Project Free Mazda: The Mazda 323 is down.

"Luc - The Acadian Oppo" (luc5)
11/12/2014 at 09:35 • Filed to: PROJECT FREE MAZDA

I was gonna take the Mazda yesterday to go run some errands and I wasn't gone for 10 mins when I'm driving and a squirt of coolant flies in the windshield, I look in my back mirror and all I see is smoke. Check the cars temp and all is normal about 5 seconds later the temp spikes to the max. I pull over steam billowing out of this thing like you wouldn't believe. I turn off the car,pop the hood and there is coolant everywhere!

But the funny part is that not a drop of coolant was dripping on the ground. would it be possible that I lost a frost plug or something and was totally empty of coolant at the time?

I was maybe 5-10 miles from home so I let it cool off and start limping it home. I had to stop 3 times to let it cool off to make it back as the temp kept spiking.

I couldn't tell where it was leaking from but it's in the very front of the car somewhere. the wettest part was in front of the rad but it also looks like the underside of the upper rad hose was really wet.

This is the first time I used the car in 4-5 days and the first time the car has been used in sub freezing temperatures since I've owned it. It was -14 dec C (~6 deg F) if that matters.

To make matters worst is that although this is a spare car and I don't really need it. I'm moving in 10 days so I have to fix it real quick. And because of the stupid day light savings time it dark by the time I get home from work.

DISCUSSION (12)

dogisbadob > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
11/11/2014 at 21:21

All you could see of your car is smoke and mirrors :p

Buy a couple bottles of coolant and/or water, get the title, and drive it to the nearest junkyard and get like $200 cash.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
11/11/2014 at 21:28

If you did blow a frost plug, I'd think that dumping it full of water would show you a missing frost plug pretty quick. If it is going to be sub-zero temperatures, though, putting straight water into it, and it freezes like that overnight, there's a pretty good chance you'll crack the block.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > BaconSandwich is tasty.
11/11/2014 at 21:45

Right now it's sitting in the parking lot empty of coolant. I'll check it out tomorrow and see if I can find anything. I couldn't see anything because of all the steam earlier. Hopefully I did not do to much damage driving it back empty.

shop-teacher > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
11/11/2014 at 22:41

That sucks all around. You can always get it towed to the new house, and then you can break in your sweet new garage by working on the car there.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > shop-teacher
11/11/2014 at 23:33

I could but the towing charge would probably be worth more than the car is worth.

shop-teacher > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
11/12/2014 at 07:30

True, but that car was never about the money.

505Turbeaux > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
11/12/2014 at 09:41

get that freeze plug done now! This was my luck at 11 degrees one lovely morning in the fox wagon.

Kinja'd!!!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
11/12/2014 at 09:42

Could be the radiator. If you got aerosol coolant anywhere near the fan, it'll spread it everywhere (including the radiator hose). The 323 uses a downflow radiator with a top and bottom plastic tank, and if you got a lump of concentrated water in the bottom tank, you might have freeze-cracked it. Very possible.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
11/12/2014 at 09:46

It very well could be. tonight I'll put more coolant in there and run it to see if I can find the leak.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
11/12/2014 at 09:47

Could you have blown out a hose due to the extreme weather already happening in your region?

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > 505Turbeaux
11/12/2014 at 09:47

I'm hoping it's just a freeze plug. That would be an easy fix. I will put more effort in finding the source tonight.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/12/2014 at 09:48

It's very possible. I will put more coolant in and run it to see if I can find the leak.