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Car overheating, does the overflow cap ever blow off or....

I recently took my car (Hyundai Tiburon 2001) to a dealer mech. for an overheating problem.. He stated that the thermostat in the radiator was bad and was replaced. I drove the car 60 miles on highway the next day and all was fine. The day after that I was driving locally and it over heated, I pulled over and saw that I was trailing antifreeze and it had puddled under my car.

When I popped the hood I saw that the overflow cap was sitting on the side of the container,, not on the overflow tank. all of the antifreeze had leaked out of the overflow onto everything and onto the ground.

Now my question, could this have been a mechanic error and they didn't replace the cap correctly or not at all. Or could something else cause the car to overheat to the point where the overflow cap was blown off in the process.

Other question, will the antifreeze that leaked onto various hoses etc. eat through said hoses or is that nothing to worry about/

Thanks for your help!!!!!

Karen

Reply to
ravage2020
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It is possible that the overflow tank was overfilled and that when the engine got hot that it blew the cap off. This does not necessarily mean that anything is amiss... another name for an "overflow tank" is "expansion tank" as this is a perfectly normal process.

Not really. If it bothers you wipe everything down with a damp rag.

good luck

nate

Reply to
N8N

Agree with Nate, the antifreeze will not damage your hoses.

And, the cap being off could have been mechanic error...or not.

My concern is that it overheated again on you. Either the thermostat was not the problem or something else happened. Have you solved it?

Reply to
<HLS

Inspect the cap and the neck where it attaches. My guess is you will find both in good condition. That would indicate this was caused by mechanic error. I wouldn't worry about the coolant getting on other hoses.

--------------- Alex

Reply to
Alex Rodriguez

ugh... I misread. I thought she said it *didn't* overheat.

I'm thinking head gasket... what happens when you take the cap off the radiator, if you have one? (don't do this hot, unless you really know what you're doing.) If you take the cap off, and start the car, do you see lots of little air bubbles in the coolant? If you get your nose down there and sniff, does it smell like exhaust? Do you have any "mayonnaise" in the oil?

nate

Reply to
N8N

Fine as far as you know. Did you look under the hood?

Are you saying that the overflow tank was empty? That would indicate steam or exhaust pressure which would also explain the loose cap.

If the mechanic had overfilled the system, it would cause loss of excess coolant, and maybe it would cause the cap of the overflow tank to pop off, but it doesn't explain either instance of overheating. Also it seems like an unlikely error.

Just how much coolant did you lose---how much did it take to refill the system?

Reply to
Matt

The spilled coolant may attract dirt and turn into grime. I would gently turn the garden hose on everyplace where it might have spilled. Also puddles of coolant are dangerous to birds and pets.

Reply to
Matt

It could be a mechanic error, or not. IF the cap were truly "blown" off, then the ears that allow it to lock onto the overflow bottle would be bent. Are they? Does the cap refuse to go back on correctly?

I agree with the other poster that the biggest worry is the reapeated overheating. You could have a warped head and the combustion pressure getting into the cooling system could have blown the cap off. I've seen it blow the end out of a radiator when a head gasket lets go...

ravage2020 wrote:

Reply to
Steve

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