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

[Ingo Rautenberg]

Some recommendations -- don't do what I did ;-)

Before I found the plugged expansion tank nipple (remove hose -- see, it's
clogged), I had replaced the leaky heater valve.  Oh, and before that I
replaced the thermostat and fan clutch -- neither of which was likely
necessary.  You see, the fan clutch operates optimally when the air
radiating from the radiator is hot.  Since my radiator was plugged, this was
not the case and replacing the fan clutch made no difference.

If you have to replace the radiator, I suggest an OEM unit.  I saved a few
$$ and got a non-oem replacement and it was different enough that I had to
use a cutting wheel to make it fit and my own rubber mounts -- but the extra
time wasn't worth the $$ savings.

I don't recall what the application was, but before I had the heater core
replaced, I bypassed it  by removing the air filter box (two 10mm nuts and
washers), removing the plug wire plate below that (T30 torx?) and then
removing both exit and return lines to the engine and  getting a hose from
AutoZone to bypass the heater core.

Ingo


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Klein, Nathan P" <nathan.p.klein at lmco.com>
To: "Ingo Rautenberg" <i.rautenberg at waratap.com>; <v8 at audifans.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 4:37 PM
Subject: RE: [V8] POP..Hiss..Smoke..Antifreeze Smell..SOS!!!


> Thanks.
>
> Now, how the &*%@# do I get down in there?  Looks like a long weekend
> job.  If anyone has some "lessons learned", I'd sure appreciate them.
> Does the dash have to come off?  If so, this may be a chance for me to
> replace the dash lights.
>
> Hopefully I'll get the green light to work on it this weekend or
> next...I paritally severed my ring finger and am waiting for it to heal
> up.  I will probably go ahead and I/R/R everything cooling-related while
> I'm at it.  I've checked some old posts, and apparently 98-105 degrees C
> on the highway is considered "running hot"......
>
> Thanks again.  All advice is greatly appreciated.
>
> Nathan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ingo Rautenberg [mailto:i.rautenberg at waratap.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 3:06 PM
> To: Klein, Nathan P; v8 at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: [V8] POP..Hiss..Smoke..Antifreeze Smell..SOS!!!
>
> Hmm.  Sounds like the nightmare I recently went through.  In my case it
> was the heater core (as pointed out by Mr. Head) began to disintegrate,
> lodging plastic pieces into the return hose nipple of the expansion tank
> (clogging
> it) and leading to calcification of the radiator internals, reducing
> radiator efficiency to nil and causing failure first of the heater valve
> and finally the heater core.  If you're lucky, maybe it's just the
> heater valve (but your passenger side smoke description makes that
> unlikely).
>
> Good luck and let us know what you find.
>
> Ingo
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Klein, Nathan P" <nathan.p.klein at lmco.com>
> To: <v8 at audifans.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 2:26 PM
> Subject: [V8] POP..Hiss..Smoke..Antifreeze Smell..SOS!!!
>
>
> > 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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> >
>
>
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