I dont think i had enough anti freeze in my car because this morning it was running fine for about 10 minutes and then my temp guage came on so i turned it off and looked under the hood and there was water spraying out of the overflow cap. A friend of mine says it sounds like the radiator is frozen. Is there any quick way to get around this? Will this cause any other problems?? PLEASE HELP!
radiator freeze
Jan 03, 2008
9 Replies
whats a good way to thaw it out? Its 23 degrees here and not supposed to change for a while. I have no garage or heater. Would a hair dryer or heat gun work?
That could also be caused by a blown head gasket. Have it checked out. How cold was it?
A hair dryer will probably not work, and I wouldn't risk using a heat gun due to risk of damage to other parts. Probably best to have it towed to a garage where it can be warmed more evenly.
it was about 10 degrees and -5 with the wind chill
Wind chill affect the way people feel (evaporative effect on skin) , but not the way objects do.
You can check your anti freeze by putting some in the freezer as most are at about 0 to 5 degrees, but it is probably too late for that. If you have no leaks, drain and replace it with the proper mix. .
A large wattage electrical bulb, for example a bathroom IR heater bulb or such, under the hood will work slowly, or even a small electrical heater. Be careful to avoid fire hazards.
If you were near to a car wash you could spray hot water thorough the radiator. If you can drain out a couple of quarts or a gallon of the radiator "water", replace it with antifreeze. The fresh glycol will melt the plug of ice remaining.
thanks for the help guys
The fresh glycol will melt the plug of ice remaining.
Only if the glycol is warmer than the plug, and remains so. Ice cold glycol won't melt ice.
Dave
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