Alto - Coolant Leakage - How to take my car to Service?

Karim Bhai · 27th April 2009, 12:03

Hi All, my query was unanswered in the "coolnt leaked" thread hence i am posting it in a new thread. Kindly advise as i have very limited knowledge and dont want to pay high repair cost for nothing...

Hi All, yesterday all of sudden while runing my AC stopped working. Blower was on. I came back home assuming some problems with the ac cooling mech. In the eve again i took my car out and on the signal when i switched off my car - it refused to start. I had to push it alone to the left side with family on board. Opened the bonet. It was all burning hot with burning smell. little smoke. Coolent box was dry empty. the cover was open. there is a straw kind of pipe which goes down attached to the cover. I filled water. no go. went to near by bakery poared 7 - 8 jugs of water slowly in 15 mins and waited there for more half an hour. engine started. it was 10 PM in the night home was still 3 kms. Same happened again once. repeated the same steps. I dont see any alarm lights on the dashboard.
Also most important point : after filling the water in the coolnt container i am unable to close it. it is not closing.. Have not started it since 20th apr 09
*** How to take my car to service center? is the engine damaged due to this? will the pickup reduce. car 3 years old out of warranty , what will be aprox repair cost? can i do something at home and drive it to service..Please advise. Regards, Karim Bhai

BenjiRoss · 27th April 2009, 13:36

What car is it?
You can tow it to the service center.
I hope other TBHPians will come up with a temporary solution to get it till the service center though!

ashthedivx · 27th April 2009, 13:48

Did you checked the Temp. Gauge while things were going on. It must be at Red level for sure.

I would suggest to fill up the water and check for some hose pipe or sealant leakages. If somehow you are able to catch hold of leakage proximity is to fix up somehow with local mechanic and take it to nearest service center.

Rudra Sen · 27th April 2009, 13:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

What car is it?

His profile say Alto.
I think it's not an AC issue but coolant circulation issue. Check if there's any leakage anywhere. Especially inlet/outlet radiator pipes.

Karim Bhai · 27th April 2009, 14:12

Sorry for not mentioning the Car.. Its a 3.5 years old maruti alto lx.
1- When i noticed that the coolnt is empty the cover was open.
2- I filled it up with bottld water but couldnt not seal it back - its still open. There is a straw / pipe which is attached down.
3- I didnt get any over heat signal on the dash display - i remember it was normal.
4 - My question is - there is a motor type thing on the your left side of the engine (Left when you open the bonnet facing the car) a belt is attached to it which revolves. there is some leakage there and slight smoke came out from that motor i remeber. What is that motor? is it the pump which is needed to pull the coolent which is not working? I am reaching home and inspect it again. Regards,, Karim Bhai

Samir Taheer · 27th April 2009, 14:14

I dont know what its like on the Alto, but a lot of cars have a collant overflow container. Is that what your filling? Also i guess like everyone else has said - Check for leaks or get the car towed to the nearest service centre.

amit_mechengg · 27th April 2009, 15:13

the motor on the left hand side is the alternator. did u see smoke coming out of that? however i dont see any connection between this and the coolant.
secondly of the green pipe from the coolant container was out the coolant might have leaked on the hot parts of the engine and hence the smoke.
try putting new bottle of coolant with distilled water and check again. press the cap of the coolant chamber tight and it will fit. sometimes its tricky.

sudev · 27th April 2009, 15:52

Most likely your car overheated (or pump leaked) and now there is no water inside the radiator. Coolant bottle will not work to refill the radiator in such a case.

Best get it towed to service station and get it checked there.

If that is not possible then open the radiator cap (not coolant bottle) and fill up with water (clean water will do as you only need to drive to nearest service). and also keep water in couple of five liter tins handy. And do not put the radiator cap back.

Start the car and keep a sharp look at the temp gauge. Stop driving the moment it gets near the red area. Stop and refill water with engine running. Try to get your car to service station this way. BUT only if you can not get it towed.

sgiitk · 27th April 2009, 16:23

If you decide to drive to the service centre do not put the radiator cap on - reduced pressure means less liquid loss. Carry sufficient water (clean tap will do) and periodically top up (the temperature gauge is a good indicator for this). Remember with a hot engine you must have the engine running when you pour cold water into the radiator, else your isk a cracked block/head. I have driven over 70km in the old days in an Amby with the water leaking!

CrackedHead · 27th April 2009, 16:38

If the service station is not too far (how can it be for a Maruti) then its ok to drive to it by regularly topping up the radiator with tap water.

But don't wait for the temperature gauge to climb near the red zone (risk - a damaged head gasket) before you stop for topping up.

Stop and top up when the temperature rises above the normal zone.

im_srini · 27th April 2009, 18:04

Hi Karim, I was in the same predicament a few months ago...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karim Bhai

1- When i noticed that the coolnt is empty the cover was open.

In my case too, the coolant reservoir was empty. I waited for a while for the engine to cool down & then opened the radiator cap, that's when I found out that I'd lost a lot of coolant. You could check to see if you've lost coolant in your radiator too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karim Bhai

3- I didnt get any over heat signal on the dash display - i remember it was normal.

