Technical Problem with engine coolant What is paraflu? Please help!

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Technical Problem with engine coolant What is paraflu? Please help!

Laserboot

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Hi, earlier on today i noticed that my engine was running a little too hot, so i re-filled the engine coolant with de-ionised water. When i was driving i noticed that my exhaust was ratling when i accelerated and changing into 2nd gear was also a bit rattly and problematic. I managed to make it home with the car and i noticed that there was a trail of water (i think, 90% sure) running behind the car. I was just wonder if this has caused any kind of permanent damage. What should i fill the engine coolant with as im now sure its not just water? Many thanks
 
It sounds like your had gasket is about to go.

When this happens (usually) the car will drink a lot of water, drive badly and overheat. The water jacket around the engine is leaking into the piston chambers and this causes the water out of the exhaust (usually its steam)

Whats your oil like? if its gone all grey and mucusy (because it will be mixing with water) then thats a sure sign of head gasket problems.

Under normal circumstances you should fill the radiator with a mix of water and antifreeze (paraflu) Its always best to put antifreeze in, even if its during summer because most antifreezes also act as summer coolants.
 
You should mix the water and antifreeze 50/50. Paraflu can be substituted with a brand called Bluecol.
 
Hey, thanks for your help. My engine oil needs changing cos the light comes on and stays on when the key is on AMR but then it goes when i turn the ignition on. I will have the oil changed, will any anti freeze work? or does it have to be specific? If my headgasket has blown is it expensive to fix? many thanks.
 
The reason you must put aditive in with the water is that the water reacts with the alloy cylinder head basically eroding it and the aditive has a rust inhibitor in it that will reduce this. Also I have seen people blow head gaskets by using just water as the aditive also raises the boiling point of the coolant!

Rich.
 
Hey, how do i know if my headgasket has gone?, i run the engine and it seemed to be ok. I will get some antifreeze tomorow and mix it in with the water. MAny thanks
 
Hey i also just checked my oil and the oil seems fine. Is it possible that the head gasket is still in tact?
 
Laserboot said:
Hey i also just checked my oil and the oil seems fine. Is it possible that the head gasket is still in tact?

For sure, its just a possibility that it had gone given the symptoms you described. It tends to go more often on the older FIRE engines in the early puntos and uno. I think the Bravo/Brava is bit better for the durability of the head gasket.
 
thats good news lol, im going tomorow to get some anti freeze and water, do i need to know anything specific in order to replace the coolant fluid (I.E How much water etc?) Or is it just a simple job of mixing 50/50 and pouring it in? do i need to bleed the system? Many thanks
 
50/50 should be fine for normal weather conditions. The cooalnt system will need to be bled-procedure differs depending on what car it is. usually involes putting heater on hot and running engine with coolant cap off for a while till it gets hot.

Rich
 
bleed screws, one on radiator (use first) and one or two on coolant hoses attached to heater matrix. when the bubbles stop you close the bleed screw. but why sis it lose water in the first place? thats the problem here, refilling it is all well and good but if it loses water again whats the point.
 
I think as you said the lack of antifreeze lowered the boiling temperature of the coolant and it was all just bubbling out of the coolant top. I'll make sure everythings in working order before i refill the coolant. Many thanks for your help.
 
i used to live in dubai and its much hotter over there. my car had pure tap water with no antifreeze and it never boiled over once. actually now i think about it so did my motorbike. never had a problem
 
Oh man, where do you think the leak could be comming from? should i just fill the coolant cap with 50/50 water and antifreeze and then see if it comes out from the exhaust, that way i can see if it is the headgasket? Does it matter what kind of anti freeze i use? and is it really important for me to bleed the system? Many thanks
 
i just recently had problems with my cooling system its hard if u dont know how but once its figured it was easy, my car was over heating i could not find where the water was coming from as i had i new radiator just replaced i took the radiator to where i got it from an he tested it an it was fine so that puzzeled me even more, so i left mine to run i see where the water was comin out an it turned out to be that when it was over heating an the water had nowere to go it was just pure hot water bubbling in the radiator an coming out the sides of the tap because of the pressure.
 
