I was just driving along and decided to put my heater on - it started to blow cold air. Thinking that it may need charging or it was out of water i checked the temp gauge and it was normal. I stopped at the lights and the car cut out. It turned over really slow and started after about 10 seconds. Evertime i stopped after that it cut out, and when i put by foot down it made a horrible pinking noise (sounded like an old diesel taxi or a bus). I managed to get it home and popped the bonnet and there is loads of smoke comming from under the inlet manifold area. Any ideas ? Im worried it may be the head gasket! Havent checked the water yet as its too hot:confused:

 

Ps. its a non turbo

Right ive just opened the rad and it looked empty (couldnt see anywater anyway), so i put some antifreeze in it and it just poured out of the overflow pipe on the bottomof the radiator (i take it this is an over flow anyway)! Turned it over and it started then the revs just died out and stopped! HELP MEEE. Iv got a jap car meet tomorrow!

sounds like you lost a lot of water and boiled up. You could have a hose leak somewhere or you've just let it get too low and its boiled up. The pinking can be caused by no water in the cylinder heads making the combustion chambers so hot you get pre ignition. Hope for the best and fill it after a cool down - danger is you may have damaged a head gasket by carrying on driving after there was not even enough water in it to make the heater work.

 

The smoke you saw may have been steam coming from the overflow reservoir down the near side side of the nose

Originally posted by chopper

Right ive just opened the rad and it looked empty (couldnt see anywater anyway), so i put some antifreeze in it and it just poured out of the overflow pipe on the bottomof the radiator (i take it this is an over flow anyway)! Turned it over and it started then the revs just died out and stopped! HELP MEEE. Iv got a jap car meet tomorrow!

 

hold on - poured out o fthe bottom of the rad? do you mean out of the pipe that comes off the expansive tank? - if it is coming from the radiator itself, you could have a cracked header on the rad. How long were you driving it like this for? and how much antifreeze did you have to put back in the rad?

There is a tiny plastic pipe on the bottom of the rad - directly below where you fill it up - it was comng from there! The same amount i poured in came out the bottom! Didnt fill at all. Drove it for about 8 miles (to get home) in this condition

Chopper

 

I dont know the layout of the radiator and water pipes on an NA but what I would say is until you know how much water is in there/you have lost, I would not try to run the engine.

 

From memory, the NA rad filler cap is in the middle of the rad but I dont know how the rest is routed. Some of the hardcore Zedders will be ablke to tell you know.

 

It could be that you have an air lock. Have you tried sqeezing some pipes as you put the water in?

 

Sorry.

No, but i am going to right now!

 

I hope the head i ok !!!!!

Ok the water is going straight through the rad and out of the pipe at the bottom. The filler on the rad is right in the middle, and the water is coming out of the plastic pipe (looking from the front of the car) to the left hand side bottom of it! It wont fill at all! Im callin in the mechanics! GUTTED :( :cry: :(

chopper, the pipe that you describe is the drain pipe for the rad, so no real suprise the water is pissing out. get your self under neath and that pipe should have a little plastic tap on it, tighten that up and attempt the refill. Sounds like the tap either wasnt closed or has worked itself loose (though mine is bloody tight)

 

If this doesnt make sense give me a bell and i will talk you through it 07812-586102

 

Cheers

 

Hugh

Well, thanks very much for your help and offereng to talk me through it. Went under the car and litterally just touched the drain pipe and it fell off on the floor! The thread has sheared on it! This must have been the problem,whether something has knocked it or the plastic has just degraded. I suppose now the best thing for me to do is remove the rad and tryand get the rest of the drain plug thread out of the rad, the get a new plug?!?

 

Do they sell the plugs seperatly?

 

Hopefuly, when i fix the rad everything will be ok!

 

Thanks again for your help!;)

I've got a spare rad drain plug, with the hose that comes off it, if you want it? :)

 

Hopefully its the thread on the plug thats stripped and not your rad thread.

 

Although you could still glue it in - a lot of people simply pull off the lower rad pipe bottm end to empty the rad- much quicker than the drain plug.

 

If you want the bit, PM me your address and I'll stick it in the post when I get home :)

 

Pete

PM'D cheers mate

Bloody Mystic this, drove home a few weeks ago and water gushed out the bottom of rad, got under and found the drain plug had snapped, some left in and some dropped off, picked the rest out with a nail and stuck a new one in, sorted :) Don't tell me this could be another Zed thing, right everyone check yer drain plugs with winter coming up ;)

smithy :cool:

sounds like it is smithy!

 

Right ive glue it back on temporarily! Filled it with water seems ok. However after 5 mins of running took the rad cap off and filled it again as it was low. Done this 3 times now - each time i take the cap off the water cant be seen and it takes about 1/2 a litre to fill up. Is this normal ? Should i keep doing this until it doesnt happen anymore?

 

How do i check my head gasket aint gone?

 

Sorry for all the questions - im no mechanic (you may have already gathered this ;) )

Yeah you will have to top it up a fair few times, do it slowly with the car running and the bleed screw off.

 

When the water heats up, it'll start coming over the top...then put the screw and rad cap back on. You will need to check it again a few hours later and repeat if necessary (probably will be necessary).

 

Topping a 300ZX up with water/coolant is a PITA, but worth doing properly to keep air pockets out.

what screw ?

Presuming your car is a TT...

 

On the left hand side (facing the engine from the front) of the top of the radiator end tank theres a plastic phillips head screw - this is the bleed screw.

 

Unscrew this, dont lose it tho(!), and it lets air out while you pour coolant into the rad cap hole on the RHS.

My cars an N/a but ive seen the screw and i will undo it. Sorry for messing you about mate

And thanks for you help

Ahhh the radiator is different I think sorry LOL, do you know if the drain plugs are interchangeable? Anyone know?

 

Cheers :o

 

Pete

and put your heating on max temp and blow.

 

Vijay

Im having a very similar problem the expansion bottle at the botom where the pipe ataches has snaped off. I have no idea what the pipe is my mechanic said i could try glueing it.

Right the water seems to be remaining constant now, also after a trip around the block the heater/blower is working.

 

Should i do a compression test or something to find out if ive damaged a head gasket?

 

Im a bit worried in case i go for a long drive and it totally goes tits up!

 

ps. Thanks for all you help so far - a mechanic would have probably charged me 40 quid by now!

Hi all

Glad you have it sorted now.

Over w/end I changed the two small matrix-engine hoses, PITA to change, the ones between engine & bulkhead!

Reading this thread I now know I must get the water system full & free of air locks! Big thanks to all!

Arthur

Yeah Arthur- those 2 are a git to change...well they looked a git to change from where I was standing at Zedworld, with a cup of tea in my hand :D:D

 

Ahhhh...that was my first leak :) AA Flatbed home from Santa Pod ;)

Jaffa - the pipe is plastic so a good epoxy should work fine.