my S3 diesel's radiator started hissing after I got home from work today - a
small stream of steam is coming out of somewhere I can't quite see.
How dangerous is it for me to keep her topped up with water and keep
driving? Just need to get to work and back tomorrow and Friday (~5 miles
each way) then I can look at it Saturday.
Are there such things as stop-leak for radiators?
Funny thing is the plastic filler cap on the reservoir to the right of the
radiator is completely shattered through too.
Never rains but it pours eh, thought it was just exhaust, manifold coupling,
seat-belts, injectors and valve-clearances that were the urgent things on
the truck, now this :)
> Esteemed and wise folk,
>
> my S3 diesel's radiator started hissing after I got home from work today -
> a small stream of steam is coming out of somewhere I can't quite see.
>
> How dangerous is it for me to keep her topped up with water and keep
> driving? Just need to get to work and back tomorrow and Friday (~5 miles
> each way) then I can look at it Saturday.
>
> Are there such things as stop-leak for radiators?
>
> Funny thing is the plastic filler cap on the reservoir to the right of the
> radiator is completely shattered through too.
>
> Never rains but it pours eh, thought it was just exhaust, manifold
> coupling, seat-belts, injectors and valve-clearances that were the urgent
> things on the truck, now this :)
>
> Cheers,
>
> h
All depends on how rapidly it is losing water. As long as it is kept up
there is no problem, but the hissing suggests it was actually boiling due
to loss of coolant. Allowing it to overheat due to loss of coolant can get
expensive , although it is not as likely to be bad as with an alloy head.
The plastic filler cap will have nothing to do with it - these seem to only
last a couple of years anyway.
JD
On Wed, 08 Jun 2005 19:16:51 GMT, "h" <h@@at@@howiem.com> wrote:
>Esteemed and wise folk,
>
>my S3 diesel's radiator started hissing after I got home from work today - a
>small stream of steam is coming out of somewhere I can't quite see.
>
>How dangerous is it for me to keep her topped up with water and keep
>driving? Just need to get to work and back tomorrow and Friday (~5 miles
>each way) then I can look at it Saturday.
>
>Are there such things as stop-leak for radiators?
>
>Funny thing is the plastic filler cap on the reservoir to the right of the
>radiator is completely shattered through too.
>
>Never rains but it pours eh, thought it was just exhaust, manifold coupling,
>seat-belts, injectors and valve-clearances that were the urgent things on
>the truck, now this :)
>
>Cheers,
>
>h
Alot of folk hate the stuff but on a S3 I'd chuck a bottle of radweld
in it.
probably get some at most petrol stations.
On Wed, 08 Jun 2005 19:16:51 GMT, "h" <h@@at@@howiem.com> wrote:
>Esteemed and wise folk,
>
>my S3 diesel's radiator started hissing after I got home from work today - a
>small stream of steam is coming out of somewhere I can't quite see.
>
>How dangerous is it for me to keep her topped up with water and keep
>driving? Just need to get to work and back tomorrow and Friday (~5 miles
>each way) then I can look at it Saturday.
>
>Are there such things as stop-leak for radiators?
>
>Funny thing is the plastic filler cap on the reservoir to the right of the
>radiator is completely shattered through too.
>
>Never rains but it pours eh, thought it was just exhaust, manifold coupling,
>seat-belts, injectors and valve-clearances that were the urgent things on
>the truck, now this :)
>
>Cheers,
>
>h
oo if your filler cap isn't sealing then your coolant isn't
pressurised and hence not working properly...
MVP wrote:
> On Wed, 08 Jun 2005 19:16:51 GMT, "h" <h@@at@@howiem.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Esteemed and wise folk,
>>
>>my S3 diesel's radiator started hissing after I got home from work today - a
>>small stream of steam is coming out of somewhere I can't quite see.
>>
>>How dangerous is it for me to keep her topped up with water and keep
>>driving? Just need to get to work and back tomorrow and Friday (~5 miles
>>each way) then I can look at it Saturday.
>>
>>Are there such things as stop-leak for radiators?
>>
>>Funny thing is the plastic filler cap on the reservoir to the right of the
>>radiator is completely shattered through too.
>>
>>Never rains but it pours eh, thought it was just exhaust, manifold coupling,
>>seat-belts, injectors and valve-clearances that were the urgent things on
>>the truck, now this :)
>>
>>Cheers,
>>
>>h
>
>
> oo if your filler cap isn't sealing then your coolant isn't
> pressurised and hence not working properly...
