Help! - radiator just burst away from home - need advice

[rapiddescent]

up in scotland (luckily at my parents) and noticed a whiff of white steam when I stopped.

There is a leak in the radiator right up at the top which is about 1 drip per second. I've checked the hoses (all OK) and in the picture below you can see where the wee cable is wet. Looks like a broken weld or something. It must of gone in the last mile to destination because we stopped to get flowers just before arriving and I would have noticed steam. I released the cap on the coolant resevoir (which slowed the drip to almost non-existant). The coolant alarm never went off and the temp needle is OK - i.e. it probably happened only seconds before we stopped.

The big question is...
1. can I drive it 20 miles? I have a bottle of coolant and can do it in stages if needbe. Are there any McGyver tricks so that I can make it home.
2. or do I call the AA?

any help and/advice greatly received. thanks for looking.

sorry can't post directly because I can't resize the pic from my phone)
http://www.proflex.demon.co.uk/photos/b ... 133013.jpg

[westonwarrior]

I would say try it if its only 20 miles but top it up first and wait until the engine is cold to start off and only because you have an alarm

If it goes off stop and check, top up as needed, if you only get a few yards before it goes off stop and call the aa

But thats the opinion of some one who realy is guessing but thats what I would do

[westonwarrior]

or the old raw egg trick may work but change the rad and flush the system asap

[helen&tony]

Hi
The raw egg trick only works on non-pressurised systems on older cars Also, porridge ( not recommended on modern cars)...i shouldn't tell you, but I have chanced a return journey of 18 Km with a knackered radiator seam, but, personally, i would get a tin of rad sealant, or a Unipart leak stopper which you crumble into the system.....that may get you home...then again , it's always a risk!...If you do get some sealant in a garage....FLUSH IT OUT ASAP, and put a new all-metal radiator in....stupid plastic and metal things!!!!
If , on the other hand , you feel a bit wary...call the rescue company!
Cheers
Helen

[rapiddescent]

just got a lift to a local petrol station and have returned with two 250ml containers of Radweld. I think it's got a wee hole on the seam of the top black park of the radiator and not the honeycomb.

Going to try the radweld, keep the heaters on full, and take it easy. -- then book it in for a new radiator next week!

(we do have the full AA cover, so that's always an option)

[haydn callow]

If I was in your position, I would :-

top up to the full level whilst cold.
You have the Low alarm as a backup...but..
Stop every 10 miles and check that you are above the full line (about 1 cm)
If not.
Then let it cool a bit (remove the cap slowly to release pressure) and top back up to about 1cm above full.
Then repeat.
The leak is unlikly to become huge very quickly..

Good luck....

[haydn callow]

No need to keep the heaters on as long as there is coolant in the tank....and if there isn't having them on won't stop you overheating...........Just keep that level up to the full mark cold and 1 cm above when warm....

[rapiddescent]

thanks for that. It's just idling now with the radweld in. still drips of pure blue coolant coming out but it's only been on for 5 mins.

We'll let it cool down again before heading off and will top up. Like any bongo'er, I have a couple of litres of coolant in the back!

does anyone know how many litres of coolant are in a bongo cooling system? the radweld claims it will work up to 14L which sounds OK. I did buy two just in case.

[MountainGoat]

You should be ok. A couple of posts that came up in the search facility say that the Bongo cooling system capacity is 13 litres.

Tony

[helen&tony]

Hi
that's usually where they go, at the seam...My guess is that you won't have trouble...but i did exactly as Haydn said, and stopped to check...mine did 12 miles with no probs. but you may find that as you lose fluid, the alarm will sound on corners....take it easy, go slow, so that if you do hear a constant beep, you can stop pronto!....I bet the rad glue will sort it...but give it a good flush out when cold!
Good luck
Cheers
Helen

[westonwarrior]

Now I know why I had almost forgot about the egg trick i will do my best to forget it completely

[helen&tony]

Hi Rob
What about the sawdust in the gearbox trick on the old cars?...dandelion stems as valve rubbers in the old schrader valves..."stocking" fan-belts ( I could never get that one to work )...
Cheers
Helen

[westonwarrior]

I did actualy try the last one many years ago and same as you, didnt work

[rapiddescent]

Thanks everyone, we stopped after 14 miles to check and the radweld seems to have worked a treat with pretty much no coolant loss. Bongo being booked in for new all metal radiator next week!

[Diplomat]

Here's what I did and it worked well.

Thoroughly clean the leaky area with a toothbrush soaked in meths. This will de-grease the surface.

With the engine warm but cooling with the expansion tank closed, apply Araldite to the outside of the leak. It will get sucked into the join as the coolant contracts.

I used quick setting Araldite but left it for 12 hours to set. it will set fast anyway because of the residual heat in the rad.


This has more than got me home. It has lasted well while I am saving up for a new radiator and the pump and the hoses and the heater matrices and the timing belt and all the other things I might as well do if we've got to go through the aggro of bleeding it!


Frank