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Tragedy Averted
I stopped into my favorite gas station yesterday to fill up (1.18 per gal, 93 Octane) and noticed the strong smell of coolant. I was hoping it was someone else's car, but, decided to lift the hood (bonnet) anyway. Sure enough, it was coming from my car. I looked around, but there were no visible signs of leakage. Of course, that prompted me to think, "Oh hell, pinhole in the radiator." However, there was no steam. Just that "oh too familiar" odor. There were also, no drips under the car and no overheating. So, I figured, it can't be too bad. I closed the hood, finished filling up and jumped in the car and headed for the office. I decided, once I got to the office, to pop the hood (bonnet) again and check for leakage. The odor was still strong, but, there were still no visible signs. I dropped the hood and went inside. When I left for lunch, I stopped after I pulled out of my parking place, got out of the car and walked up to where it was parked. Still, no drips. Hmmmmmm. It wasn't until I drove home in the evening that I found the difficulty.
After pulling up in my driveway, I once again popped the hood (bonnet ) and took out my trusty mini mag light (it was dark). I sniffed and followed the odor to the passenger's side of the car, near the front of the engine. Suddenly, a glint of light bounces back to me from the top of the engine. There, pooled just behind the thermostat housing was fresh coolant. Of course, now, I'm thinking "bad gasket." Nope. Further investigation showed that the clamp on the top radiator hose, going into the thermostat housing had somehow loosened and the hose had worked its way forward -- it was just barely on the pipe. If not for the hard hose from the PS pump impeding the progress of its excape by holding the screw on the clamp at bay, the hose would've blown completely off and sprayed my entire engine bay with lovely, bright green, liquid. I quickly pushed the hose back to it's "stop" position (to the little notch on the thermostat housing inlet) and tightened the clamp, with a sigh of relief. This weekend's project: Replace stupid split wire original hose clamps with some nice sturdy worm gear clamps. I cringe when I think of how ugly it could've gotten.
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Randy Johnson 3rd Registered Member 02-21-2001 First Member to Reach 10,000 Posts First to arrive at the very first Reading Meet Subaru Ambassador 1992 SVX PPG Pace Car Replica 110+k 1993 White Impreza L 240+K miles 2001 Legacy Outback Limited Sedan 250+K miles 2013 Deep Indigo Pearl Legacy 3.6R 49+K miles "Reading is my favorite Holiday" Mike Davis -- at Reading VI |
#2
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Randy,
You were almost "Soylent Greened" Which reminds me of that famous song from that movie, which was sung by Barbara Streisand; "People Who Eat People". Larry |
#3
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Oh, I know - your engine would have gotten so DIRTY.
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2005 RX-8 Grand Touring 2005 Outback 2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon END OF LINE |
#4
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Quote:
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Randy Johnson 3rd Registered Member 02-21-2001 First Member to Reach 10,000 Posts First to arrive at the very first Reading Meet Subaru Ambassador 1992 SVX PPG Pace Car Replica 110+k 1993 White Impreza L 240+K miles 2001 Legacy Outback Limited Sedan 250+K miles 2013 Deep Indigo Pearl Legacy 3.6R 49+K miles "Reading is my favorite Holiday" Mike Davis -- at Reading VI |
#5
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You dodged a bullet there Randy....it's no fun to get hosed! Don
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Cats: Clio, Inky, Sheba, Sparky, Rocky, Cali, Scooter 3 cars: 02 SVT Focus, 2012 Versa...2015 Fiat 500 currently SVX-less 1 wife ("She, who must be obeyed..") "One advantage of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries" |
#6
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it could have been worse.....
be happy coolant is not yellow.
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1994 SVX, true dual Magnaflow exhaust, K&N filter, 17" Enkei RS6 wheels, Bridgestone Potenza RE730 225/45/17 rubber, zinc plated cross-drilled rotors with yellow painted brake calipers. B&M tranny cooler rated at 19,000 GVW. GC springs and Koni strut inserts installed and the car is lowered two inches all the way around!! "Too much fun to drive!" |
#7
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Re: it could have been worse.....
