[V8] POP..Hiss..Smoke..Antifreeze Smell..SOS!!!

[Kneale Brownson]

Coolant in the HVAC air ducts (that's how I'd guess it got to the area
where you pull the hood release) means the heater core leaked.  If someone
has left a grommet out that should be sealing the HVAC well at the bottom
of the windshield from the cabin,  I suppose you could have coolant running
through into the hood release area, in which case the heater valve may have
broken.  Audi uses plastic heater valves that are famous for separating at
old age.   On the V8 the valve is just outside the heater core box.
Outside possibility would be the hoses to/from the heater core let loose.
The hoses and valve are on the driver side of the heater core box.


At 01:26 PM 8/30/2005 -0500, Klein, Nathan P wrote:
>Okay, so I'm sitting in the bank drive-through for about 10 min and
>notice a ton of smoke
>coming of the passenger side of the car all of a sudden.
>
>"Oh, crap," I thought.  This has happened before and it wasn't pretty.
>
>So I get back out on the road to look for a shady spot to pull over
>(it's mighty hot here today).
>
>Pull into traffic, and I hear a POP! come from under the hood, toward
>the passenger compartment, 
>followed by hissing and SMOKE BELCHING out of the defrost duct, smoke
>blowing on to the 
>windshield from under the hood, and smoke coming from what seemed like
>everywhere.
>
>The unmistakable smell of hot antifreeze was coming out of the A/C and
>heater ducts. 
>
>Short trip.  Pull over across the street under a kind-of shaded area.
>Get out of the car, and there is 
>antifreeze dripping out of the car just in front of the driver's side
>door, getting on to the door.
>
>My hand got wet pulling the hood lift.
>
>I pull back the cowling in front of the windshield, and it was like
>opening a bag of microwave popcorn
>too soon.
>
>I walked the six miles back to work rather than put in coolant and
>chance it.
>
>The car is still there, and I smell like a hobo.
>
>What in the world could this be?!
>
>HELP!!!
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