mx-3 coolant explosion

Pharmacyst · Post by **Pharmacyst** » April 29th, 2006, 8:05 pm

The car was driving fine to the post office didn't notice any over heating. Leaving the post office the car went crazy. All of a sudden I saw steam coming out of the engine bay. It wasn't smoke and nothing came out of the muffler. It smelled like radiator fluid. When I pulled the car in the radiator steam was coming from the engine not the radiator. On the ground in the street there was a massive puddle where all the radiator fluid dumped out to.

I filled the car with radiator fluid and oil and drove the car fine home, no over heating. When I parked the car the steam happened again but not while i was driving home. When I drive the car I have to keep the revs at 3-4 with the clutch half engaged in order to go or the rpms just die and the car dies.

Any clue what this is? The coolant overflow is connected and working. One of the two fans work but it never overheated. The temp sensor stays under c for the first minute, shoots up to the middle and stays.

2.5mazda · Post by **2.5mazda** » April 29th, 2006, 8:23 pm

sounds to me like it got way too hot and now she soesnt want to run. From my experience in cars, though not long, I have noticed that on engines that get really hot, there is a lot of added Carbon buildup as a result. Not only that, but depending on how hot it got you may have damaged censors or even cracked a cylender head, though I doubt it would run if you did that.

Pharmacyst · Post by **Pharmacyst** » April 29th, 2006, 8:57 pm

I just took the car for a short drive and it drove fine. No smoke out the muffler and nothing leaking. I read somewhere that it might be a radiator hose under the fuel rail but don't know where its at or how to get to it. I wouldn't mind taking it to a shop but they will 99.9% most likely tell me I need a whole new engine.

2.5mazda · Post by **2.5mazda** » April 29th, 2006, 9:36 pm

yes, mechanics HATE these engines. They arent bad once you get used to them, but they dont want anything to do with them most of the time.

PATDIESEL · Post by **PATDIESEL** » April 30th, 2006, 12:48 am

Agh, that is BS. The K series motors are some of the easiest to work on V-6s I've ever seen. VERY well designed from a mechanics point of view.

I'd say you have a blocked radiator or bad thermostat. It is not all that hot outside yet so the fan could maybe keep the temps down. Have a pressure test done on the coolant system and get them to flush it and refill it too. The pressure test will find a blockage and the hole too. Hopefully the fluid is coming out of a burst hose and not a metal connection.

Mnemonic · Post by **Mnemonic** » April 30th, 2006, 12:56 am

i had this problem with my k8 and it turned out to be a heater hose, while driving the car would run fine wouldnt overheat, but when i stopped i would get a s--- load of steam out of no where, turns out the heater hose had cracked at some point, causing it to leak. it was leaking the entire time but you couldnt tell while driving because of airflow and what not.

this could be your problem not really sure. and the easiest fix to it is to remove both heater hoses, remove the plastic clips on the metal pipe running into the heater core, and go to autozone and get a piece of hose to cut to the size you need, that away you never have to worry about those pos clips breaking again.

2.5mazda · Post by **2.5mazda** » April 30th, 2006, 1:15 am

The 3 mechanics I have talked to told me they hated these engines and that they were a pain in the but.... I dont mind them at all though. So far I have been able to get at everything I have had to replace including power steering pump.

Pharmacyst · Post by **Pharmacyst** » May 1st, 2006, 4:17 pm

Where exactly are the heater hoses? I think I saw one hose but it looked like it was connected properly and didnt have any clamps on it. Would a bad water pump cause this problem?

peteuk · Post by **peteuk** » May 1st, 2006, 4:29 pm

Stand the car & check for leaks.............if there are no leaks, it sounds like the head gasket

2.5mazda · Post by **2.5mazda** » May 1st, 2006, 10:17 pm

That is what I feared.... Head gasket.... My car tends to run a bit rough sometimes, gets hot at times, and smokes white when on the gas, smells gassey.....?

hgallegos915 · Post by **hgallegos915** » May 2nd, 2006, 12:01 am

I would no0t let any mecahnic touch my engine UNLESS im really busy and its some mechanic i trust that has worked on my baby before. and tehres only ONE in mny city i trust.. the rest are morons and dont know jack. Its a shame that I know more than them.. mechanics should have their own forums.