Hi, yea thats exactly what was happening with mine. I filled it up and pinched the pipes that the water flows through to remove air and suck in water from the resevoir, this seems to have fixed the problem and the engine is running cooler than ever and fine. seems like it was just an air-lock (y) Many thanks
 
Laserboot said:
Oh man, where do you think the leak could be comming from? should i just fill the coolant cap with 50/50 water and antifreeze and then see if it comes out from the exhaust, that way i can see if it is the headgasket? Does it matter what kind of anti freeze i use? and is it really important for me to bleed the system? Many thanks

leaks can be coming from loads of places but the leaking fluid makes finding them easy enough, and its usually the rad, or a pipe of the head gasket (aka invisible leak)

i'd fill will just water while testing for leaks, then once you have a secure coolant system filll up with 50/50, and get the right antifreeze for your car, there are 3 main varieties and i suggest you check haynes for what type you need, some cars ar efussy others dont mind.

bleeding the system is more important then remebering your mother's birthday, if you dont the car will almost definately overheat and pop the head gasket, or also warp the head.
 
Laserboot said:
Hi, yea thats exactly what was happening with mine. I filled it up and pinched the pipes that the water flows through to remove air and suck in water from the resevoir, this seems to have fixed the problem and the engine is running cooler than ever and fine. seems like it was just an air-lock (y) Many thanks
DONT BE TOO HASTY HERE MATEY!
I've just gone through exactly the same thing with my X plate bravo 1.6 sx. 11 months after Fiat@ CALEDONIA Blackburn apparently did my h/gasket.
my 1st symptom was an erratic temp reading...up & down
The hot metal smell came next and the 'ping ping ting' noises as the internals cooled when i came to a rest.
Then I noticed I needed a top up of coolant fluid....i did this but was unaware i'd caused an air lock.
1st sign of getting a bit warm i bled it and all seemed fine until it came full circle and started again.
My local 'organic' mechanic said it was deffinately the head gasket. He told me to forget looking for sludge in oil or badly contaminated water. With these alloy heads you'll normally find signs of it on your sparkplug electrodes. Low and behold cyl 4 plug was dripping coolant!! Whether it needs it or not he's sending the head for a full pressure test for cracks and a skim. He's also going to examine the internals for damage. He said he's heard it several times, Fiat dealers wont get heads checked & skimmed unless obvious signs of damage are there.....they'll simply replace the gasket,and use new head bolts (Fiat official policy is not to renew head bolts!) hoping a tighter fit is achieved. However the unfortunate truth is that many dont last beyond 20,000 after being done. I have just done 19,000 or so since the repair by Fiat (i'm disabled and I clock up high milage through hospital visits all over the uk so its mostly motorway miles rarely going near the 4krev mark) I dont think Fiat will be interested in rectifying it after this milage though, even if only 11 mths have passed since they did it.
So mate just check your plugs for contamination, because you stand to incurr a much bigger bill than the h/gasket alone if you burn out valves and/or pistons!
 
jug said:
a dealership really should pressure test and skim every head every time. tut tut tut
yep you would have thought so! But my mechanic would bet his last quid its not been done. In fact he's working on an 02 punto with the same problem as mine thats done just 29,000mls. Another local Fiat dealer, told the owner that because the car had reletively low miles, just the gasket would require doing. Apparently, even though the engine boiled its nads off, frazzeled a couple of valves (due to coolant entering the fuel air mix making the ensuing combustion more volatile) and even gone as far as to discolour some ancillary component casings......the head would not require checking or skimming:confused:
Oh they then went on to give her a quote of £718 for the job. Incidentally a price very similar to mine last year, suggesting for sure that my head wasn't checked/skimmed.:mad: :mad: :mad:
 
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