sunhux
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Car overheat & leaving radiator/coolant cap open
Last Sun night, my car couldn't start (despite turning the key many times) & appears to be rather warm in passenger area: see the 2nd attachment on how the meter/dashboard of the car looked like at that time.
Towed to workshop next day who said 2 motors (that circulate coolant or air??) needed to be replaced so they're replaced but next day, it gets heated up & when I checked the coolant, it's empty. So I top up with water (instead of coolant) to the full & checked if there's leakage but no leakage is visible.
Next day, found that there's no water anymore so I top up with almost 2L of water & drop to the workshop:
the mechanic pointed out to me (refer to 1st attachment, yellow-highlighted area) that boiling water is seeping out: he said that the engine is malfunction, generating too much heat thus the boiling water expand & seep out through the yellow-highlighted area.
He said need to overhaul the engine or change another engine & he can't think of any other options.
Anyone has any other opinions or how I could fix this without incurring huge expenses.
In the meantime, he suggested I could top up with water every 30-40 mins but it's going to be too hot
& dangerous to open the cap (see 1st photo, bottom right corner) : will it be Ok if I leave the cap open
so that I can stop the car every 30mins by the roadside to top up water to cool the engine?
My car is Honda Airwave 2009 model
Carburetor_coolantLeak.JPG
CarDashBoard.jpg
Towed to workshop next day who said 2 motors (that circulate coolant or air??) needed to be replaced so they're replaced but next day, it gets heated up & when I checked the coolant, it's empty. So I top up with water (instead of coolant) to the full & checked if there's leakage but no leakage is visible.
Next day, found that there's no water anymore so I top up with almost 2L of water & drop to the workshop:
the mechanic pointed out to me (refer to 1st attachment, yellow-highlighted area) that boiling water is seeping out: he said that the engine is malfunction, generating too much heat thus the boiling water expand & seep out through the yellow-highlighted area.
He said need to overhaul the engine or change another engine & he can't think of any other options.
Anyone has any other opinions or how I could fix this without incurring huge expenses.
In the meantime, he suggested I could top up with water every 30-40 mins but it's going to be too hot
& dangerous to open the cap (see 1st photo, bottom right corner) : will it be Ok if I leave the cap open
so that I can stop the car every 30mins by the roadside to top up water to cool the engine?
My car is Honda Airwave 2009 model
Carburetor_coolantLeak.JPG
CarDashBoard.jpg
ASKER
Is there any radiator cap for Honda Airwave that has "pressure release" & yet the cap won't feel hot so that it's safe to open every 30-40 mins to top up water? How much water should I keep for a 2 hour drive assuming all water in radiator will be gone after every 30 mins?
leave it for one day and check under the car for any leakage.
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I did that but don't find any water leak previously : perhaps that's when all water had leaked while on highway or after they've evaporated.
After the car had been stopped for several hours, I can now smell something burnt in the passenger compartment.
Someone on yahoo suggests to close the radiator cap not fully tightened so that the pressure can escape & I could safely remove the cap to top up water every 30 mins .... good & safe idea?
After the car had been stopped for several hours, I can now smell something burnt in the passenger compartment.
Someone on yahoo suggests to close the radiator cap not fully tightened so that the pressure can escape & I could safely remove the cap to top up water every 30 mins .... good & safe idea?
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Make sure the coolant / water is not leaking inside your car ( beneath the driver feet) .
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Radiator no leakage but engine heats up too fast (was 30mins previously before the Temp meter hit max but last nite it hit max within 5mins of driving). The invoice of the pair of $400 motor repair simply says 'motor' n I guess its the pump that DbRunton said.
Too many problems including gearbox n engine mounts replacement lately with this 9yo car. Anyone cud suggest a 6 or 7 seater hybrid Japanese car?
Too many problems including gearbox n engine mounts replacement lately with this 9yo car. Anyone cud suggest a 6 or 7 seater hybrid Japanese car?
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> Make sure the coolant / water is not leaking inside your car ( beneath the driver feet)
There's none.
>Don't try running the engine with the radiator cap off or half-turned, this isn't going to help in this situation.
Last night I kept the radiator cap about more than half turned (with about 30% away from the max it could close):
I guess this must be the reason the temperature (as shown by the Temp meter) rose rapidly after 5 mins of driving.
Ok, will turn it to the max so that it can last at least 30 mins (which was the duration previously when cap is tightly closed)
>1. You only drive short journeys every day and it is caused by condensation.
I drive a total of about 20-30km daily, sometimes my wife will drive to nearby supermart around 1km away to buy
groceries in the evening. How to verify if it's due to condensation?
>2. Water from your radiator coolant system is getting into your oil and emulsifying. The usual cause is a leaking
>cylinder head gasket, and if this is the case your car would usually have other symptoms.
Other symptoms I encounter are vibration / coughing
The video on testing the thermostat is too complex for me to do
There's none.
>Don't try running the engine with the radiator cap off or half-turned, this isn't going to help in this situation.
Last night I kept the radiator cap about more than half turned (with about 30% away from the max it could close):
I guess this must be the reason the temperature (as shown by the Temp meter) rose rapidly after 5 mins of driving.
Ok, will turn it to the max so that it can last at least 30 mins (which was the duration previously when cap is tightly closed)
>1. You only drive short journeys every day and it is caused by condensation.