My gauge too showed nothing untoward until my engine quit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karim Bhai

4 - My question is - there is a motor type thing on the your left side of the engine (Left when you open the bonnet facing the car) a belt is attached to it which revolves. there is some leakage there and slight smoke came out from that motor i remeber. What is that motor?

Actually, two "motor-type-things" can be seen, one would be the alternator & the other would be your AC compressor.

Anyway, in my case a heater hose had split, leaking coolant. I change my radiator hoses every couple of years, but never once spared a thought to the little heater hose - it sure showed me that night !

Just call Maruti's 24-hour roadside service or a local garage guy to check your coolant situation, the hoses, & the belts. They should be able to fix it enough for you to be able to drive it down to your friendly neighborhood service center...

a_mukherji · 27th April 2009, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karim Bhai

Sorry for not mentioning the Car.. Its a 3.5 years old maruti alto lx.
1- When i noticed that the coolnt is empty the cover was open.
2- I filled it up with bottld water but couldnt not seal it back - its still open. There is a straw / pipe which is attached down.
3- I didnt get any over heat signal on the dash display - i remember it was normal.
4 - My question is - there is a motor type thing on the your left side of the engine (Left when you open the bonnet facing the car) a belt is attached to it which revolves. there is some leakage there and slight smoke came out from that motor i remeber. What is that motor? is it the pump which is needed to pull the coolent which is not working? I am reaching home and inspect it again. Regards,, Karim Bhai

Motor type of the left side of engine is alternator [dynamo in plain language] but that belt which connects alternator also goes to water pump or coolant pump. If your temp. is rising it could mean three things :
1. your water pump is not working, the belt is broken
2. there is leak in water pump system
3. and the most important, the leak in water system happenend such that water is mixing with hot-engine oil. If this happens you will see lot of water vapour coming out and whatever amount of water you fill it will vapourize. You wont be able to run the car for a long distance at a stretch. But the fix is not expensive, they will take out the engine out because it is located on a less-accessible place.

you can call maruti on road service and tow your car that will be the safest option rather than trying to put water and stopping every 2-3 km.

HappyWheels · 27th April 2009, 19:25

Do not see any reason why the coolant lid cannot be placed back when filled with water. Maybe you did not fix it properly. Do check again.

Also check the hose that goes into the engine frame. The clip over there will be loose and is causing leakage of the coolant.

Do this, pour water to the brim of the coolant tank when the car is in your parking. Start and let the engine run for some time. Check where the leak is occurring and try to source of the leak. Would be better if you keep the parking dry before trying this.

jinojohnt · 11th June 2010, 17:35

1. My Alto Lxi is due for coolant change. Is 50:50 (coolant:water) ratio ok?
2. In that case, how many liters of coolant should I buy?
3. Please suggest a good brand of coolant and the specifications of the coolant that needs to be used for Alto.

jinojohnt · 16th June 2010, 09:41

After reading the threads in team bhp, now I know that it's best to stick to the ratio 1:2 for coolant/water, unless the climate is very cold. (The best liquid that cools the engine is water - the coolant serves the purpose of anti-freeze and anti corrosion only. So it's not advisable to use 100% coolant without water).

I have bought Castrol coolant (1 liter, mentioned as 'Heavy Duty for Trucks and Cars' not sure whether there is any other spec)

Can somebody tell me what's the coolant capacity of Alto Lxi? If I know the total capacity in advance, I could purchase the appropriate quantity of coolant before going to the service center.

27th April 2009, 12:03	#1
Karim Bhai Newbie Join Date: May 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 19 Thanked: Once	Alto - Coolant Leakage - How to take my car to Service? Hi All, my query was unanswered in the "coolnt leaked" thread hence i am posting it in a new thread. Kindly advise as i have very limited knowledge and dont want to pay high repair cost for nothing... Hi All, yesterday all of sudden while runing my AC stopped working. Blower was on. I came back home assuming some problems with the ac cooling mech. In the eve again i took my car out and on the signal when i switched off my car - it refused to start. I had to push it alone to the left side with family on board. Opened the bonet. It was all burning hot with burning smell. little smoke. Coolent box was dry empty. the cover was open. there is a straw kind of pipe which goes down attached to the cover. I filled water. no go. went to near by bakery poared 7 - 8 jugs of water slowly in 15 mins and waited there for more half an hour. engine started. it was 10 PM in the night home was still 3 kms. Same happened again once. repeated the same steps. I dont see any alarm lights on the dashboard. Also most important point : after filling the water in the coolnt container i am unable to close it. it is not closing.. Have not started it since 20th apr 09 *** How to take my car to service center? is the engine damaged due to this? will the pickup reduce. car 3 years old out of warranty , what will be aprox repair cost? can i do something at home and drive it to service..Please advise. Regards, Karim Bhai
	() Thanks

27th April 2009, 13:36	#2
BenjiRoss Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tamilnadu Posts: 1,066 Thanked: 1,330 Times	What car is it? You can tow it to the service center. I hope other TBHPians will come up with a temporary solution to get it till the service center though!
	() Thanks