>
>
> Regards.
> Mark.
Unless it's been modified the 'reservoir' on this model is not
pressurised - it's just an overflow catch tank. The pressure control
device is the cap on the radiator top tank.
Anyway, it's now Friday and you've either cooked things properly or got
home safely! I hope that it's the latter.
On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 18:51:55 +0100, Danny
<danny@nospam.gaggia-espresso.com> wrote:
>MVP wrote:
>
>> Alot of folk hate the stuff but on a S3 I'd chuck a bottle of radweld
>> in it.
>> probably get some at most petrol stations.
>>
>
>Barrs (the original in the little square bottle, not the tablets) is
>even better. Saab used to recommend having it in the system at all times.
a bit like that thread about the tyre stuff, sits there doing nothing
until a hole appears then it's dealt with right away. wonder if the
wifes saab will run ok with it in, 1990 turbo model.
On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 18:04:52 +0100, Dougal
<DougalAThiskennel.free-online.co.uk> wrote:
>MVP wrote:
>> On Wed, 08 Jun 2005 19:16:51 GMT, "h" <h@@at@@howiem.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Esteemed and wise folk,
>>>
>>>my S3 diesel's radiator started hissing after I got home from work today - a
>>>small stream of steam is coming out of somewhere I can't quite see.
>>>
>>>How dangerous is it for me to keep her topped up with water and keep
>>>driving? Just need to get to work and back tomorrow and Friday (~5 miles
>>>each way) then I can look at it Saturday.
>>>
>>>Are there such things as stop-leak for radiators?
>>>
>>>Funny thing is the plastic filler cap on the reservoir to the right of the
>>>radiator is completely shattered through too.
>>>
>>>Never rains but it pours eh, thought it was just exhaust, manifold coupling,
>>>seat-belts, injectors and valve-clearances that were the urgent things on
>>>the truck, now this :)
>>>
>>>Cheers,
>>>
>>>h
>>
>>
>> oo if your filler cap isn't sealing then your coolant isn't
>> pressurised and hence not working properly...
>>
>>
>> Regards.
>> Mark.
>
>Unless it's been modified the 'reservoir' on this model is not
>pressurised - it's just an overflow catch tank. The pressure control
>device is the cap on the radiator top tank.
>
>Anyway, it's now Friday and you've either cooked things properly or got
>home safely! I hope that it's the latter.
I didn't know that, shows my ignorance, long time since I've delt with
a S3.
> On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 18:04:52 +0100, Dougal
> <DougalAThiskennel.free-online.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>>MVP wrote:
>>
>>>On Wed, 08 Jun 2005 19:16:51 GMT, "h" <h@@at@@howiem.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Esteemed and wise folk,
>>>>
>>>>my S3 diesel's radiator started hissing after I got home from work today - a
>>>>small stream of steam is coming out of somewhere I can't quite see.
>>>>
>>>>How dangerous is it for me to keep her topped up with water and keep
>>>>driving? Just need to get to work and back tomorrow and Friday (~5 miles
>>>>each way) then I can look at it Saturday.
>>>>
>>>>Are there such things as stop-leak for radiators?
>>>>
>>>>Funny thing is the plastic filler cap on the reservoir to the right of the
>>>>radiator is completely shattered through too.
>>>>
>>>>Never rains but it pours eh, thought it was just exhaust, manifold coupling,
>>>>seat-belts, injectors and valve-clearances that were the urgent things on
>>>>the truck, now this :)
>>>>
>>>>Cheers,
>>>>
>>>>h
>>>
>>>
>>>oo if your filler cap isn't sealing then your coolant isn't
>>>pressurised and hence not working properly...
>>>
>>>
>>>Regards.
>>>Mark.
>>
>>Unless it's been modified the 'reservoir' on this model is not
>>pressurised - it's just an overflow catch tank. The pressure control
>>device is the cap on the radiator top tank.
>>
>>Anyway, it's now Friday and you've either cooked things properly or got
>>home safely! I hope that it's the latter.
>
>
> I didn't know that, shows my ignorance, long time since I've delt with
> a S3.
>
> Regards.
> Mark.
.... and I've just realised that it's not yet Friday!
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