I drive a total of about 20-30km daily, sometimes my wife will drive to nearby supermart around 1km away to buy
groceries in the evening. How to verify if it's due to condensation?
>2. Water from your radiator coolant system is getting into your oil and emulsifying. The usual cause is a leaking
>cylinder head gasket, and if this is the case your car would usually have other symptoms.
Other symptoms I encounter are vibration / coughing
The video on testing the thermostat is too complex for me to do
ASKER
Just top up water into both the white container n the radiator four hrs ago n parked at a dry carpark lot. 2 hrs ago *ie after parking there for 2hrs, I found there's a wet spot directly below the radiator tho the engine is not hot *ie not due to spillage of boiling water fr that white container
ASKER
From last night parking at a dry lot, I checked again & found the spot directly
below the radiator has a 30-40cm wet spot : on feeling it, it feels like a mix of
water & oil (though I'm not certain if the oil is from a past dried spot of other
cars). I topped up another 1.9L into the radiator (which was full last night when
I parked).
Radiator cap is good as confirmed by mechanic & when it's hot, don't see any
steam escaping from it.
I'm going to another workshop to change the "cylinder head gasket" &
"thermostat"
below the radiator has a 30-40cm wet spot : on feeling it, it feels like a mix of
water & oil (though I'm not certain if the oil is from a past dried spot of other
cars). I topped up another 1.9L into the radiator (which was full last night when
I parked).
Radiator cap is good as confirmed by mechanic & when it's hot, don't see any
steam escaping from it.
I'm going to another workshop to change the "cylinder head gasket" &
"thermostat"
ASKER
>issues related to staring problem or you could see dropping water on the rear side
>of your car (from Exhaust) or intense humid when you keep your hand close
Don't find the above issue ie no drips from exhaust area on floor nor intense moisture
>of your car (from Exhaust) or intense humid when you keep your hand close
Don't find the above issue ie no drips from exhaust area on floor nor intense moisture
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The first and most important thing that you have to know is to find the leackage place.
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I'm going to another workshop in 3 hrs time to check where it leaks exactly, change Thermostat & get 2nd opinion.
Last nite I top up the radiator to the full & when I tried to top up early this morning, both the
radiator & white container are full. I managed to drive for ten minutes before the Temp meter
hand hit about 65% & after another 5 more mins, the hand hit max temp & then came down
to about 80% after staying at max for about 2 mins. Does this phenomenon means
Thermostat issue?
Last nite I top up the radiator to the full & when I tried to top up early this morning, both the
radiator & white container are full. I managed to drive for ten minutes before the Temp meter
hand hit about 65% & after another 5 more mins, the hand hit max temp & then came down
to about 80% after staying at max for about 2 mins. Does this phenomenon means
Thermostat issue?
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the 2nd garage (a much bigger one) just replaced the thermostat: he confirms there's no leakage of radiator & the white
container & the engine is intact : he test drive for 10 mins & the temperature did not go up. Thanks for all the suggestions
here which I forwarded to the 2nd garage. Let me test drive it for 2 more days before closing this thread
container & the engine is intact : he test drive for 10 mins & the temperature did not go up. Thanks for all the suggestions
here which I forwarded to the 2nd garage. Let me test drive it for 2 more days before closing this thread
ASKER
2nd garage said the frequent 'choking' or 'vibration' while driving is not there anymore after replacing thermostat
ASKER
I've collected the thermostat-replaced car : after test drive for 25 mins, the temp stays at around 40% mark (ie below 50%) : some 'choking' or intermittent 'vibration' can still be felt though it's less pronounced & less frequent: does this symptom mean the engine is affected?
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It doesn't appear to be gearbox as I've replaced the gearbox about 5 weeks ago when it gave this intermittent
'choking' or 'misfiring' & since then it's smooth ie don't get this 'choking' prior to this overheating case.
I've driven for 1 over hour today and the Temp meter stays at 40%.
Ok, will check out the spark plugs as that's not an expensive item.
So it won't be like massive carbon/tar build-up in the engine due to the last few days' overheating?
I was told to check the gaskets in the engine, the engine has to be opened up & this is a massive effort, true?
'choking' or 'misfiring' & since then it's smooth ie don't get this 'choking' prior to this overheating case.
I've driven for 1 over hour today and the Temp meter stays at 40%.
Ok, will check out the spark plugs as that's not an expensive item.
So it won't be like massive carbon/tar build-up in the engine due to the last few days' overheating?
I was told to check the gaskets in the engine, the engine has to be opened up & this is a massive effort, true?
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Surprisingly starting from yesterday morning (about 36hrs ago), the 'choking' (or sort of misfiring) are
almost gone. The engine or spark plugs self-clean ?
almost gone. The engine or spark plugs self-clean ?
No.
The problem probably wasn't the spark plugs. Run the car for a week and see if the misfiring comes back or is totally gone.
The problem probably wasn't the spark plugs. Run the car for a week and see if the misfiring comes back or is totally gone.
ASKER
Thanks very much everyone; the car is now much better off than when I was first told the engine needs overhaul.
Thank you sunux
ASKER
Worth replacing that white plastic container shown the 1st photo & radiator which is much cheaper??
In the meantime till I get to another workshop, what are the interim measures I can take so that the car don't get damaged further?