frozen coolant

[Aragorn]

the other morning (same morning i tried to jumpstart me mates car and ended up using the transit) i started me car

it was abotu 8am and freezing outside

once it started i went round my usual settings blower on, heat max, demister on etc and then i gave it a wee rev to clear it out

on revving i hear a gurgle-gurgle,gluglgug sound from the heater matrix

so i stop revvin and lean over to listen closer - its constantly making the gurgly crunchy sound like ice in the system - if i increased RPM's it gurgles and crucnches more -i decided to leave it at idle and let it warm up and check the expansion bottle to make sure it wasnt frozen, i pull the bonnet release and <twang> handle move to its limit and bonnet is still shut :o

so i think SHIT and decide to sit and wait for gurgling to stop - it finally subsides and i rev a wee bit (1500rpm) and it starts again - so i leave it longer

about 10mins later its totally gone so i decide to leave the carpark - noticing temp guage (first bar on digi) when first driving it it sounded VERY tappetty and im like :? so i drive slowly and once the temp reaches 2 bars (about 7mins later) the tappetyness goes away

so what i wanna know is - i think it needs antifreeze (hence the freezing) added but i cant open the bonnet - so how do i do that?

and whats with the tappetyness??

thanks

[ade]

alright m8 - mine does the tap tap noise when cold - although mine actually bangs rather than taps. Sounds really nasty and basically (according to the mechanic I use) - its just yer pistons working without the efficiency of the oil helping them smoothly glide up and down the pistons. When it warms up it goes away - sounds ruddu awful though - like its misfiring.

Recommend getting yer antifreeze checked as soon as m8 - did mine last week - if it is ice it aint gonna do yer engine much good especially if it blocks yer pipes.

Ade

[Dicko]

well you will need to open your bonnet sooner or later...

get some decent oil like magnetec it does actually help on cold starts, and make sure you have coolant in your system, or its gonna be bye bye engine very soon!!!!

[Aragorn]

well the temp guage works like normal and i get heat so there is defo coolant in it

still not got the bonnet open

im sending the car into the garage this weekend to get the replacement doors and me suspension kit put on so i'll get him to fix the bonnet while he is there adn MAYBE get him to change the coolant

might just do it meself - its easy enough

[mowgli]

last time I heard gurgling, I had to do the head gasket.
I think it might cost you a few bob to sort.....

You can usually get to the bonnet catch by removing the grille.


Cheers Mowgli

[Dicko]

no no no you got ti all wrong

collant is mixed with water and fills your system. Coolant itself cantains the antifreeze. But if the mixture of coolant:water is not enough then you might aswell just have water in there, and you probably do have just water in there if its freezing up.!!!
This would still register on your temp guage, but as your engine is full of water, it turns to ice, as we all know water expands as it cools (ice) and crack goes your cylinder head!!!!

Or ice in your water pump means bye bye when the cam belt starts going round!

[Aragorn]

aah cool i see

so on friday - get home from uni, do coolant change, and check everything over in general for winter :)

then put it in to get doors replaced

[Chris LR]

I once worked on a Nova where I couldn't get the bonnet open, you have to remove the handle and if it's nothing too serious you can push the releash wire back in and operate the handle.

You need about 1/3 antifreeze and 2/3 water. As Ade said tappy noise is common, nothing to worry about.