27th April 2009, 13:48	#3
ashthedivx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 1,356 Thanked: 24 Times	Did you checked the Temp. Gauge while things were going on. It must be at Red level for sure. I would suggest to fill up the water and check for some hose pipe or sealant leakages. If somehow you are able to catch hold of leakage proximity is to fix up somehow with local mechanic and take it to nearest service center.
	() Thanks

27th April 2009, 14:12	#5
Karim Bhai Newbie Join Date: May 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 19 Thanked: Once	Sorry for not mentioning the Car.. Its a 3.5 years old maruti alto lx. 1- When i noticed that the coolnt is empty the cover was open. 2- I filled it up with bottld water but couldnt not seal it back - its still open. There is a straw / pipe which is attached down. 3- I didnt get any over heat signal on the dash display - i remember it was normal. 4 - My question is - there is a motor type thing on the your left side of the engine (Left when you open the bonnet facing the car) a belt is attached to it which revolves. there is some leakage there and slight smoke came out from that motor i remeber. What is that motor? is it the pump which is needed to pull the coolent which is not working? I am reaching home and inspect it again. Regards,, Karim Bhai
	() Thanks

27th April 2009, 14:14	#6
Samir Taheer BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: London & Pune Posts: 459 Thanked: 278 Times	I dont know what its like on the Alto, but a lot of cars have a collant overflow container. Is that what your filling? Also i guess like everyone else has said - Check for leaks or get the car towed to the nearest service centre.
	() Thanks

27th April 2009, 15:13	#7
amit_mechengg Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 2,487 Thanked: 2,251 Times View My Garage	the motor on the left hand side is the alternator. did u see smoke coming out of that? however i dont see any connection between this and the coolant. secondly of the green pipe from the coolant container was out the coolant might have leaked on the hot parts of the engine and hence the smoke. try putting new bottle of coolant with distilled water and check again. press the cap of the coolant chamber tight and it will fit. sometimes its tricky.
	() Thanks

27th April 2009, 15:52	#8
sudev Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 3,838 Thanked: 3,179 Times	Most likely your car overheated (or pump leaked) and now there is no water inside the radiator. Coolant bottle will not work to refill the radiator in such a case. Best get it towed to service station and get it checked there. If that is not possible then open the radiator cap (not coolant bottle) and fill up with water (clean water will do as you only need to drive to nearest service). and also keep water in couple of five liter tins handy. And do not put the radiator cap back. Start the car and keep a sharp look at the temp gauge. Stop driving the moment it gets near the red area. Stop and refill water with engine running. Try to get your car to service station this way. BUT only if you can not get it towed.
	() Thanks

27th April 2009, 16:23	#9
sgiitk BANNED Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gurugram Posts: 7,969 Thanked: 4,787 Times	If you decide to drive to the service centre do not put the radiator cap on - reduced pressure means less liquid loss. Carry sufficient water (clean tap will do) and periodically top up (the temperature gauge is a good indicator for this). Remember with a hot engine you must have the engine running when you pour cold water into the radiator, else your isk a cracked block/head. I have driven over 70km in the old days in an Amby with the water leaking!
	() Thanks

27th April 2009, 16:38	#10
CrackedHead BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Seattle Posts: 585 Thanked: 81 Times	If the service station is not too far (how can it be for a Maruti) then its ok to drive to it by regularly topping up the radiator with tap water. But don't wait for the temperature gauge to climb near the red zone (risk - a damaged head gasket) before you stop for topping up. Stop and top up when the temperature rises above the normal zone.
	() Thanks

27th April 2009, 19:25	#13
HappyWheels Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,106 Thanked: 537 Times	Do not see any reason why the coolant lid cannot be placed back when filled with water. Maybe you did not fix it properly. Do check again. Also check the hose that goes into the engine frame. The clip over there will be loose and is causing leakage of the coolant. Do this, pour water to the brim of the coolant tank when the car is in your parking. Start and let the engine run for some time. Check where the leak is occurring and try to source of the leak. Would be better if you keep the parking dry before trying this.
	() Thanks

11th June 2010, 17:35	#14
jinojohnt Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 1,124 Thanked: 794 Times	1. My Alto Lxi is due for coolant change. Is 50:50 (coolant:water) ratio ok? 2. In that case, how many liters of coolant should I buy? 3. Please suggest a good brand of coolant and the specifications of the coolant that needs to be used for Alto.
	() Thanks

16th June 2010, 09:41	#15
jinojohnt Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 1,124 Thanked: 794 Times	After reading the threads in team bhp, now I know that it's best to stick to the ratio 1:2 for coolant/water, unless the climate is very cold. (The best liquid that cools the engine is water - the coolant serves the purpose of anti-freeze and anti corrosion only. So it's not advisable to use 100% coolant without water). I have bought Castrol coolant (1 liter, mentioned as 'Heavy Duty for Trucks and Cars' not sure whether there is any other spec) Can somebody tell me what's the coolant capacity of Alto Lxi? If I know the total capacity in advance, I could purchase the appropriate quantity of coolant before going to the service center.
	() Thanks