Need Help with Radiator!

deez · Postby **deez** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:33 pm

Hey guys

My car died on the driveway arriving home last nite. It actually overheated and there was *shock gasp* no coolant in the radiator! So I let it cool off for about half an hour, then filled it up with water. It started *phew* so today I'm going to go off and get some coolant and antiboil/antifreeze.

One question:
Assuming it's best to drain out all the water first before putting in coolant, where is the drain plug/pipe/contraption device thingey for these cars? Is there anything else I should watch out for or be careful with?

Thanks guys!

Derek

JBT · Postby **JBT** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:59 pm

It should not run out of coolant so you must have a leak there somewhere that will need to be fixed. The coolant drain is in the centre of the bottom tank. It is a plastic philips headed (star shape) scew bung.

Uncle Arthur · Postby **Uncle Arthur** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:01 pm

deez wrote:Hey guys

One question:
Assuming it's best to drain out all the water first before putting in coolant, where is the drain plug/pipe/contraption device thingey for these cars?
Derek

It's right at the top of the radiator - but you have to turn the whole car upside down...........

(pssst - you think it might be in the bottom of the radiator????? :oops:

)

deez wrote:
One question:
Is there anything else I should watch out for or be careful with?
Derek

Yes - if you spill coolant on your shoes your feet will be wet and green....... :mrgreen:

and when you refill it - fill the radiator - start the car - let it idle up to warm so the thermostat opens - the coolant level in the radiator will drop - then top it up again......

It's really that easy....... although as your car overheated (incidentally by how much did it overheat and how long did you drive it like that???!!!???) and you lost all that coolant then you may have a leak - which will need fixing - perhaps you should get the system pressure tested.....

Alternatively - if you drove it a long way hot you may have cooked it - warped head, or cooked bearings - better get it all checked out at Mazda (and don't drive it when it's overheating..... :roll:

)

deez · Postby **deez** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:14 pm

Thanks for the tips guys....as you can see I hav no idea hahha.

The car was smelly (hence overheating?) for about 15mins tops. I was thinking it was clutch or something like that but yeh...when I got home I realised wat the problem was. Hopefully its the hoses that are leaking and not the radiator!

irwin83r · Postby **irwin83r** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:47 pm

lam.666 wrote:check under you oil cap for any milky substance, if it's really milky looking you've got water in ur engine, so i've been told

hopefully thats not the case tho

yeah the oil will go all thick creamy and frothy in the heads and there will be condensation on the oil dip stick as well as that oil looking white and or merky... most likly not foamy like it is under the oil filler cap.

if thats the case you have big problems.. at best its a dead head gasket.. a worst a warped head or deck.. or a crack/leak somewhere in the cooling system thats leaking into the oil of the motor :shock:

my mates cleavland had been making steam and white oil for about month the other day it seized in his driveway... he went to turn it on and it only cranked it about 1 rev then it water locked! (we think lol ) that car has had a rough history though and the heads are most likly warped on it due to the last person that put the motor together blocking off the water jackets with excess sealant! cooking one head.. the top end of that motor looks like someones been making cappacino in there heheh

Juffa · Postby **Juffa** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:04 pm

deez wrote:Thanks for the tips guys....as you can see I hav no idea hahha.

The car was smelly (hence overheating?) for about 15mins tops. I was thinking it was clutch or something like that but yeh...when I got home I realised wat the problem was. Hopefully its the hoses that are leaking and not the radiator!

I would suggest that you change all of the hoses in one hit. You will find that if the hoses are old, when you change one another will start to leak. What colour is your coolant. If green only add another of that type, and if possible add the same brand. Do not add mix a green coolant mix with brown coolant mix, it will cause corrosion issues.

Drain the radiator by removing the plastic plug at the bottom of the radiator, or by removing the lower hose. This will not remove the coolant in the block though. There is a drain plug on the side of the block that I am told will allow the coolant in the block to drain out, good luck removing it though.

J

Fatty · Postby **Fatty** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:46 pm

also, in case you didn't know, there is a temperature gauge in your instrument cluster. it is the little dial on the right of the speedo, near the bottom of the cluster.
probably a good idea to keep an eye on that in future.

Woo · Postby **Woo** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:42 pm

Only problem with temp guages is you have to constantly monitor them as they only measure water temp, not air temp.

So it will show hotter till it runs out of water and then it will drop.

Sometimes an \"idiot\" light gives a better indication for a longer time.

deez · Postby **deez** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:28 am

My temp gauge has failed I think. The whole time it was at four tenths....even when the car crapped itself on my driveway. Still....no excuse for me not checking my coolant levels regularly.

ampz · Postby **ampz** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 7:17 am

Read Woo's post buddy.

It was showing cool temps because there wasn't any water to bring it up to temperature.

It is routine maintenance to once a week, pull all the lids off the car (oil, brakes, clutch, water and petrol) to check if all those fluids are present.

I mean if you ran out of petrol, would the car go anywhere?

I wouldn't be surprised if the least of your problems is a head gasket.