Little background -- about 2-ish weeks ago, was on my way to dinner with some friends, as I'm turning in to park my "engine temperature" gauge comes on for like 10 seconds... then goes off. Weird but didn't think anything TOO major (hot ass texas anyways right?)
Same night, on the way home, it comes on and stays on (not good) after a minute I hear an increasing "rattle" that varies with throttle input. Pulled into the first gas station I could find off the highway, engine fan is running for about 10 minutes after the car was turned off, can tell the car is hot as hell. Also noticed before I turned off the engine i had NO heat out of my heater when turned on.
So I pretty much know that I have no coolant at this point - I add about a gallon of water to tide me over for the 5 mile trip home, soon as I add it I can see it dripping out from "somewhere" in the car.
Long story short I limped it home, took a look and saw that it was the "heater/hot return line" coming off the firewall that had fallen off. Retainer clip was still there... easy fix, refilled the system with a 50/50 mix and thought I was good to go. Problem seemed to be solved for about a week until I was sitting in stop and go traffic -- temp light comes on again. Sadly I'm STUCK in traffic so to buy me some time I crank the heater, and after a minute or two the temp light goes off. Car definetly has coolant and NO leaks as I have full heat in the HVAC system.
Took it to a Kia dealership yesterday -- they said it might be an air pocket, they fiddle with it for an hour. Sadly I didn't get back into town early enough to let them have it all day. And they didn't have any loaners. Problem seemed fixed -- alas on the ride home in any sort of sit and go traffic or running without motion... the temp light comes on after 10 or 15 minutes.
Noticed that the radiator overflow tank was FULL - and looks like it barfed out some coolant as well. (the Kia guy saw this, and also heard the fans spinning at full force for a good while after I'd parked at the service area.
Will see what happens -- trying to drop it off tomorrow only bad part is neither dealerships close to my house had any loaners. (i refuse to sit down there for 5 hours, and I have things I have to do (work errands) so a loaner is expected. Moritz Kia in Hurst (DFW) seemed very nice and receptive, just a bit frusturating because after 11K perfect miles this happens.
GRRR
Same night, on the way home, it comes on and stays on (not good) after a minute I hear an increasing "rattle" that varies with throttle input. Pulled into the first gas station I could find off the highway, engine fan is running for about 10 minutes after the car was turned off, can tell the car is hot as hell. Also noticed before I turned off the engine i had NO heat out of my heater when turned on.
So I pretty much know that I have no coolant at this point - I add about a gallon of water to tide me over for the 5 mile trip home, soon as I add it I can see it dripping out from "somewhere" in the car.
Long story short I limped it home, took a look and saw that it was the "heater/hot return line" coming off the firewall that had fallen off. Retainer clip was still there... easy fix, refilled the system with a 50/50 mix and thought I was good to go. Problem seemed to be solved for about a week until I was sitting in stop and go traffic -- temp light comes on again. Sadly I'm STUCK in traffic so to buy me some time I crank the heater, and after a minute or two the temp light goes off. Car definetly has coolant and NO leaks as I have full heat in the HVAC system.
Took it to a Kia dealership yesterday -- they said it might be an air pocket, they fiddle with it for an hour. Sadly I didn't get back into town early enough to let them have it all day. And they didn't have any loaners. Problem seemed fixed -- alas on the ride home in any sort of sit and go traffic or running without motion... the temp light comes on after 10 or 15 minutes.
Noticed that the radiator overflow tank was FULL - and looks like it barfed out some coolant as well. (the Kia guy saw this, and also heard the fans spinning at full force for a good while after I'd parked at the service area.
Will see what happens -- trying to drop it off tomorrow only bad part is neither dealerships close to my house had any loaners. (i refuse to sit down there for 5 hours, and I have things I have to do (work errands) so a loaner is expected. Moritz Kia in Hurst (DFW) seemed very nice and receptive, just a bit frusturating because after 11K perfect miles this happens.
GRRR