this is seriously crazy...

i finally got my car running yesterday and i wanted to test how the car runs. this is after doing:
- mp/dp; RB exhaust
- intake
- 550/1300
- fmic
- walbro pump w/ rewire
- pfc

today on the freeway my car just died (stop and go... yes I live in los angeles!) as it was chocking out, the battery light on the right dash came up flashing. i couldn't get my car to start again and CHP had to push my car off to the ramp.

popped my hood and saw that there is no radiator cap!! (i did add water before driving and am 75% sure i tightened all the way... i don't see why i wouldn't, but it's was 6am)

so i had my car towed to work. during work i got a new rad cap and put some fluid back into the engine. started it up and everything seems like. drove about 500 ft at a traffic light, start seeing steam/smoke coming up passenger side (i am thinking it's just the spilled coolent)

at the next traffic light, idle rougher.

at the next traffic light up the hill, idle even rougher... add some gas to keep from chocking out.

and the next traffic light, idle real rough. saw smoke coming out from my exhaust. exhaust overheat light- ON. decide i need to shut my car. all this time i water temp, aftermarket gauge jumped from 120-200 within a matter of 10 seconds...

decided to let it rest, add coolent (which was not visible from neck but without a warning light on.. could be broken) and restarted the car. smoke came out again from exhaust, immediately i shut it back down.

i finally got it towed home. what happened?!?!?!?! anyone had similar experience? did i blew my engine...?

ps: exhaust smoke did not smell like typical exhaust. i know a seal might be gone if i smell some sweet sense... but i am not 100% sure whether what i smelled was sweet. regardless it was not just the typical exhaust. color of smoke white? (it was dark also so hard to tell if it had more color)

 

that rough idle scares me. that reminds me of the time i blew an apex seal. it wasnt a coolant seal or anything that mixed fluids, it just idled rough and heated the exhaust pipes up alot when i drove it home. good luck. :-(

 

Sounds like a coolant seal. Blown radiator cap can mean that internal pressure from the engine has found it's way into the cooling system.

 

ok i just tried to do a champagne test and instead of cranking over and starting... on turnover, water ushered out of the radiator housing. a weird electric/static? noise was heard from the UIM/TB area??? this is weird.....

 

What is a "champagne" test?

 

basically start the car and wait for normal op temp. if there are bubbles coming up from the filler neck, the coolant seal might be bad. at least that's the best of my understanding.

except i still can't test my car because the fluid keeps backing up. maybe change ast cap.

 

Did you make sure to burp the system correctly before driving again? Sounds like compression is going straight through the coolant seals and into the coolant system.

 

i did not burp it. but the car was running for at least a few hours the day before and that morning for about 20 mins before stalling out.

i tried today twice while trying to do the champagne test to test for bubbles but water keeps rushing out (and the stroke of water that rushes out seems to be per turnover. though not 100% sure)

 

Then every time a rotor compresses air its probably pushing out of your coolant system. Compression test if you can't get a champagne done.

 

compression test it is then.... this doesn't look good. i really hope it's not the seal... so much for a new paint job. :-\

 

maybe tranny fluid got into the precat

 

i have open exhaust. dp/mp/RB dual

 

does that mean you dont have a precat

 

yeah a dp replaces out the precat. i wish it is a precat problem... lol

 

i just dont know much about my cars and im trying to learn. i got tranny fluid in my precat and the smell is sweet too

 

sounds like you overheated the car badly....twice. you didn't properly secure the cap and lost coolant/cooling ability to the point that the car stalled. then you drove it again with an air pocket you probably warped the housings. if the engine is cold and trys to push coolant out of the cap while turning over...it's probably toast.

in the future pay closer attention to your coolant temperature gauge, and get a wideband.

 

If water keeps rushing out on cranking then you have a blown coolant seal. A coolant seal does just that, prevents coolant from passing. Since each time you crank pressure is pushed causing your coolant/water to come out.

After adding coolant back into a car you absolutely need to burp the system, letting all excess air out.

That's how I see it. i don't know the accuracy of my statement. Wait for someone else to correct me if I'm wrong =P

 

 

WTF are you talking about? Don't go around spewing nonsense.

As for the OP's problem; It does sound like a blown coolant seal, the only way to tell 100% is to pressure test the cooling system. Using the pump, get the pressure up to 13psi and see if it holds pressure. If there is a coolant leak either internal or external, the pressure will drop.

You can get the tool to do it at any decent auto parts store.

 

It does sound like the coolant seal but if you want to bring it to a reputable shop to get it checked go to lucky seven racing in Duarte.

 

lol

 

The fluid is suppose to back itself out of the cap once it starts getting hot. I wasn't clear if this was the case or if it started backing itself out immediately. The car needs to be cold as possible.

 

this is rx7fdrider... pretty sure coolent seal is blown... so i'll keep everyone posted. thanks for everyone's input.

 

Why do you have 2 usernames?

 

he was at my house and posted using my name on accident.