I let my car run for abit to get it warm,when i went outside to get in it the temperature light was on, so i turned the engine off & opened the bonnet water was leaking out of the water resevouir and it was smoking. the radiator was blowing out cold air. does anyone have any advice as to what may be the problem.
Thanx debs
Not the best treatment for a cold engine. Should start it up and drive gently till hot. If you can park close to the house, a fan heater on extension lead makes for a warm interior whilst you have coffee. Overflowing with fizzing and smoke (acrid smell, makes your eyes water) from the reservoir indicates head gasket blown. If it's bubbling over and steaming with only cold air from heater; airlock in system, -or if weather was freezing and insufficient antifreeze- radiator and/or hoses froze up.. DaveK.
Another possibility is that the thermostat has jammed shut. DaveK.
Assuming the thermostat works, and there are no other faults with the cooling system, why is idling at 800RPM (or whatever) for 1/4 hour worse than driving for 5-10 mins?
Ian Stirling ( snipped-for-privacy@mauve.demon.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
Because it's not "just" idling - it's lobbing a load of fuel in, doing what a carb's choke used to do.
At idle, not all that fuel's getting burnt. It's busy diluting the oil. Sitting at idle will take a lot longer to get it up to temp, too, than actually driving.
I think I'll have to dispute that.
Once the exhaust gets up to temperature, and the oxygen sensor starts working, then it's going to be pretty much stochiometric.
As it happens, I'm going to be measuring this in the next hour - for other purposes.
Ian Stirling ( snipped-for-privacy@mauve.demon.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
Feel free...
Not so, because the lambda's ignored until the coolant's up to a certain temp.
VW did a study of startup wear many years ago. The results came out against a no-load warmup. The recommendation was to drive off immediately at low to medium load with the engine speed close to where maximum torque develops.
John
Except it isn't because as far as the ECU is concerned, the engine is cold.
It is? Hmm.
Have to check that tomorrow.
Not that I'm disagreeing - just that I can.
It could simply be that the water cap wasn't on properly, or that its old and needs replacing.
I had this on my car, and realised that the rubber seal on the cap was worn, this caused it to leak in the manner described.
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