overheating

[madder]

My brother was using my car recently and tonight on his way home he said the temperature gauge went up to the red peak and there was steam/smoke coming from under the bonnet. He said he stopped the car and got out. There was water pouring heavily under the car*towards the front) and a little bit through the front grill of the car. He figured that the car has a radiator leak. In his 'wisdom', and because there was no auto store open or nearby, instead of buying a rad fix type product which might temporarily fix the problem he waited for the car to cool down and then cracked an egg into the radiator. He then topped it up with my antifreeze and some water. First thing I'd like to know is this? What was the thinking behind the egg and is it going to damage the radiator? Sounds like one of those terrible wives tale solutions. Also I'm gonna look a right idiot when I do get a mechanic to check it out this week and he finds a poached egg in the radiator. Anyway, my brother got the car back to me, and when he did it was steaming a little from the radiator around where the cap sits on(probably cooking the egg!!!). But the temperature gauge was in the middle which looks normal enough to me. No real suggestion of over heating anymore.
What I'd also like to know is this? Does this look like an easy enough fix such as a rad leak or a worn house or something, or might it be the head gasket?
I haven't really noticed any strange engine noise and the car has been running fairly well for a 97 Carine E. It's a 1.6 litre petrol.
Only strange things I've noticed in the past 6 to 12 months were the car losing power last year shortly after startup, which seemed to be solved after spraying the Idle Air Control Valve with Carburetor Cleaner. And then about 3 months ago, the leanburn sensor warning light finally turned off after being on for years. I never replaced the Leanburn Sensor since it failed as it was a known fail in the car and it had no impact on the car test so I just left it. But the warning light for the failed sensor has been off now for at least 3 months! Doubt if that's relevant? So who can offer me advice or probables? And let me know if the egg was a good, bad or terrible idea!
Cheers!

 

[Burnerman]

Not quite so crazy as it sounds, but it probably lives in the same era as using tights instead of a fan belt.....
My guess is that the radiator has probably corroded away at the front and the egg white is temporarily holding things together. Urgent investigation is really needed as next time it could be bye bye head gasket!
John

 

[gblades]

What car is it? Some BMWs have a metal radiator with plastic sides and these are well known to crack and leak when the car gets old.

If the head gasget was gone then you would either have white smoke coming from the exhaust (water leaking into the cylinder) or white deposits in teh oil (check inside filler cap) from it mixing with the oil.

 

[madder]

Thanks guys. I am going to check the radiator resevoir now and see if that is low or empty. It's a 97 Carina E by the way. I'll also check for the residue in the oil cap. I will check the hoses and the radiator too. I just hope the egg is gone! And that it doesn't damage the car.

 

[madder]

Ok. So far so good. I checked the oil cap and there was no residue at all. Just blackness from the oil.
The radiator resevoir, however, was very low. Beneath the lower line. The hoses between the radiator and the engine, while old, seem to be in tact. Is there a simple test I can do here?
SO what should I do next?
I'm thinking that I should fill up the resevoir and the radiator itself and start the car, let it run a while and see what happens next? Anyone agree?

 

[wotan]

For a temporary radiator leak repair a spoonful of mustard can be used.
English mustard for Jags and british built cars.
French mustard for Peugeots and Renaults

Wotan

 

[madder]

Is this because of the eggs?

Ok, I think I may have been a little more foolish then I already seem. I just checked the oil level and it's sitting below the lower line also. SO could it be the the engine is boiling off the water/coolant as the oil is so low?

And if so, considering it's just below the lower line, how much should I put in to bring it back up to the correct level and drive to the nearest mechanic?!!

 

[gblades]

Below the lower line is not too bad and it should be fine. If its too low then you stop getting oil circulation which causes the engine to wear out very quickly.. Its unlikely to be related to the water leak.

1 litre of oil is normally required to bring the level from the min to max mark so yuo can judge accordingly.

 

[madder]

Ok, so I bought 1 litre of 10W40 semi synthetic engine oil and I'll top it up with that. I am not sure what coolant or antifreeze is in the car at all. What I do know is that I have an antifreeze in the house which requires mixing with water and I could use that. I also have a heavy duty coolant which requires no mixing.
So which should I use? I want to add to the resevoir and to the radiator. How much does a 1.6 litre Carina E require? Should I try to flush the system of the old stuff and the (ehem).....egg? What I can say is that it doesn't look that rusty under the radiator cap? If I empty the radiator and then tfill it with coolant, will it be ok? Or does it need to be flushed? And does it need to be bled then also? Hopefully not.

 

[gblades]

Depends how much money you want to spend. You could just top it up with antifreeze solution and then see how it goes. If you dont know what the stuff is like in there already then mix the new stuff in accordance with its instructions for 'severe winter' and that way it will be better that what was in there previously.

To do it the 100% correct way you would need to put some radflush in there but on such an old car you could end up with a lot more leaks which you would then have to fix or reseal using something like radweld. At some point in a cars life you are better off doing running repairs and if you are worried about it leaking again and getting stranded carry a few litres of water and some radweld in the boot.

 

[madder]

Thanks gblades. With all things considered, I reckon at the moment there is likely to be a bigger percentage of water in the radiator. Probably as much as 65%/35%. With that in mind, I am thinking of just pouring the heavy duty premixed coolant(1 litre) into the reservoir, and then, adding what's left of the antifreeze, probably 1/4 of a litre to the radiator directly and hoping for the best? Maybe even buying some more antifreeze and adding another half litre in tomorrow?
It's kind of trial an error. Perhaps I could alternatively, allow the car to boil the water away and then it will start to take the premixed coolant from the reservoir? It's really hard to know.
I have topped the oil up already and that's at the perfect level now.

 

[gblades]

What you suggest will be fine.
As far as filling there are two ways the expansion tank can be connected. One way has an additional host from the top of the bottle to the radiator. With this setup you just top up the expansion tank and it all runs through.
With the other method as the engine heats and cools it pushes air from the radiator into the tank and pulls out water as it cools.

 

[madder]

Ok, just did all this and started the car. All was fine. It didn't overheat and the fan behind the radiator came on, but then I noticed a drip coming from the front grill of the car and a small puddle appearing under the front of the car just below the left side of the registration plate. I crouched down to have a look and saw, through the grill, a small hole in the radiator and water was spraying out of it and out the front grill of the car. What do I do? Replace the radiator? Get something in the car shop that will seal it but may hurt the engine or get a mechanic to weld it or what?

 

[gblades]

A new or second hand radiator is the best bet. Due to the fins they can't really be welded and it sounds like the hole is a bit big for radweld to work.

 

[madder]

Thanks again. I'm gonna contact my local scrapyard now. They fit too which is handy. Being a 1997 car means buying new parts from the dealer probably isn't worth it. That said the car is so reliable that it'd be a crime to replace it!