Quote:
AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!
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Randy Johnson 3rd Registered Member 02-21-2001 First Member to Reach 10,000 Posts First to arrive at the very first Reading Meet Subaru Ambassador 1992 SVX PPG Pace Car Replica 110+k 1993 White Impreza L 240+K miles 2001 Legacy Outback Limited Sedan 250+K miles 2013 Deep Indigo Pearl Legacy 3.6R 49+K miles "Reading is my favorite Holiday" Mike Davis -- at Reading VI |
#8
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Re: Re: it could have been worse.....
Quote:
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2005 RX-8 Grand Touring 2005 Outback 2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon END OF LINE |
#9
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Not for anything but I think the thermostat is by the water pump at the bottom of the engine. (I can't check my manual right now.) The hose at the top is where the hot engine fluid leaves the engine to get cool in the radiator.
Just a minor point in a great story. Be aware of your car. Most poeple would not have smelled the coolant. Do you know that the newer coolants are orange? |
#10
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Quote:
For some reason, there are two odors that "trip my trigger." One is coolant, the other is gear grease. Yes, I was aware of the orange coolant. It's a very confusing proposition. They say that the orange colored coolants are "green."
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Randy Johnson 3rd Registered Member 02-21-2001 First Member to Reach 10,000 Posts First to arrive at the very first Reading Meet Subaru Ambassador 1992 SVX PPG Pace Car Replica 110+k 1993 White Impreza L 240+K miles 2001 Legacy Outback Limited Sedan 250+K miles 2013 Deep Indigo Pearl Legacy 3.6R 49+K miles "Reading is my favorite Holiday" Mike Davis -- at Reading VI |
#11
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Odor no better...
<For some reason, there are two odors that "trip my trigger." One is coolant, the other is gear grease>
Whatever pulls your chain. Jean wears something that trips my trigger...It came from Victoria's Secret I think..anyway, it smells better than coolant or grease....
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Cats: Clio, Inky, Sheba, Sparky, Rocky, Cali, Scooter 3 cars: 02 SVT Focus, 2012 Versa...2015 Fiat 500 currently SVX-less 1 wife ("She, who must be obeyed..") "One advantage of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries" |
#12
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Re: Odor no better...
Quote:
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Randy Johnson 3rd Registered Member 02-21-2001 First Member to Reach 10,000 Posts First to arrive at the very first Reading Meet Subaru Ambassador 1992 SVX PPG Pace Car Replica 110+k 1993 White Impreza L 240+K miles 2001 Legacy Outback Limited Sedan 250+K miles 2013 Deep Indigo Pearl Legacy 3.6R 49+K miles "Reading is my favorite Holiday" Mike Davis -- at Reading VI |
#13
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Old feces noggin here....
<Not *THAT* trigger, turd head! Although, if I could capture the scent of the inside of the SVX, and bottle it, and have Shari put just a dab behind each ear . . . . OOOOO LA LA!!!>
Somehow I always guessed you were into leather... Don
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Cats: Clio, Inky, Sheba, Sparky, Rocky, Cali, Scooter 3 cars: 02 SVT Focus, 2012 Versa...2015 Fiat 500 currently SVX-less 1 wife ("She, who must be obeyed..") "One advantage of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries" |
#14
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Where has the orange gone?
Will organge coolants fade into yellow as they age?
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bill Green 95 SVX - Cleo Green 97 Outback - Maxine Red F-150 Extended Cab Long Bed - Big Boy Even the best monkey sometimes drops his banana. |
#15
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Just a small comment...
The orange stuff (normally known as Dex-Cool) is supposed to be good for five years, however, cars that use it are engineered for it specifically. We're seeing cars that have either had orange added to green, green flushed and replaced with orange, etc. and it isn't pretty - the stuff will gunk up in the system. Kinda nasty. We're told by the manufacturers that water pump seals and gaskets are developed for its usage.
Just thought I'd tell y'all what we're seeing and maybe keep someone from messing up... Beav |
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