radiator hose... i took all the radiator off before noticing it oh well, i got a replacement from nissan for $28... also changed the thermostat and radiator cap too while it was all apart

i think im gonna take it to natrad though since im concerned about that gunk stuff.. its in all the walls of the pipes and would rather get it cleaned out properly