Check Your Antifreeze!

[M@tt 77]

The missus' Golf didn't have enough antifreeze in it and today i think the water pump has lunched itself. It made a very funny noise when she first started up but then stopped shortly afterward, so she carried on her journey only for the temperature to rocket a few miles later and steam come pouring out the engine. It's definitely burst a metal coolant pipe in the engine and also holed the radiator!!! And i had the pleasure of waiting in the car for 3.5hrs for a breakdown truck!!!

 

so just a cautionary tale to check the state of your coolant with this ridiculously cold weather!

Edited November 28, 2010 by M@tt

[GG205rob 0]

I nearly did the same with my 205 today. Luckily i checked it before i turned the key, found the header tank full of slushy icy water, so put a heater under the engine for half an hour before i started it. Now drained and topped up with anti-freeze. Sorry to hear you weren't so lucky.

[smithy 1]

For anyone interested on Thursday lidl are doing coolant and antifreeze testers for 99p each with 3 year guarantee.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

the wife did this last year in the 306 (it had a water leak so just kept topping up with water and no antifreeze) stop light come on and luckily all was well.

 

thing is she checked before she left and the header tank was frozen yet she drove it anyway??? blondes eh

[d7ve_b 44 1 Cars]

I made the error of not checking the coolant yesterday and starting the engine. It started but sound bloody awful, so I quickly turned it off and checked and the res was completely frozen

 

Checked it this morning and after seeing no signs of frost I started the car and all seems (touches wood) ok....

[dumbiron 0]

Happened with me many moons ago with a landrover. Given that this thing came with a folder full of receipts i stupidly asumed that it had enough antifreeze.

The screach of the alternator belt gave it away Just took the belt off and dove it for a few miles No damage done (luckily)

[alync406 4]

The 1.9 205 I bought a few months ago with a knock in the bottom end, made bits of the engine last winter due to no anti-freeze in it. It burst a liner completely pulling it down into the sump, making bits of the piston and the head too and leaving a big hole in the block. It was some mess. The owner of the car then fitted another engine which had a spun big end bearing so they got fed up of the car after that, it is all good now again with a newly rebuilt engine.

[jord294 95]

I made the error of not checking the coolant yesterday and starting the engine. It started but sound bloody awful, so I quickly turned it off and checked and the res was completely frozen

 

Checked it this morning and after seeing no signs of frost I started the car and all seems (touches wood) ok....

 

hope the block hasn't cracked under the exhaust manifold

[d7ve_b 44 1 Cars]

hope the block hasn't cracked under the exhaust manifold

 

Is this common if the cars started with frozen coolant? How would I be able to tell if this had occured?

 

I've run it home from work today and everything seems normal. You've got me worried now!

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

I remember seeing Paul Higgs dig his 205 GTI with a freshly rebuilt Mi16 engine out from a container after being in storage for quite some time, only to find that there was a huge crack down the block where it had frozen, rendering the engine useless

[hcmini1989 16]

Is this common if the cars started with frozen coolant? How would I be able to tell if this had occured?

 

I've run it home from work today and everything seems normal. You've got me worried now!

I dont think its the freezing more like the unfreezing as it starts to unfreeze it expands then crack,I think anyways,Probably better off without any water in if going into storage.

[GeorgeXS 32]

I dont think its the freezing more like the unfreezing as it starts to unfreeze it expands then crack,I think anyways,Probably better off without any water in if going into storage.

 

When water freezes it expands, up to 9%-11%, something close to that anyway. Finally A level geography comes in useful!

EDIT: It is 9% expansion rate. Surely if you left the expansion tank cap off this could help stop cracking as the ice can expand into the spare space in there when it gets frozen?? Or of course buy antifreeze and don't take the risk!

Edited November 30, 2010 by GeorgeXS

[large 33]

I dont think its the freezing more like the unfreezing as it starts to unfreeze it expands then crack,I think anyways,Probably better off without any water in if going into storage.

 

 

Sorry you have lost me. Water when in solid form (ice) expands. IIRC the only substance to do so.

 

Or is there some sort of midway point when the ice expands just before it melts?

[JRL 14 1 Cars]

lol I think the water in the pump ices up and breaks the water pump.

[M@tt 77]

Add to the list of component failures the heater matrix, which is a dash out job unless some kseal fixes it got to say a massive thanks to Tom Fenton for the loan of his garage and time last night. I was even fed with a roast beef dinner!!! Can't get any better than that!!

[mikeygulley 19 1 Cars]

I put antifreeze in my 205 this weekend, I went to my local agricultural engineer and got some pretty good stuff, it was like some illegal deal. I had to take my own container. ha

[pug_ham 245 3 Cars]

Unlucky, the heater matrix started steaming on my 306 hdi a few weeks ago so I Ksealed it for now until the (ever impending) engine swap when I'll take the dash out for a new heater matrix while its got an empty engine bay & teh system is drained.

 

But on the "check your Anti-Freeze" note, just been out & ddrained approx 750ml from the expansion tank & refilled it with pure antifreeze.

 

It was fine last winter but itt wasn't quite as cold so any extra can only help.

 

I've been trying to find somewhere to store a car over the next few moths & so far no-one has anything.

 

I've been thinking of getting a cheap winter 205 diesel runabout but until I can free up some space outside I've nowhere to put one.

 

Graham.

[hcmini1989 16]

Sorry you have lost me. Water when in solid form (ice) expands. IIRC the only substance to do so.

 

Or is there some sort of midway point when the ice expands just before it melts?

I knew it was expanding at some point ,But wasnt 100% on when so as above when freezes.I just thought it was the same as everythig else i.e when warmed.I stand corrected again large

[large 33]

I knew it was expanding at some point ,But wasnt 100% on when so as above when freezes.I just thought it was the same as everythig else i.e when warmed.I stand corrected again large

 

I am starting to feel like a c***

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Does antifreeze go off over time and lose its properties? I am just wondering as I have had my 307 for years and it has never used a drop of water despite repeated checking. Do you need to do like Graham did and drain some to replace with antifreeze?

 

I'll get my little tester out later and make sure they are all good for down to at least -20 degrees later

[Anthony 1,003]

You're meant to drain and renew every 2 years for normal (blue) and 5 years for long-life (pink) anti-freeze but I'm not sure how much its effectiveness as anti-freeze and corrosion inhibitor are reduced if you leave it in there longer than that.

[StuF215 1 1 Cars]

At sea level:

Below 0 water expands by 10%

 

Between 0 and 100 it expands by 4%

 

After 100 it expands 1600 times!

 

Important to know this when you design an unvented hot water system especially

[d7ve_b 44 1 Cars]

Just to clarify (noob question alert), what does steam from the heater matrix signifiy and where would it appear? In the car, under the dash etc etc?

[welshpug 1,680]

it signifies a leak

 

typically it appears on your windscreen on the coldest night of the year meaning you can't see jack

 

also in a 205 it typically ends up in your stereo.

[d7ve_b 44 1 Cars]

Lol thanks welshpug. So if I see steam I'm fecked.