| Author |
Message |
Lawrence Coppari (Lawrence)
Member
Username: Lawrence
Post Number: 797
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 29, 2003 - 11:03 am: | |
EG is flammable. Believe me, I work in a chemical plant. |
Joel Belser (Driver)
New member
Username: Driver
Post Number: 50
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 29, 2003 - 9:58 am: | |
Every once in a while it is a good idea to "burp" the system. The thermocouple is indeed at a high point, and a low water level will not allow the fans to engage. Open the "tap" near the top of the radiator slightly and pour coolant into the tank, with the engine running. You will hear a little hiss of escaping air. When coolant starts to dribble out, you're done. |
Philip Philippides (355fiorano)
New member
Username: 355fiorano
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 6:08 pm: | |
Jeff,
I get overheating sometimes on my 308. What I have found is that if there is a leak in the radiator or in the plumming and the water level gets too low, the radiator fans do not engage. Apparently it has somthing to do with the thermocouple not getting a correct reading. If you stop and top up with some water that restores it. If you do not have water you can look inside the front right of the bonnet, just behind the radiator. There are a couple of wires going to the thermocouple. You can pull them off the plug (don't worry about damage they slide on and off) and join them together. This will have the fan on permanently to aid any cooling until you are able to refil.
I don't know if this is the cause but I hope this may help.
Regards
Philip |
Hans E. Hansen (4re_gt4)
Intermediate Member
Username: 4re_gt4
Post Number: 1745
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 2:37 pm: | |
Hehe. OK, guys.
Straight antifreeze won't burn because it contains some water. But put it in contact with something hot (such as an exhaust manifold), the water quickly boils away, and you have REALLY BIG FLAMES! A busted coolant hose will cause a fire that looks like an oil fire on an engine that is really hot, such as a race car. I've seen it many times. Oh, BTW, this is with ethylene glycol. Not sure about anything different/exotic.
If you want to test it, dribble a bit on your exhaust after getting your car fully up to temp. I recently spilled a small amount on my exhaust while I was fiddling with the coolant cap. Poof! Flame. |
Steven R. Rochlin (Enjoythemusic)
Member
Username: Enjoythemusic
Post Number: 866
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 7:24 am: | |
Wow... makes me glad they completely rebuilt my alternator during my fine-tooth comb 60k service a few weeks ago. Sounds like a scary situation!
Enjoy the Drive,
Steven R. Rochlin
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Mike Procopio (Pupz308)
Member
Username: Pupz308
Post Number: 579
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 11:20 pm: | |
Burning Antifreeze, hmm... Say Hans, you're not using any of that fancy Lucas Brand "Racing" Antifreeze now are you?
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Robert Ginsberg (Chefrobear)
New member
Username: Chefrobear
Post Number: 50
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 11:00 pm: | |
Funny thing. I was driving home and at a light smelled hot coolant. My water gauge read 195. Then, looking out my rear-view mirror saw alot of white smoke (steam!). I pulled into a lot and called AAA. I knew I wouldn't make it home and didn't want to risk further engine damage. Thanks to AAA plus, I had 100 miles free towing and had the car towed from West Palm Beach to Tim Stanford in Fort Lauderdale FREE!!! I probably blew a hose and Tim will fix it tomorrow. The moral is for a small investment, AAA is the way to go. BTW, they will tow the car (flat-bed) any where you tell them to. |
Verell Boaen (Verell)
Intermediate Member
Username: Verell
Post Number: 1269
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 10:33 pm: | |
Mark,
Hans probably knows some of those Oregon 'survivalists' who brew their own antifreeze. Being an innocent he thought it was for his car when they offered him a couple of gallons(Heheheh)....
