car battery

[haza]

hi,im after a bit advice pls,i been away offshore to work for 2 weeks and i tryed to start my car, vw bora 1.9 diesel and the battery was totally dead,its stood there for over 3 weeks without starting my question is everything is frozen on the engine how can i sort it out???i dont think there was any antifreeze in thanks

 

[xr4x4]

have a look in the header tank, if its froze in there, it could of frozen all over the place.

try squeezing the coolant pipes, do they feel crunchy?

so you could have, popped engine core plugs, burst heater matrix, hoses, the list goes on.

its quite normal for a connected battery to go flat after that amount of time, esp if its not new.

 

[Burnerman]

If there is any ice in there, please dont try to start your engine
Just place a fan heater underneath the engine for an hour or more if there is.
John

 

[haza]

If there is any ice in there, please dont try to start your engine
Just place a fan heater underneath the engine for an hour or more if there is.
John

thanks lads what would happen if i started the car while its frozen??i have got the battery on charge so itl be ready to start soon,but now im scared,

 

[Peter.N.]

It would probably break the water pump for a start, make the checks described and if frozen do what John suggests. Very risky having no antifreeze, it could at the least have pushed some core plugs out in which case the water will run out when you try and fill it.

Peter

 

[gblades]

Yes and if the water pump is driven by the cambelt/chain and causes the teeth on the belt to wear away or to become loose you could be looking for a new engine.

 

[haza]

thanks lads you have probably saved me a few quid as i was just about to start her up,what about pouring warm water in the header tank???

 

[Burnerman]

It wont do any harm, but squeeze all of the rubber hoses top and bottom. If the water level in the header tank moves, you're getting there!
A frozen water pump will sling the timing belt off and then its a new motor for Xmas....
John

 

[haza]

right i just been out and had a mess on but quite hard as was dark outside,i checked a few hoses and the main 1 coming from the header tank was fine and a few more were ok,i had it serviced about 7mnth ago cost £180 but dont know if they put antifreeze in,i checked inside header tank and it wasnt completely frozen just like slush,so dont no if theres been a small amount of anti freeze in??

 

[Burnerman]

It sounds like there has been residual antifreeze in the system and the proper stuff is purple in colour.
I can't say if you are ready for a start up yet though.....but you could try pushing the car in gear to see if the engine turns if you want.
John

 

[jctilingservices]

if its dark when you check the header tank, just stick your finger in to wet it, touch your finger to your tongue, if it tastes sweet its got anti freeze in, if not then it has`nt

You could also try pouring boiling water over your water pipes, the rubber heats up slightly causing the frozen water to thaw, takes a while though

 

[haza]

thanks for all the replys lads,i will keep you all informed if everything goes well

 

[Peter.N.]

The 'sweet' if antifreeze present is a good tip, its what I always do.

Peter

 

[wotan]

The 'sweet' if antifreeze present is a good tip, its what I always do.

Peter

Tasting antifreez is a very foolish thing to do, it's toxic.

 

[xr4x4]

The 'sweet' if antifreeze present is a good tip, its what I always do.

Peter

Tasting antifreez is a very foolish thing to do, it's toxic.

i was thinking that..