well, i found my coolant leak.....

[TROLLhattenschatten]

Let me start out by saying i just got fired this morning so i am still unhappy, and it plays a part in this.

I go to hand in my uniform and on the way home i am driving normal.
the car was at 55MPH around 2K RPMS.
so i am driving along and all of the sudden i see a bunch of smoke in my rear-view....WTF?....after a moment of "odd that there is dust in 16* weather" thinking, i realized what was going on.
i threw her in neutral and turned her off while rolling to a dead-end side road.
(in all this was 15-20 seconds)

"oh s*** went threw my mind a few times"
i finaly got the courage to open the hood and i see coolant pouring out the one hose
after thinking of what my options where (no cell phone and i shure as hell ain't hopping a ride with someone around here and leaving my car!)
i decided to drive the 3 miles home at a slow pace.
the weather is cold enough to provide some cooling effort and i stoped once a mile for 10mins. to help.

So now i have to spend money i don't have (see top) to get somthing fixed that i was gonna do this weekend anyway

And on top of that, i have a test tonight and i have to pick my fiance up with no way to go anywhere.

THIS SUCKS!

[coreyeroc]

ah man. life really sucks sometimes. I mean really really. hope your day gets brighter, and your car better.

[TROLLhattenschatten]

Thanks man.

I really love those cars, some just seem like they don't have a will to live.
i miss my '96....

I have to find a way to fix it temporarly for tonight.

[Mr. Borth]

"I really love those cars, some just seem like they don't have a will to live."

So true.

Troll - dude - I'm so sorry, man. THAT is a lousy day - that's like the-start-of-a-movie-kind-of-bad.
If there is anything good out of this - at least you found the leak and it's not something more serious - still sucks, though .

[earthworm]

At one time, long ago, there was a "funny" song out out on this same subject (when everything possible goes wrong)....naturally I cannot remember the title..

Don't feel too bad about the firing/termination,Troll - this happens to the best of us - even me - about ten times......We live in an intolerant world...

I hope she survived this arduous trek...the very coldest of cold does a lousy job of cooling the engine

Which hose, Troll ?
With any older car always carry your cell-phone, at least..

[TROLLhattenschatten]

Well i must say first that i saw the termination coming.
since i started school my week has been very busy so i kept taking time off work to attend class.
then yesterday i was suppost to be in at noon and i got caught in a snow-storm so i was late.
i am gonna try to find a job in a garage, where they will appreciate me going to school for automotive.

Anyway, back on topic.
it was the hose running to the heater core.
since i bought the car i have been saying i need to replace the heater core and replace the hose to the thermostat (i smelled coolant inside the car and saw a puddle of coolant on the trans. below the thermostat housing)

Turns out that it was actualy the heater core hose that was leaking (small crack?) and dripping so slow that it ran along the hose till it fell off and puddled there.

Strange how things turn out.....

And i don't even own a cell-phone...i leave the house to get away from pepole

[hkayssi]

That really sucks Jeff
which hose is blown? Maybe get a copper plumbing connector the proper size then cut the hose, insert the connector in and secure with 2 clamps??? Don't you have the other hose on the 96?

[hkayssi]

Originally Posted by TROLLhattenschatten

Well i must say first that i saw the termination coming.
since i started school my week has been very busy so i kept taking time off work to attend class.
then yesterday i was suppost to be in at noon and i got caught in a snow-storm so i was late.
i am gonna try to find a job in a garage, where they will appreciate me going to school for automotive.

Anyway, back on topic.
it was the hose running to the heater core.
since i bought the car i have been saying i need to replace the heater core and replace the hose to the thermostat (i smelled coolant inside the car and saw a puddle of coolant on the trans. below the thermostat housing)

Turns out that it was actualy the heater core hose that was leaking (small crack?) and dripping so slow that it ran along the hose till it fell off and puddled there.

Strange how things turn out.....

And i don't even own a cell-phone...i leave the house to get away from pepole

Haha I know what you mean

[TROLLhattenschatten]

Yeah, i have the hose from the '96.
it's 90 miles away sitting in my parents garage

I suppose i could try to cut the hose and go from there....but it might be to short.

I just called the shop and they quoted $50-100.
i don't have the tools to replace the whole thing right now but maybe i could do what you suggested Hkayssi.

[TROLLhattenschatten]

This is the hose that blew.
further inspection shows that i can't shorten it at all.
there is a gash in the hose about 3" long....



Sorry for the bad pic....

[hkayssi]

Yikes it's in an akward position isn't it? I think the method i suggested won't work due to the location. At some car part shops they sell radiator hose bandages. Maybe use some of that instead?

[TROLLhattenschatten]

I don't know...anybody ever use the stuff?

It is on a bend too so i don't know if it would work

[PMI]

I would just replace the hose. If it is something like #5 in the pic below (from eEuroparts.com, less then $10 for the right part, and easily accessible. All you need is a screwdriver for the clamp... And since it is just an s-shaped hose, you may be able to match it in any auto part store. If you can afford gas, you can afford a 10-dollar hose!

[Frank_Drebin]

You can't find a generic piece of hose that will work for the time being? Go to AutoZone and ask if you can look through the hoses in the back. You're bound to find something that will work. In an emergency, you can take it off the other end as well and run the other hose to it. At least the car will run, you just won't have any heat.

[TROLLhattenschatten]

That's not the right hose.
if that was it i would have fixed it already

Looks more like #6

[Frank_Drebin]

Regardless of which hose it is, it's just a hose. You could get a generic hose of the correct diameter and run it to the heater core. $5 and some coolant, youre back on the road.

[TROLLhattenschatten]

Once again i am forced to explain this.
i live in an apartment with on-street parking and no tools.

i can't replace that hose while laying in the middle of a busy street.

[TROLLhattenschatten]

1.woke up
2.got fired
3.blew coolant hose
4.pissed frank off

Look man, i ment nothing by it.
i thank you all for your advice.
just at the moment there is nothing i can do....

[earthworm]

And the owners of the apartment complex are going to tell you that you cannot work on your own car ??
In a way, I cannot blame them - people do have a history of abusing privileges..
Find a way....no choice have you....
Get a cell phone, they are not that expensive($35 to $100) plus $10 to $100 per month !!
Carry tools, coolant in the trunk..

If the hole is in one of the heater hoses, a short section of 5/8" copper may work..Better to replace the old hose, of course...

Send a PM to Frank...

[TROLLhattenschatten]

I am gonna get a cell phone.

If i get a piece of copper tubing and insert it in the hose will that do the trick for now????