big problems from what it seems

[autumn_again]

first time i drove the car today, my mom wanted me to run and return something for her. so i went there, didn't beat on the car at all, granny shifting the whole way, taking it nice and slow.

a person tried passing me on a one lane road, and almost hit me, so i get pissed off, down shift and floor it while giving them a good look at what my middle finger looks like.

i get to the place no problems. all is done. i get back into my car, drive home. I'm playing around a little bit now, winding out some gears, nothing extreme, no burn outs or powershifting.

i get home get out of my car, and smoke is coming from everywhere in my engine bay. and theres antifreeze on certain parts of my engine, liek on top of the pulley mounts. its hard for me to see where its coming from. all hoses seem to be clamped down tight, and no leaks from what i see, but theres gotta be something.

my dads not home right now to take a look at it, so i figured i'd try and get an idea of whats going on.

the engine needs to be rebuilt from bottom to top, but i'm broke, with one car.

anyone know where the smoke could be coming from? i'm almost positive its a leak somewhere throwing something on hot parts and its coming off in steam form.

also i checked my gauge and i know it doesn't mean crap if my gauge doesn't work, but it said the engine was running at normal temp.



thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[red95gtconvert]

Start out by checking the hoses.

 

[earleys94gt]

+1 on checking the hoses.

If that yields nothing, start the car and see if you notice a leak develop.

It almost sounds like the water pump is leaking, and coolant is getting on the pullies.

Just look for evidence of coolant leakage, and go from there.

 

[Pokageek]

Check for leaks and being a bigger idiot on the road doesn't do anything but cause more problems for you and someone else. I should know cuz I have been an idiot enough times to nearly get myself killed too. How do you know that person was not trying to get to a hospital or sick or something.

 

[autumn_again]

Check for leaks and being a bigger idiot on the road doesn't do anything but cause more problems for you and someone else. I should know cuz I have been an idiot enough times to nearly get myself killed too. How do you know that person was not trying to get to a hospital or sick or something.

regardless, if she was going to try to squeeze by me, she would of put me, and cars coming towards us, in danger.


it was a 2 lane on each side at first, and then my side it merged about a 1/2 mile before hand into one lane.

i know either way i'm going to get crap for that, but its the only way i see avoiding that accident that could of happened.


and it wasn't like i was swirving in and out of traffic, i would punch it when i had the space. i didn't do it with a car right in front of me.

and i checked the hoses ,but the clamps really didnt tighten at all.

i'll see if i continue to have a problem.

 

[DDSTANG94]

Check for leaks and being a bigger idiot on the road doesn't do anything but cause more problems for you and someone else. I should know cuz I have been an idiot enough times to nearly get myself killed too. How do you know that person was not trying to get to a hospital or sick or something.

then she should of called a ambulance......what if she was on here way to the hospital, it dont give her the right to put other people in there...

 

[ford302redneck]

then she should of called a ambulance......what if she was on here way to the hospital, it dont give her the right to put other people in there...

Your right, but in some cases, callin a ambulance is slower than actually driving to the hospital. I know this is a little off topic but still.

Good luck with finding your problem. Just get the motor hot, and look around. Theres no surefire answer anyone can tell you beside that.

 

[autumn_again]

yeah my dad was saying just to check the hoses and go from there.i tightened the hoses, and i'll have to get the motor hot on my way home from school tomorrow and look around.

 

[cbarr300]

almost willing to bet it's a heater hose that just got old.

Hopefully your lower didn't just crap out....course if it did I think you might notice that. See if any coolant is pulling up at the back of the engine.

My vote is for one of the hoses or the waterpump

 

[autumn_again]

almost willing to bet it's a heater hose that just got old.

Hopefully your lower didn't just crap out....course if it did I think you might notice that. See if any coolant is pulling up at the back of the engine.

My vote is for one of the hoses or the waterpump

i'll have to check it out tomorrow to see if theres any coolant in the back of the motor. my cars been off for the past 3 hours now, and its kinda late and dark.

i just replaced the upper radiator hose. when i got the car in october. didn't replace the lower, but where there is coolant, i can't see the lower hose causing that.

i'm probably not using the correct terms for some of this stuff, but i'm here to learn, aren't I? hah.

 

[Pokageek]

Just make sure you trace it down b4 it gets real bad. It can only leak from a coupla places usually - the two upper hoses on the pass side up top, around the water pump area and the lower hose like you said...or the radiator ITSELF. Check that too after the car warms up. You will see it leak right out of the front or back faces of the rad!

Sorry for getting off topic back there lol. I have done a lot of stupid stuff myself and escalated things. Yea yea not a good move - the person trying to pass you. But If I am in that situation, I just take plan "b" and hit the brakes not speed up. Speeding up escalates everything and makes it more dangerous. Ok Ok, I am off the saopbox now. I'll shut up.

EDIT - BTW, most times it is a simple tightening of a clamp lol. I hope that is all it is.

 

[Bosko5.0]

I think that a hose split. Wait til morning the check hoses. When I got my car I replaced all the hoses at once. and right now I am about to replace all the weatherstripping.

 

[reddy351]

Sorry for getting off topic back there lol. I have done a lot of stupid stuff myself and escalated things. Yea yea not a good move - the person trying to pass you. But If I am in that situation, I just take plan "b" and hit the brakes not speed up. Speeding up escalates everything and makes it more dangerous. Ok Ok, I am off the saopbox now. I'll shut up.

I just slow down (no brakes) and let the 'Tard go on by. Sometimes I have to almost stop...people can be SO hard headed! I put on about 75,000 miles a year (for most of the past 10 years) and I've deduced that bad drivers/people who make bad choices are going to find accidents, whether I take the opportunity to "teach" them or not. I just try to make sure I'm not part of their accident.

 

[autumn_again]

where she was if i hit my brakes she would of rear ended me. she didnt have the room to pass me but still tried. and i was all the way to the lines in the center of the road.

and i checked and i see one part of the hose thats leaking, so i cleaned all the fluids out from my engine bay that were spilled, and im going to fix that hose soon as it stops snowing. then i'll run the engine for a little to see if any fluids come out.

on a side note, on my way home from school i stopped at the local strauss auto to pick up some brakekleen to clean up parts that are greasy as hell, and i went to take a right, and i see 3 fire trucks, blocking the entrance, i go around to the other way to get in, and theres a early 90s thunderbird through the fence. with smoke coming from the engine bay. its almost as if they hit it, and just kept driving.

 

[Pokageek]

LOL, they hit it and caused another accident to get to another one! Classic.

 

[gcomfx.com]

A split hose would have been my guess as well. Good to hear you are tracking it down.

 

[autumn_again]

yeah i just drove it and no problems. no smoke or anything.

i tightened the clamps even more, before i used a screw driver and got it even tighter with a socket.

 

[gcomfx.com]

Did you top off the radiator? A small leak can go a long ways if your overflow wasn't full to begin with.

 

[autumn_again]

i'd like to do a flush this thursday on the radiator, new fluids, replace the bottom hose.

for now i just added some coolant to the overflow

 

[final5-0]

Just look over all the hoses like everybody else said

Yes ... I see how you want to learn

so here are two things

1) you might have to fill it up with water and let it get up to operating temp
to see where the leek is occurring from

2) next time someone does something stupid while you are driving ......

YOU be in control of the situation :Word:
and
Don't let it upset you

I'll be the first to say it is easier to say than do
but
It gets easier and easier as you grow older

You just need to become a ... Mellow Fellow

Good Luck Finding The Leak

Grady