Have we OVERFLOWED our radiator water tank too much? = Expanded water= Explosion ??

Danny_G

Have we OVERFLOWED our radiator water tank too much?

Car is Peugeot 406 SALOON 2000

Here is what happened, the radiator tube pipe (where the water circulates)
which connects the hole in the radiator (one slots into the other, with a clip)

after a drive, this connection became lose, and opened up.
It broke open, and all the water came gushing out, onto the driveway (orange liquid, antifreeze)

The car water was empty, as it all leaked out.

Went to a mechanic, they put the pipe back in, with a metal tie, and said the pressure built up
causing it to open (old car, etc).

He did this, by bleeding the air out of the water,
and also filled the car up to the top of the water tank level
(ie, when you open the cap for the water filling up, this was to the maximum!)

---

Now after driving 1 hour, it was fine, when leaving the car to cool for 5 hours,
when the water was cool, then the water cap was taken off, to check the level of the water.

The water level is now showing low, and no water can be seen down the hole in the gap.

It is NOT Leaking out anywhere, as al parts have been checked.


a) Does that mean that the water is less now, because much of it is still in parts
of the engine radiator system, circulation parts?
(so the water is now displaced in parts of the car) which is why it is less?
** Keeping in mind, the engine has been turned of for 5 hours.


b) This is the important question:
As this level is now less (as the water is in parts of the engine circulation)
Should the water level now be topped up, so it is to the level of the water gauge?
(so we can visibly see it? at the top)?


or this will OVERFILL the water in the system, and when the car is driven
it will expand, and potentially leak out of pipes?

c) If the water is filled up, to the top, and it DOES over fill, and over expand,
then is there a part where the water can escape itself, due to overflowing?
(like a vent, which will automatically let out the water?)



d) IF this water is meant to cool the engine, (it will only be cold at the start, and then will get hot)
then when the water gets hot, how would 'hot water' cool an engine?


e) Out of curiosity if a car is driven with no water in its heating system,
then how many minutes could it be driven for before the engine gets cooked and seizes, due to no
water to allow it to cool down?

(just curious, incase the water exploded and leaked FULLY out of the car in the middle of nowhere)



Can you please answer in a) b) c) d) e) format please.

Richard53

OK, I'll bite.


a) It's possible that running the engine has got rid of some trapped air, and so the level in the header tank is now lower than when it was filled. This is quite common.


b) Yes. Top it up so that the water level in the header tank is between the high and low marks, and check the level (with engine cold) weekly. If you overfill it, it will not explode, but the excess will leak out of the overflow pipe until the level is correct.


c) Yes, the overflow pipe (as above).


d) Hot water is still a lot cooler than a hot engine. The water carries the heat from the engine to the radiator, and although it is hot, it is still carrying heat away.


e) A matter of seconds or up to a few minutes, depending on circumstances.


I hope I answered in the correct format

Lomast

Sounds like it had some trapped air in the system I would top it up and keep an eye on it for the next few days

shaun_from_Africa

Nothing to do with the car but I have one important point to make.
If you've not already done so, get a hose and make sure that you wash away the spilt antifreeze very well, making sure that there is none remaining.


Antifreeze is extremely toxic to dogs and cats and only a small amount is needed for it to be fatal.
Because of the sweet taste, they will happily lap it up, even licking the ground where the spill occurred.

AdrianC

The old coolant was orange?

That sounds more like rusty water than coolant. Do you know when it was last changed?

shaun_from_Africa

AdrianC wrote: »

The old coolant was orange?

That sounds more like rusty water than coolant

Whilst it's true that the majority of antifreeze on the market is blue, you can still get orange/red from some manufacturers. This is often long life antifreeze.

AdrianC

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Whilst it's true that the majority of antifreeze on the market is blue, you can still get orange/red from some manufacturers. This is often long life antifreeze.

More of a pinky-red, usually. But, yes, there is some orangey-coloured.

I'd still suggest that orange coolant coming out is more likely to be rusty mank than OAT.

tedted

a lot of oat antifreeze was orange in colour

reeac

"Oat antifreeze"? That sounds like the old days when porridge was one of the cheapskate recipes for sealing radiator leaks.

AdrianC

reeac wrote: »

"Oat antifreeze"? That sounds like the old days when porridge was one of the cheapskate recipes for sealing radiator leaks.

<grin>

Organic Acid.
http://wiki.seloc.org/a/Organic_Acid_Technology#OAT-based_extended-life_coolants

VW's G12 was one of the earliest, in the '80s - it's needed in the Waterboxer flat-four in the Transporter, due to a lot of problems with head stud corrosion.

System

AdrianC wrote: »

The old coolant was orange?

That sounds more like rusty water than coolant. Do you know when it was last changed?

OAT antifreeze is orange.