radiator smoking

[deankenny]

i know its a nova site, but i am a fellow nova owner, and u ppl r great when i had my nova. I got a astra now and last night when i was driving smoke poured from under the bonnet with loads of water coming from near the radiator, a m8 looked at it and saw a pipe off from the radiator so we put it back on drove it a lil bit and it kept smoking when i got about 200 metres, so i left the car for bout half n hour and filled it with water and it doesnt smoke at the moment but does get very hot, what do i do now, apart from tighten up that loose pipe.

[Dod]

Change the head Gasket mate!!! There's a good chance that when the pipe came off that you lost most if not all the water in the engine, causing it to over head and distroy the head gasket, you may also need to get the head skimmed or even replaced. Take it to a mechanic and get his opinion first though. Also, go back to whoever sold you the car and ask them why the hose would have come off, then send them the bill or ask for your money back, and maybe, smack them"!!!

[deankenny]

if the head gasket is gone would the car drive at all ?

[Dod]

It'll drive ontil she heats so much much that she either ggoes bang, stops ans siezes or goes on fire. I'd say you're half way between the three and thats why when you left it for a while that it wasn't too bad then.

[Aragorn]

if a pipe is loose it wont be pressurising properly and will just boil over

[m.d.]

i very much doubt the head gasket would have gone in that short a time. id just keep topping up the header tank. squeeze a coolant pipe while you are filling it as it helps pump the water through. my xe blew a pipe off a week ago and its totaly fine now its got water in it again.

[Riggy]

you could also have air in the system

if a pipe has come off really you should re-fill it as if you are filling up and empty system ,by undoin the temp sensor on the inlrt manifold and filling untill water starts to come out , then tighten it back up and fill to the correct level