frozen car

[worried jim]

-7 this morning when I left for work. scrapped all the ice of the car and set off on 4 mile journey. I normally start to get warm air from heaters after 1 mile but this morning there was no warm air at all and the engine reachede its operating temp very quickly ( did not exceed). I pulled over and popped the hood, there was water in the radiator, wasn't frozen but it was still very cold. I couldn't see anything leaking or dripping so I suspect that there is a frozen pipe from the engine block to the radiator. this is 1995 civic and I have never had a problem of this nature before, but then I 've never had it so cold before.

[ArsenalFC]

It's most probably some frozen ice inside the hoses and maybe radiator. Probably needs to have a stronger mix of anti-freeze.

[worried jim]

Have just moved it from the basement car park whetre its still covered in ice @ 11.30 am to the front of the building in the sunshine. will pop to halfords tmmro and top up with anti freeze.

[SailorSam]

Maybe you could try putting something to act like a grill shield, like some cardboard, sometimes the extra cold from the wind , the chill factor, stops the car heating up. Don't cover too much though you don't want it to overheat.

[Pyewacket338]

As long as the temp doesn't go above it's usual reading you should be fine, if you had a blockage then the temp gauge would go off the scale pretty quick, sounds to me like your thermostat opened up enough to get the temperate down then closed again, the heater matrix heats up at the same time as the radiator so in a 4 mile journey at -7, unless you were in heavy traffic, I doubt you're heater would be blowing hot air.

[worried jim]

Everything working fine now.

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

Flush the coolant and replace with the correct mixture. Use Honda recommended antifreeze only.

[worried jim]

On Thursday I poured the K seal in the radiator (after sucking out with a pipe and my mouth some fluid to allow room- it tasted disgusting) and let the car turn over for 15 mins, still steaming up. Went for a drive around on Fri night and it was defiantly an improvement and drivable (just) with the windows open. Its harder at night as the steam causes a lot of glare so I took it out again on Sat morning, this time it was a lot better, still steaming up though. I was thinking that how can a £9.99 fix remedy this, but I wont give up and chanced it at work last night. After a driving for about an hour it is now- happy to say- perfect! The smell has gone and there is no steam whatsoever - I cant tell you how relived I am, I just wished the guy at the garage had told me to do this on Monday, all the worry and stress it would have saved.

[Keith]

You sucked coolant out :eek:

[goldspanners]

On Thursday I poured the K seal in the radiator (after sucking out with a pipe and my mouth some fluid to allow room- it tasted disgusting)

you should have taken off the bottom radiator hose a let gravity take the bad taste away.

[cyclonebri1]

On Thursday I poured the K seal in the radiator (after sucking out with a pipe and my mouth some fluid to allow room- it tasted disgusting) and let the car turn over for 15 mins, still steaming up. Went for a drive around on Fri night and it was defiantly an improvement and drivable (just) with the windows open. Its harder at night as the steam causes a lot of glare so I took it out again on Sat morning, this time it was a lot better, still steaming up though. I was thinking that how can a £9.99 fix remedy this, but I wont give up and chanced it at work last night. After a driving for about an hour it is now- happy to say- perfect! The smell has gone and there is no steam whatsoever - I cant tell you how relived I am, I just wished the guy at the garage had told me to do this on Monday, all the worry and stress it would have saved.


Am I missing something? Where did the K seal and steaming come into the equation? I thought you said earlier the car was ok?

As said earlier the correct dose of anti freeze would avoid all this. Note that anti freeze is not just that, it also acts as an anti corrosion agent in the engine, if it's been run without for any length of time, the hose spigots and core plugs will soon start to leak:eek:

[worried jim]

Ok I missed a bit off, the car was working ok last sat pm, however Sunday night kept steaming up like a kettle. took it to garage on mon and chap said it will dry out anf then be ok. had big important journey to make mon night, only mangaed 16 miles b4 turning back. seems water getting into heating system- hence the recomendation for some k seal.

[worried jim]

Have plenty of anti freeze in there now !

[goldspanners]

Ok I missed a bit off, the car was working ok last sat pm, however Sunday night kept steaming up like a kettle. took it to garage on mon and chap said it will dry out anf then be ok. had big important journey to make mon night, only mangaed 16 miles b4 turning back. seems water getting into heating system- hence the recomendation for some k seal.

jim, your heating system is water. the heat comes from the engine coolant being passed through a smaller radiator (heater matrix) inside the car and being distributed to selected vents via a fan.
the steam or what it probably was condensation will be due to dampness inside the vehicle,maybe a door seal or boot seal letting in rain water,check all carpets and mats,even the boot carpet. this would cause condensation. or maybe the heater setting has been changed from circulate to recycle?

[cyclonebri1]

Jim, ok for that, but very few people see the value/recommend any form of radseal/radweld. At best this will mask serious problems with leaks in the cooling system.

As Goldspanners says unless the heater matrix in your car has frozen and ruptured. any misting in the car is likely to be due to the after effects of your incident.

It's warmer now, give the car a good run. blower on, and window open.;)

Then report back on any problems

[worried jim]

have been driving around with no problems at all now, will park with sunroof open in sunshine to let out any moisture.

[Keith]

Pop a bowl of rice in the car to absorb the moisture :)

[Tally-Ho]

Pop a bowl of rice in the car to absorb the moisture :)

I know someone who did that and then complained it didn't work..............................

Well, she had used Ambrosia Creamed Rice !!!

I say no more.

Tally