Loss Of Coolant - Pretty Gutted.

[Cbaileyuk]

Hi all,

 

Spent the afternoon prepping my exige pre the meet. Went to fill up with fuel. Took a detour home, half way through I saw what looked like a washer jet squirt from the front passenger grill onto the windscreen. Thought I was seeing things at first. Drove a mile keeping my eye ion temps which stayed stable. About another half of a mile saw the temps raise to 95,pulled into layby to watch the remaining coolant pour out of the front of the car. Sat there and had a little cry. Watched my very clean car cry with me. Called for a low loader and waited until 11:30pm for it to arrive.

 

Have just got back home. Car is now in the garage but needs to be inspected. I imagine my radiator has broke or the pipes to it. This is my start of learning how to remove a clam. Fingers crossed for me.

 

Gutted I can't make the meet tomorrow. I would have loved to have been there as I loved my elise and the exige is even better.

 

I hope it's a good day for you all.

[dobbo]

Nooooo. Seems coolant is the new HGF this year.

[Cbaileyuk]

Can't sleep and now surfing how to undertake a clam removal. I think I will fail at the first hurdle because I know my jack will struggle to get under the car. On my elise I used to drive it onto wood then the Jack fitted but I can't start this now due to lack of coolant, so haven't got a clue how to fit the Jack under

 

What a mare, car stuck in my little garage, face forward which has a slope to it so I can't get it out to get to a specialist if I struggle for space

[jonnyboy]

Is this on the new Exige? Can only be the Rad. If you get stuck with anything just gibve me a bell

[turbotoaster]

If you need help taking the clam off let me know and i can always pop over to give you a hand, ive got a low profile jack I use on my car and my car will be lower than yours so it will work.

[Cbaileyuk]

If you need help taking the clam off let me know and i can always pop over to give you a hand, ive got a low profile jack I use on my car and my car will be lower than yours so it will work.

 

Hi all, thanks for the awesome offers... (Johnny, yes, new exige damned 9k garage queens).

 

The rad is completely fooked. Clam is now off. Attached garden hose to it, completely squirting up the seam of the right hand side

 

Need an alloy replacement. I am a little flummoxed by how it comes out. It seems to be intertwined with aircon stuff.

 

 

This is progress to date:

 

The rad has completely fecked. Its split up the side. Removed hoses once the clam was off, attached garden hose to one side, literally pissing out of the other side, in line where it sprayed the screen. Its toast.

 

This is a pic of 8 (yes 8!) hours work

 

 

In process of getting new alloy rad and so we start again

 

Head mashed. Learned a lot about the car though.

 

What confuses me though, still, is that I have an aircon exige S and it looks like a bit of a mare to get the rad out of the support structure. been told that the aircon is strapped to it so be mindful of that. Quit for the day and will start again next week

[jonnyfox]

You are so almost there...... Watching you don't drop screws or bolts behind the front crash structure, top shroud off, 4 screws. Rad/oil cooler shroud off, remove loom running around the side and front, double bolts and brackets infront and behind rad and the others around and abouts. Pipes off, split, change, pipes on, shrouds...sorted! Honestly it isn't that bad. I too drink while working on the car....good man :-) well done stick with it.

 

 

My AC was removed a while ago btw which bust the brittle fans so replaced with Pro Alloy fan kit and rad. Edit yes no oil coolers either, got rid of them too so may be a case of just loosen the shroud with said double bolts out etc (reminded via exiges.com).

[Cbaileyuk]

I'm getting a right rep on that can! It was a celebratory beer after a crazy weekend!

 

I read this on another forum:

 

I managed to remove the radiator without unplugging the AC or anything else! The trick is to lift the rear of the radiator as far as it will go, then reach in and up from the front of the car where the air comes in, and undo the 2 nuts that mount the front of the radiator to the AC condenser. Then undo the 4 screws on the rear side - those are easy to see and access. 

 

Any use?

[chris_h]

I would have a good look at the condition of the the aircon condenser before refitting the rad. All the cores started falling off mine so replaced both rad and aircon at the same time.

 

It would be a right pain to have to re do the work in the near future.

[jonnyfox]

My car had only done 12k miles and was 18 months old when I bought it, might of lived outside but same here Chris, when the rad was changed the condenser and fans pretty much fell off.

[Cbaileyuk]

My plan is to see how the condenser looks when the rad is off. If the condenser looks fooked, then off road the car for a few more weeks and then order a new condenser and fans, then swap the lot. If the condenser looks OK, just do the rad swap. Fingers crossed the condenser doesn't implode when the rad is shifted :-)

[chris_h]

Seem to remember when I bought mine that Elise-shop were the cheapest for the condenser.

[Cbaileyuk]

I'll have a look. Hopefully I don't need one

[Cbaileyuk]

Fans tested and fine. Phew. Ac condenser looks great. Cleaned and spraying with a bit of sealant to lower oxidation.

 

Slight update.

 

New rad in, just need to get coolant in and bled now. Job for tomorrow.

 

It's a long job to swap a rad in an exige. About 16 hours for me atm but a bit of a novice. I expect 23 hours when complete. I think lotus do it in 10. Massive novice alert but really enjoyed it.

 

 

You might find this interesting

 

 

And

 

[Cbaileyuk]

It's done. I found it a job from hell on first run. My hands feel like they have been soaked in acid. 22 hrs to do it. I know the front end of the car intimately.

 

 

But at least the wheel arches sparkle now

 

 

For those that may need this doing...

 

I'm not a skilled mechanic, just a patient and methodical novice . I can do discs, pads, oils changes on my old cars, have a reasonable collection of good tools now, a couple of decent jacks, etc but I am eager to learn new things and lotuses, despite their weaknesses are pretty simple beasts. I read lots of guides, posted threads and talked to people. It's essentially a big meccano kit but everything is dead sharp and my hands are scratched to fck. Getting things in and out takes time. Like stated, it's a 22hr job for my skills and I still have a tray to screw on.

 

What is good advice is buy some freezer bags and make labels and name the bags and put the fasteners in the bags and tape them to the thing you took off. That means you have a good understanding when reassembling. I would have got confused when I did that bit had I not kept good control.

 

Also when refilling coolant I thought you poured it in and away it flowed but it's a little more involved than that. I fashioned a pressure kit and got it in, did a lot of bleeding and refilling, then idling and testing and it was done. Can you remove a rad only, without disturbing ac in an s2? Yes you can. Do you need to drill or cut anything? No you do not. But, a hinged ratchet spanner in 8 and 10 Mill is a tool from the gods. Without those, things would be different. Go and buy a set now. Do it. Even if you don't use them, just look at the wonder of them. I love that tool. Absolutely brilliant.

 

So what did I do?

 

Stripped the front end clam off

Removed internals to permit restricted radiator access

Removed split rad

Cleaned ac condenser

Dc tested fans

Refitted new alloy radiator

Kurusted any surface rust I could see

Fitted new silicon hoses (rip off 90 quid)

Fitted new stainless tow post as old one was nasty

Reassembled and copper greased

Oh and cleaned anything I could get my hands on.

Also swapped rusty old fittings where necessary

 

If anyone need this doing, and lives in the North /Midlands please contact me as I would like to payback some of the help people have given to me. It will take 2 weekends but anyone with a good methodical approach and the correct tools can do this job.

 

Any advice from other newbs, message me and I'll try to help.