Was driving home last night and i noticed everytime i put the foot down the engine started pinging .When i pulled up the drive and put it in park it was still doing it . When i lifted the bonnet it was smoking out of the throttle body and smelt like hot metal and coolant . I let it cool down and refilled it , bled it and went for another drive . Everything was ok ,but when i checked the radiator it was empty . Refilled it went for a drive around the block . Just about to turn up the drive when i spotted all this water on the road from my car . On closer inspection i noticed that the bottom radiator hose had come of the radiator . The thing is is that the hose was in one piece i.e not split and the clamp was still attached to the hose. Just wondering how it would have come off . Also the temp gauge needle was about where it always is but the system was empty of water . I was told that if there is no water then the temp sender won't work because there is no water to send a reading to the gauge . Just wanted to know if this is Bull Sh*t or not
Hose clamp may have been loose. The temp sensor will just start picking up air temp if there is no coolant. Thats why when you see the temp gauge spike and quickly go back to normal, PULL OVER, you have lost your coolant.
The clamp is one if the ones that you squeeze the tabs together to open , not the type with the screw . So its got me buggered why it came off . I replaced it last year when i replaced the inlet manifold gaskets . I didn't see it spike cos i was driving into the sun .
Look for cracks in the radiator where the hose slides over. And that second sentence wasn't directed at you, just a general statement that I have learned through life lessons. Had a heater tap crack and tip all my coolant all over the road not too long ago. Gauge went up and quickly back down, no coolant left. And those squeeze clamp are devil to change at 9pm with no little light, when the squeeze part is aimed at the strut tower.
Just wondering why there was one of those squeeze clamps on it. They are not designed to hold that amount of pressure. You should use the screw type hose clamps.
I thought that those clamps were factory fitted . My VX and my sons VY have them. I think i will replace them
Just seems strange. Easy way out I guess. Given time, they will clamp down realitivly hard, but IMO not hard enough for the radiator's pressure. For a couple of dollars each, it's piece of mind.
