has my engine just overheated? (urgent)

dthebuk · February 15, 2009, 08:55:38 PM

er basiaclly after a long drive to nottingham i stopped to drop off a friend and the add coolant light and buzzer came on. I turned off the engine straight away, popped the hood and could hear some sort of fizzing (cant really explain) of fluid. The car was also producing no smoke through the exhaust.
Temp gauge reads normal, which is about 1/3 of the way up.

Do you think its safe to drive the car home (about 30 miles?)

also any idea whats happened? Theres more than enough coolant in the resevior still, and none has expanded out.

cheers :cheers

L18M · February 15, 2009, 09:25:01 PM

Check ur expansion tank exit n c if its blocked. My stock temp was normal when my system went pop! Aftermarket temp was at 100deg c.
If ur expansion tank is fuller than normal may b coolant has come out but nt enough to flow out the pipe. When the system cools the expansion tank level shoud drop as coolant goes bak into system. My coolant light was intermittant on/off b4 pop.
Nt sure if this helps u?!
Maybe start sign of water seals?

dthebuk · February 15, 2009, 10:29:07 PM

hmm

just drove it home, the light came on intermittently. The engine still handled fine tho, reading pretty cold too on the stock temp gauge.

but the car is producing no smoke at all now, surely with a water seal failure it would smoke?

TiddlesRX7 · February 15, 2009, 10:46:39 PM

The filler cap on mine came loose once (on my first trip to Rotorstock in fact). I had topped the water up before setting off and I know I tightened it correctly. I had stopped a couple of miles from SPod to wait for a mate. When he arrived BuZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Think it had just got hot on the drive and slipped into the position between closed and off. It could be something as silly as this. Also I think the spings on the cap have been known to fail.

L18M · February 16, 2009, 12:01:33 AM

could be the cap..
like pete once said, check for mayo on the cap.
i wouldnt trust the stock temp gauge much!
cool is < 60 deg c ish
60 < ok temp < 110 ish
110 < hot

i dunt think mine smoked much from exhaust after a long drive.

but i can only speak form my exp and i could be completely wrong! (hope i am as its a pain if its water seal!!)

L18M · February 16, 2009, 12:10:23 AM

read the post by \'oldrotary\'
http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=584807&posted=1#post584807

maybe try that?

if you too lazy to read then basically...
"an indication of water seal failure, when the engine is running the top rad hose should be just as easy to squeezy as if the engine is off"

dthebuk · February 16, 2009, 01:06:52 PM

cheers for the advice guys

could this be the problem? doesn\'t look too good to me

L18M · February 16, 2009, 01:12:50 PM

why does that not look good? or is it me being thick..?!?!
if the seal is gone on the cap then it means the cap is not doing its job properly causing it to overheat?
flush out the system to get any rubber out of system n new cap then good to go?

dthebuk · February 16, 2009, 01:25:54 PM

the rubber seal has just come off all around the goldy/brass bit.

only half of it is still on

Er dunno about flushing, im stuck in notts and have no tools.

Also i tried to flush it once and the screw at the bottom of the rad had a ruined socket so i couldnt get it off. eeep.

no chance of getting a rad cap and limping home?

Prof · February 16, 2009, 01:28:09 PM

Is the cap from an EGI the same as a Tubby II - if so I have a spare one that you can have from my old rad - the cap was good - just the radiator was swiss cheese :Giggle

Just have no idea if they are the same pressure or size even - as they fit in different places - but given you have both cars - t\'would be easy to check

dthebuk · February 16, 2009, 01:32:46 PM

Quote from: Prof;584891Is the cap from an EGI the same as a Tubby II - if so I have a spare one that you can have from my old rad - the cap was good - just the radiator was swiss cheese :Giggle

Just have no idea if they are the same pressure or size even - as they fit in different places - but given you have both cars - t\'would be easy to check

ill get back to you in a week as the TII is at home and im at uni

looks like this one wont be driven for a while.

Should be able to pop home this week

pdtaylor18 · February 16, 2009, 10:14:11 PM

I have a TII one, think operate the same as EGI, 0.9? Anyway if you want one I have one for the postage costs. Just email me your address mate.

dthebuk · February 16, 2009, 10:27:30 PM

awesome, i shall take you up on that pete.

i\'ll send u a pm 2mo

steve garbutt · February 16, 2009, 10:38:21 PM

If the rad cap isnt sealing properly then yes it can cause your symptoms, as when the system is pressurising the water will just exit from the cap making you low on water.

dthebuk · February 16, 2009, 10:47:45 PM

cheers for the reassurance steve