Coolant issues

[duggiesmith]

Just back from a little blast over Dukes Pass What a road! Why did it take me so long to pop my cherry?
After reaching Aberfoyle, the temp gauge shot up to 110, so I pulled over to discover fluid pouring out the front. I took the access panels off and the front grill, but could need reach where it looked like it was coming from (think it may have been where the hose connects to the rad on the passenger side. By this time we were at the side of loch Ard, so being the resourceful chap I am, we topped up the level with water from the loch with the hope that I could limp home. It took about 2 pints and that got me home safely sticking to dual carriageways/M9, with little or no leeks and temp remained at 92 all the way (give or take 1 degree)

So I guess I've got a few questions.
What happened for the fluid to come pouring out initially, but not when I was driving home (wasn't on the ragged edge, but had been pushing on)?
If it needs attention, will it be a clam off job (don't see any other way to get at it), or has it magically healed itself?
Will topping it with water from the loch have any detrimental effect (it was pretty clean )

On a slight aside, is there any reason the expansion bottle in a S2 seems to be split in 2? The level in the main part often looks low, but when I release the pressure above where the coolant returns, it usually stabilises.

TIA

[robin]

I think this is a Toyota engined car? If so, I have no idea how the cooling system works and haven't yet worked out what the split reservoir is all about

The problem will be either a hose, jubilee clip, bleed nipple or the radiator itself with the radiator being the most likely cause - the black plastic end caps tend to fail, either by separating from the main alloy matrix or because the plastic fatigues and splits. A fine crack in the end cap might only leak substantially when under the increased pressure that extra temperature and revs cause (i.e. when caning it up a hill ).

You can pressure test the system and this might show the leak as a drip (or fountain, depending on how much pressure you use ).

It will probably be a clam off to fix.

If doesn't matter about using fresh stream/loch water as you'll be draining down the system soon enough to replace whatever is broken. If it is just a jubilee clip and it can be repaired without draining the system, I would do a flush and refill in the near future as you'll have lost some of the corrosion protection that the normal coolant provides.

Cheers,
Robin

[robin]

PS if it is the rad get an alloy-end-cap variant from elise parts or elise shop or wherever you can - it's a waste of money to replace the plastic rad with another as it will fail again, possibly quite soon (it's all a bit random).

Cheers,
Robin

[duggiesmith]

Cheers Robin
I suspected you would come up with something.
It is indeed the Toyota engine and from what you say, it sounds like a job for the professionals. Something similar happened about a year ago, but this was just a jubilee clip on the driver' side which I could get at through the access panel. Anything that involves removing the clam scares the crap out me.

Out of interest, how does one go about pressure testing the cooling system? Is there some expensive device for this, or does it just involve revving the pants out of the engine?

Thanks again.

[robin]

The normal way involves using something not unlike a fat bicycle pump attached to a one-way valve built into something that screws onto the expansion tank instead of the normal cap. But there are other ways, e.g. airline and rubber glove, etc. However, you may make a bad situation worse and really you should just take it somewhere to get fixed

Cheers,
Robin

[roadboy]

If you think it may be coming from where the hose attaches to the rad on the passenger side you can get in to have a look by popping the N/S/F indicator out. Probably worth a look before booking it in somewhere.

I can talk you through getting the indicator out safely if you want, just give me a bell. 07834 732892.

Cheers

Dan

[duggiesmith]

Thanks for the tip Dan, I popped the indicator out this morning, but still couldn't get at the connection from the hose to the radiator.
I think it's safer to take Robin's advice, so I'm going up to SLS tomorrow, let the experts have a look.
Thanks guys.

[duggiesmith]

Big for Ali at SLS.
Turns out it was just the hose connection which he popped back on (he must have double jointed fingers to get at that through the indicator hole).
Booked in next week for a flush and coolant replaced.

[Mr Momo]

You may want to have a plate/cutlery ready for any trout from Loch Ard that may have poached in your cooling system