radiator cap broke.

[migoreng]

opened my radiator cap and a round piece was broken . it was sitting in the opening of the radiator.
but i think another thin round piece, the size of a 5c coin has fallen inside.

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is that gonna be a problem? will it just make it's way to the bottom of the radiator and stay there?
lol:eek:
which way does coolant flow anyway? does coolant go into the radiator through the top hose or the bottom hose?:thumbdwn:

i think bottom hose? cause hot coolant should be at the bottom and going up...

[geeang]

I'm pretty sure coolant goes into the radiator through the top hose, otherwise if your coolant level goes low it'll still suck coolant through the bottom hose.

If the coolant sucks out through the top then it'll be disaster when the coolant level drops too low.

[migoreng]

and what about the small rubber piece that has fallen somewhere into the radiator? lol

[TheGoodDeal]

You must change your radiator cap if it broken, otherwise It won't hold the pressure and more coolant will overflow into overflow bottle and your engine will be over heat. Also use clip or something to remove the broken piece that fallent inside before it move deep inside the radiator.

[Limbo]

take out the radiator and shake it out

[migoreng]

i can't see the round piece...so i can't i use tweezers to take it out !!
what's the worse that can happen? do you think the piece is small enough that it flow down to the bottom somewhere or would it be in the top somewhere still?
car drove fine for 30km today anyway :S

[Zdster]

i can't see the round piece...so i can't i use tweezers to take it out !!
what's the worse that can happen? do you think the piece is small enough that it flow down to the bottom somewhere or would it be in the top somewhere still?
car drove fine for 30km today anyway :S

Who said anything about tweezers??? :o

As everyone else has said, you should remove it.

[migoreng]

lol :S
well pliers/tweezer whatever


god damn it...only got new coolant 10,000km ago. the radiator cap just had to break!!
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is there an easy way if the piece is still at the top somewhere?


yeah when the cap broke yesterday i went to get another cap straight away.

[Zdster]

I doubt you would have much chance of getting it out with pliers.

[migoreng]

I doubt you would have much chance of getting it out with pliers.

guess i'll have to drain the coolant to get this piece out then :eek:

also how much coolant is needed anyway to top up the system? should i go back to genuine honda coolant and how much is it?
my mech put in generic green coolant before.

[TheGoodDeal]

guess i'll have to drain the coolant to get this piece out then :eek:

also how much coolant is needed anyway to top up the system? should i go back to genuine honda coolant and how much is it?
my mech put in generic green coolant before.

You can drain it into clean container and pour it back in later on. I just bought parts & fluids last week at Trivet Classic to do full service my car. All the price have been going up (oil sump washer was $0.70 before now $2.00). As I remember it around $48 for 5 Lt (exclude GST)

[CB7_OWNER]

If its really that small then you might be lucky, and might be the first thing that comes out as you drain your coolant out...=)

[migoreng]

so the coolant definately goes into the radiator through the top hose..then back into the engine through the bottom hose?
anyone have an idea of how the little piece might make its way through the radiator?

the last thing i want is for the little piece to get into the top pipe somehow, into the engine and jam the water pump
:(

[TheGoodDeal]

The rubber piece may be belong to radiator cap. It became bristle with time, so when you open the radiator cap it break up and drop into radiator. At that instance you didn't pick it out and the coolant fush it somewher inside the radiator when you start the engine. Hopefully it still at the top of radiator. You can take out the radiator and shake it out like Limbo said.

[migoreng]

i couldn't see the piece when i noticed the cap was broken..it probably sunk inside before that.
i drove my car for 60km today..no problems.
where could this little plastic piece have floated around to?

man such a pain.
can this little piece block the flow completely or are there other passages in the radiator that coolant can flow through?
basically is this critical? should i drive another 200km this week and risk it? can my temperature guage shoot up to HOT??
or should i leave my car at home til the weekends? :S

lol