Actually, Ethylene Glycol is an organic ester & should burn very nicely once you boil out any moisture & get it hot enough. Like oil it'll have a fairly high flash point, but once it's burning it'll be pretty hot. |
Mark Eberhardt (Me_k)
Member
Username: Me_k
Post Number: 805
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 8:27 pm: | |
Hans, what the heck are you using for antifreeze that burns??? The only warning on the green stuff is don't drink it, and just to be sure, I pored some on the floor and threw a couple matches in it, they went out as soon as they touched. |
Mike Procopio (Pupz308)
Member
Username: Pupz308
Post Number: 578
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 7:48 pm: | |
Just another lesson for all of us to carry fire extinguishers...
Yikes!
|
Hans E. Hansen (4re_gt4)
Intermediate Member
Username: 4re_gt4
Post Number: 1741
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 4:55 pm: | |
BTW, antifreeze is *extremely* flammable. Try it and see! |
Mike Procopio (Pupz308)
Member
Username: Pupz308
Post Number: 573
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 1:21 am: | |
Alternator is going, my strong feeling.
Your headlights went dim, eh? Then they're not getting enough current or voltage. This is not a normal condition when driving.
And you can't start the car because of the battery.
Almost for sure, your alternator is bad (possibly due to a bad Votlage Regulator or "VR"), and is providing enough amperage to meet the current draw of your system (one of a few possible problems).
So, 1. Your lights go dim, and 2. Your battery is not getting recharged (one of the alternator's jobs), and 3. You feel jerkiness.
My guess is, the jerkiness could be caused by an ignition coil failing on one, both, or alternating banks (of cylinders) because it's not getting enough juice.
WARNING: If this is the case, you then start to dump uncombusted fuel through the exhaust system, which will ignite in your cats if you have them, which will melt... and block... and you might crack a ($2k) header.
This is not an uncommon problem. The above scenario happened to me.
This is an "easy" problem. Have your alternator rebuilt and upgraded to 85A by any alternator shop, tell them it came from a "FIAT", and research all the threads on this board about alternators.
It seems most 308s will need an alternator rebuild at 20-25yrs give or take.
--Mike
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Jeff Kuehl (Cooly0)
New member
Username: Cooly0
Post Number: 10
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 11:56 am: | |
I put it out |
Mike Charness (Mcharness)
Intermediate Member
Username: Mcharness
Post Number: 1125
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 8:13 am: | |
"...small fire...this continued on for awhile."
You let the fire burn without using an extinguisher on it?!? Gutsy.
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Greg Rodgers (Joechristmas)
Member
Username: Joechristmas
Post Number: 820
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 7:38 am: | |
You have to be careful when you get in the high coolant temps. You don't want to blow a head gasket. White smoke is water/coolant. |
Mark Eberhardt (Me_k)
Member
Username: Me_k
Post Number: 803
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 7:29 am: | |
It sound like you have several problems. But more info is needed. Is your alterator warning light lit? Do you hear any squeeling from the belt? Are you sure you are looking at the alternator belt and not the A/C belt? Have you bled the cooling system after tohe over heat? And last, antifreeze doesn't burn, so is there oil or gas leaking? Was there any lose of power, like cylinders not firering? |
Jeff Kuehl (Cooly0)
New member
Username: Cooly0
Post Number: 9
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 12:41 am: | |
Tonight I was driving along the highway going to a job. My 308 overheats. I was going 90MPH. White smoke starts coming out the deck. I stop on the side look to see the overfill hose on the reservoir was pointed towards the exhast. So I moved it and proceed to the nearest gas station to double check. It's still smoking and I was looking through a hole in my heat shield to see a small fire. I am hoping this is just the excess antifreeze, but this continued on for a while.
My Next problem, I can't start. Battery died. It's like the alternator wasn't running, When I did get it start, getting jumped by another car, I drove it the short distance on the freeway to my house and shut it off right away. This time their is no fire and the Water temps all this time maxed near 240-250 when I finally stopped the car. I didnt restart it until about 195 or under. Under 8 min's and it jumps back up to 240.
And while driving home I have the lights on and I could almost not see them when going on the on ramp. Then I start feeling jerks, I shut off the lights and it went away. I check the Alternator belt and it seems fine. PLease Any help would be greatly appreciated. |