At the risk of been flamed - the water in my zed appears to have frozen solid in the rubber hoses from the radiator - is there anything I can do to minimize any further damage? The zed isnt running - its got no exhaust on and it's on axle stands at the moment on the drive so I've got no way of thawing it out that I can think of.

At the risk of been flamed - the water in my zed appears to have frozen solid in the rubber hoses from the radiator - is there anything I can do to minimize any further damage? The zed isnt running - its got no exhaust on and it's on axle stands at the moment on the drive so I've got no way of thawing it out that I can think of.

 

Yikes,it must be cold down your way!If you cant start the car,open the rad hose and try drain some water out,maybe pour warm water over the rad to de-ice it.You dont want a cracked block or even a frost plug popping if you can avoid it.Cover the engine with an old blanket too.

Yeah it's been -6 today. Really caught me out. I could start the car with no exhaust on if it would help I suppose but if the block is full of frozen slush is it likely to just snap the water pump shaft? It's a lesson learnt though - and for anyone that thought anti-freeze doesnt make that much of a difference - it really does! Check you've got a strong enough mixture of antifreeze and water in your engines!

I would stick a electric heater in there and leave it on for a good few hours to try and warm everything up a little. then a blanket like said above,

 

Or even drain some water and get some anti freeze in there :)

Yeah it's been -6 today. Really caught me out. I could start the car with no exhaust on if it would help I suppose but if the block is full of frozen slush is it likely to just snap the water pump shaft? It's a lesson learnt though - and for anyone that thought anti-freeze doesnt make that much of a difference - it really does! Check you've got a strong enough mixture of antifreeze and water in your engines!

itll just be very noisy lol.Best try do something now,if a frostplug pops,you can bet it it will be someplace awkward to replace,worst case is the block cracks with the ice expaning.Start it and let it idle,then then try let the water.fingers crossed!

Car.Mad - what sort of electric heater you thinking of? Is there any heater I can use that will do anything when it's on the drive? I'll give the ideas a go tomorrow morning.

any type of elec heater should work a fan one would be better though

concerning the minimise further damage part:if the exhaust is off( and I have to assume the car is outside if the hoses froze) do not let air roam freely around the ports. stuff a rag up the manifold or tape over the ports depending on what is still attached.

Think of your valves and rings!!!!!

ooh and could add that coolant acts as a anti-corrosive aid, not just helping with the freezing probs. buy a ethlyene-glycol based product. a cheaper coolant might actually harm if not suited to 'various' metals cos ya rad will be ally but routing pipes are carbon steel.

and still no snow in Bucks....???? how???

The exhaust has already got rags in ;) Unfortunately I didn't know that the car had a low enough concentration of anti-freeze in to actually freeze the coolant - I knew it was low because the water wasn't a particular colour as far as I could tell where as in my other cars its always been quite a strong colour. Thinking about it now for all I know it could have been just water. It was on my to-do list to flush the system and put the correct mixture in but it obviously should have been the top of my to-do list. Like I say lesson learnt...I won't let this happen again! :)