While driving back from the in-laws’ tonight, my radiator decided to send out plumes of smoke. This is distressing to me. Normally, my husband Weirddave would replace said radiator. However, this is the weekend he’s in Florida taking our dog to live at doggie Utopia, otherwise known as the bio-mom-in-law’s house.
It’s a 1987 Volkswagen Cabriolet. Dave says it’s something so easy that even I can do it, but I’m not gonna. Anyone want to come help? I’ll give you beer and maybe even food.
Please. I’m stranded in Dundalk. This is not a happy thing.
It’s three screws and two hoses. I had it backwards.
I’m stuck at home. All I wanted to do was go to Ikea and get some bookcases to surprise Dave for when he gets home. Dammit. Now I’m stuck with 9 boxes of books that have no home, taking up floorspace in my dining room.
That’s a shame. Sounds like it would have been a cool surprise, too.
I wouldn’t mind driving up to help you out - take you to IKEA? - but I’m having a lot of difficulty getting around right now. (I have a cane, and I keep looking for whippersnappers to smack with it.)
Okay. Dave says don’t send out smoke, they send out steam.
The first question: Do you have a new radiator? If not, refer to the second question.
The second question: Since, at this point, you don’t have a radiator, do you have the appropriate radiator hoses?
The third question: Did you put water and/or coolant into the radiator as a stopgap until Dave gets back? If it is, in fact, the radiator, you can run that thing with a leak indefinitely as long as you don’t let it run out of water. Wait until the car is cold, push down and twist off the pressure cap, and fill that bad boy up with water and coolant in a fifty/fifty mixture (in metric, it’s fifty/fifty).
Give that a shot and let us know how it works. And I’m still eyeballing the ketchup chips.
I have put the 50/50 into the reservoir - even I know to do that much. But, it drips, drips, drips.
I do not have a new radiator at this time. I think the hoses are fine, and even if they’re not, they can be picked up when I get the radiator. Is Dave offering to replace it? (Yuengling is in the fridge already, and pizza could be forthcoming).
Lovely redhead gets overheated. Needs good hosing and at least three screws.
So, How far is where you are from East Texas? Sounds like far
If your radiator is just slowly leaking coolant. Take a can of pepper, yeah the kind you put in a shaker, pour a small can of pepper (supposedly red works better than black, I used both but can’t tell the difference)
anyway, pour the pepper into your radiator and let it idle awhile. The pepper will fill the hole/crack and swell up, thus stopping the leak. It works pretty good and unless there’s some real damage that needs doing will last a long time.
of course any parts house should have several products made just for this.
good luck
BTW is your invitation for drinks AND “all you can eat”.
That’s a shame. Sounds like it would have been a cool surprise, too.
