Another catostrophic failure but the car still didn't strand me.

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07-22-2008, 08:16 PM
black roadster

Another catostrophic failure but the car still didn't strand me.

Driving home from school yesterday at 5pm and it was F-in hot!

Everything is good but I notice the A/C is have trouble keeping up. All gauges read normal so I chalked it up to the weak sauce A/C of the Miata not being able to handle the extreme heat.

Later I go to wash the car and notice a lot of wet stuff under the car. Initially I thought the A/C condenser but it was too much water for that.

Popped hood to see distinctive green liquid and sweet smell. I turns out I had the upper radiator hose burst. It must have burst close to home because as I said, car never warmed up beyond mid level.

$25 later for a upper radiator hose and a gallon of coolant and gallon of distilled water and I'm back on the road and the A/C is cooling good again.

This is the second time I had a burst hose. Three years ago one of the heater core hoses sprung a leak but I let the car cool down, topped of the radiator and got home OK.

At 109k miles 5 1/2 years ago the timing belt broke 15 minutes from home. Had to call AAA to get a tow.

175k miles and the old girl is still running good. ;)
07-22-2008, 08:57 PM
gabkwong

So for good routine maintenance, when is the good time to change the heater core hose? I changed the radiator hoses when I changed the radiator. The heater core hoses are now 9 years old and 125K miles.
07-22-2008, 09:14 PM
POS Racing

The Gates website says - A replacement interval of four years for all coolant carrying hoses -- especially the upper radiator, bypass and heater hoses -- can help prevent unexpected failure

http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?br...ocation_id=541
07-22-2008, 09:26 PM
creek

"Catastrophic"? There was a lot of luck in that catastrophy.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m...rkpaul/cat.jpg
07-23-2008, 08:40 AM
cwisenheimer

Now is the time to replace ALL the hoses. You just replaced the weakest one and now it's going to hold pressure and stress the next weakest one. Better to replace them at your leisure now than under a streetlight in the middle of nowhere at their whim. BTDT
07-23-2008, 10:29 AM
mtrx804

how hard isit to pullou dash ad fx heater core and to add ac to a car?
07-23-2008, 02:18 PM
Miatamaniac92

Adding AC to a Miata? Easier to buy one with it and sell the NON-AC car to a spec builder.

Heater Core, no need to remove the dash. http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread...ghlight=heater

Chris
07-23-2008, 02:22 PM
Titus

It's hard to keep the windshield from fogging up when it rains if you don't have a heater core.
07-23-2008, 02:23 PM
trickyrix

Quote:

Originally Posted by gabkwong

So for good routine maintenance, when is the good time to change the heater core hose? I changed the radiator hoses when I changed the radiator. The heater core hoses are now 9 years old and 125K miles.

If a CAS oil leak hasn't already ruined 'em, then now's the time!
07-23-2008, 02:36 PM
Darron65

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titus

It's hard to keep the windshield from fogging up when it rains if you don't have a heater core.

I'd say the air conditioner works better than the heater for humidity.
07-23-2008, 03:43 PM
TurboDuane

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darron65

I'd say the air conditioner works better than the heater for humidity.

yea, but often I need a little heat to keep the inside of the window from getting too cold, and condensing.

Personally, I replace all my hoses, water pump, CAS seal, front crank and cam seals when I replace the timing belt. It adds a little more to the cost of doing a timing belt change, but at even 120,000 miles, I'm comfortable taking the Turbo '97 across country, as I have no fears of being stranded by something so trivial as a blown hose or thrown belt......

.....man I'm so overdue for a road trip!
07-23-2008, 10:27 PM
channelmaniac

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurboDuane

...I have no fears of being stranded by something so trivial as a blown hose or thrown belt......

.....man I'm so overdue for a road trip!

And I'm soooo overdue to get done with this one... Hit a piece of metal with the right rear tire so I got to limp down the interstate on the donut. Hope Wally World can patch it tomorrow so we can get back on the road.
07-24-2008, 09:40 AM
TurboDuane

Quote:

Originally Posted by channelmaniac

And I'm soooo overdue to get done with this one... Hit a piece of metal with the right rear tire so I got to limp down the interstate on the donut. Hope Wally World can patch it tomorrow so we can get back on the road.

Sorry to hear your trips not going so well. At least it will be a trip you won't soon forget.

I still remember a trip to Tucson that my family took in the 70's where my Dad experianced 3 flat tires, and a fuel pump failure within 1800 miles of driving, while putting up with 4 kids, wife, and pulling a camper trailer behind a station wagon. Good times!!!!;)
07-24-2008, 09:52 AM
mtrx804

haha I rmember those road trips fun stuff
07-24-2008, 10:08 AM
johnwag

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtrx804

how hard isit to pullou dash ad fx heater core and to add ac to a car?

Jeff_man?
07-24-2008, 10:13 AM
johnwag

Quote:

Originally Posted by black roadster

Popped hood to see distinctive green liquid and sweet smell. I turns out I had the upper radiator hose burst. It must have burst close to home because as I said, car never warmed up beyond mid level.

This happened to me last summer. The top radiator hose busted just as I pulled in to driftdevil's apartment complex. He was cool enough to chauffeur me to the auto parts store of choice for the fix.

You need to replace all of the hoses at the same time. I personally went with silicon because I was tracking the hell out of my car last year.

Just give your car a once over before Hallett and do all the PM necessary, as you know.

Gabriel: As far as heater hoses go, squeeze 'em! Are they still stiff, or are they mushy and very pliable. If it's the latter, replace them.

I'm going with silicon heater hoses. Once installed, i'll give an update with pics.
07-24-2008, 10:27 AM
mtrx804

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnwag

Jeff_man?

no? lol