Elina Neutral Newbie March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 hi, quite embarrassed to admit this, but this is what i encountered due to my carelessness... sunday top up the water for my engine via radiator cap, but somehow did not tighten the cap fully.. yesterday, on the way back from work, after abt 15km, felt the car vibrate suddenly and air-con not cold while at a traffic stop. as i drove on, started to hear this "tak tak tak" sound which got louder as i pressed harder on the accelerator and went up the slope at my MSCP. luckily, managed to make it back to my carpark. opened the bonnet and saw, horror of horrors, the whitish liquid splashed onto the engine cover. later, after the engine cooled down, topped up the water to full again. today drove the car, sounds and feels ok to me. question is, would there be any damage to the engine? ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadgeter 2nd Gear March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 How much water did you pour in? If less than a litre, I doubt it will cause much damage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elina Neutral Newbie March 1, 2005 Author Share March 1, 2005 i think was definitely more than 1 litre, it was like 2 coke bottles, those are 1.5l each right? qn is, what could caused that "tak tak tak" sound?? also did not notice the engine overheat signal come out.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadgeter 2nd Gear March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 the sound could be caused by the radiator cap when it vibrates as you move... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elina Neutral Newbie March 1, 2005 Author Share March 1, 2005 oic, hope that is the case n not something more serious, think mayb i shld send for thorough check at the wkshop, for peace of mind. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadgeter 2nd Gear March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 Actually, since you mentioned that there were no sign of over heating... should be okie lah.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pisces69 6th Gear March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 Cud b your engine already starting to overheat hence the tak tak sound. Your pistons knocking. Why is the water whitish? Is that the colour of your coolant? Check your radiator overflow tank. What colour is the liquid inside? If it is plain water (clear) u sud add about 1 lit of coolant to it. Get the correct type for your car. Try to remove the overflow tank & pour out the water & put it back & fill coolant. If cannot take it out, just get someone to use a tube to siphon out the water till empty & add the coolant. Take care not to let coolant touch the paint as it will damage your paintwork. Hopefully no major damage was done as it overheat for a short time only. Monitor the temp & coolant level for about a couple of weeks (from the overflow tank & NOT the radiator. In fact u sud not even open the radiator cap as u not so familiar with engines). If serious, cud have cylinder head warp which is quite ex to repair. BTW, what car u drive, Make/model/year? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elina Neutral Newbie March 1, 2005 Author Share March 1, 2005 i'm driving mazda 323 1.6auto, Dec01. thks for your advice, but abit too cheem a gal like me... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maded Neutral Newbie March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 could be the water touched the camcover or extractor shielding and evaporated, leaving a whitish deposit... Actually i think i'll be ok... as long as it sounds and performs ok now... and that the check engine light didn't come on.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pisces69 6th Gear March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 Just monitor temp & coolant level for a couple of weeks. If no more problems, sud b ok. Next time u service, ask mechanic to check your coolant (not water) & add some if not enough. Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pisces69 6th Gear March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 Yes I was thinking that too, but sud be green or whatever colour the coolant is. I suspect there is no coolant in her radiator, just plain H2O. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maded Neutral Newbie March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 If the coolant isn't too concentrated, it is possible that the deposit is whitish.... right? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pisces69 6th Gear March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 Oh & btw, modern cars u don't fill water into the radiator directly. U only check the overflow tank & top up from there. The cooling system is a closed loop. No need to top up at all. If u constanly topping up, u have a leak in your cooling system. The overflow tank sud b about half full when cold & full when hot. If it is this amount, don't fill water. You only keep diluting the coolant in the system till you only have water left. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pisces69 6th Gear March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 Exactly. I think she always open the rad cap to check & of course she see level a little low so she adds water. Doing this many times will dilute the coolant till only water inside, which is bad for the system. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maded Neutral Newbie March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 fill the tank good enuf liao Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huggable Clutched March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 Check if there is oil when you top up the radiator from the main opening. Engine overheat can cause the gaskets to break, and engine oil would be mixed with the radiator water. If no oil, you should be pretty safe. luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mivec9 1st Gear March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 thks bro....think u r indeed an expert in it...no wonder when i parked my car and checked the overflow tank, it was full...thought something was wrong Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pisces69 6th Gear March 1, 2005 Share March 1, 2005 Not expert bro. Just been driving for many years & i guess we do pick up some tips as we go along. Guess everybody is the same. Just glad I can help here, that's all. I also enjoy to DIY & that helps as we learn more stuff that way. ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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