Car Overheated

[ZebbyUK]

VW Polo, P-reg. Left idling too long, overheated and it's dumped the water out of the overfill pipe, not the radiator.

Any ideas if some serious damage has been done please?

[Buenchico]

There's no reason why an engine should overheat just because it's been left idling (especially in the cooler weather -such problems most often occur on really hot days).

Check the obvious first, which is to look for signs of a failed head gasket. To do so, remove the oil filler cap and look at the surface of the oil. It should be just as clear as if you were examining the contents of a new bottle of oil that you'd purchased from a garage. If there's 'mayonnaise' on the surface (illustrated in a fairly extreme example here: http://i58.tinypic.com/jsgeo5.jpg ) it's a clear sign of a head gasket failure.

I had a head gasket go on my X-reg Escort about 6 years ago. I was delivering car parts to garages (as a casual job) around that time, so I had the opportunity to ask lots of firms what they'd charge to fix the problem for me. Most of them estimated between £700 and £1000 (inc VAT) but my friendly local garage did it for £487.

[SlackAlice]

Also, if the car has an electric radiator fan, make sure that it "cuts in" and works.

[alavahalf]

You say " Dumped the water" ... how much water .. A cup full or a bucket full ?

[yogi-bear]

In addition to Buenchico's ( Chris...Hi mate ) helpful reply, It could be a thermostat that just needs replacing, as this happened to me on a dual carriageway near Horsham, West Sussex many years ago in my Rover Montego and pulled over at Shell petrol station luckily on stretch of road, called out AA, drove into Horsham ....got me a new thermostat which was about £10 at the time.....Check Buenchico's theory, if not, I would get a diagnosis from a trusted garage or mechanic you know otherwise you could be paying for something your car doesn't need.

Good luck, ZebbyUK :-)

[ZebbyUK]

Thanks guys, it looked like most of the water :(

[ZebbyUK]

I was clearing the garage and noticed steam coming from under the bonnet. Lifted it up, the water was dumped through the reservoir overfill.

[yogi-bear]

Could be coolant .....suggest you try my guess of maybe a thermostat perishing......and advice from known and trusted mechanic or garage

[Hopkirk]

In my experience of failed thermostats they fail in the open position, causing overcooling not overheating (at least they do in Vauxhalls)

[tonyav]

Agree with that, Hopkirk ( happened to me with a Carlton I once owned ).

[tonyav]

Also a bad radiator cap can cause water / coolant to be dumped out of the overfill pipe when knackered.

[tonyav]

I'd try a new radiator cap before anything else ( pretty cheap to ).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Radiator-Pressure-Expansion-Water-Tank-Cap-For-VW-Polo-Toureg-Skoda-1i0121321B-/351770481814?fits=Car+Make%3AVW%7CModel%3APolo%7CCars+Year%3A1997&;hash=item51e7279496:g:gLYAAOSwLnBX9PWl

[ZebbyUK]

OK, results are in!

Seems we need a new battery as the one in there didn't hold any charge. Filled it with almost 4 pints of water. There's a nasty stain on the floor (tarmac) outside which I thought was oil but it's not, it's the antifreeze that was in the coolant. Jumped it from my estate and it purred as normal. Checked oil level, all fine, none lost.

As it's been SORN off the road it has no tax, MOT or insurance so I've put it back on my parking bay for now until we can get it up the garage to get it ready to go back on the road again.

What a worry off my shoulders!

[yogi-bear]

Hoppy and tonyav

That's why I make a living playing tunes.....

Funny though because my temperature gauge was in the red almost when I had the trouble I described and it was a thermostat that was changed, I'm almost sure.

Zebby

Glad you got diagnosis and I mentioned it could have been coolant/antifreeze that was flowing out.....at least it's not an expensive head gasket and you can rest easy now.

Happy days :-)

[Hopkirk]

OK Zebby, so it needs a new battery, but that doesn't explain why it lost the coolant.

Perhaps Tony is right about the coolant cap.

[tonyav]

No I'm lost here, can't understand how a duff battery had anything to do with the coolant loss.

[yogi-bear]

You and Hopkirk are right, Tony......a battery should not affect the coolant spilling out, which could, as you said, point to cap not being pushed down hard enough to secure, hence spillage .

I still think he should get advice from a mechanic or garage as to why this happened on just simple idling....must be a reason for it.

[tonyav]

Yogi, I don't mean that the radiator cap isn't 'pushed down hard enough', I mean that the radiator cap just isn't working anymore ie can't withstand 15psi anymore ( most likely due to wear and tear and old age ).

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/how-does-radiator-cap-work.htm

[yogi-bear]

I understand now..... Yes, could be, Tony.

It is puzzling, so basically Zebby could still have a problem and it might happen again, even when new battery is fitted, and he idles car again.

[tonyav]

Yes he probably will, yogi.

[yogi-bear]

Cheers, tony :-)

Zebby,

Due to last couple of posts from tonyav and Hopkirk, I would get the car checked over for a defective radiator cap, and getting to exactly why your car lost the coolant.....it wasn't due to a bad battery.....please let us know how you get on.

I'm now going back to playing tunes, which is what I do best.