View Full Version : Puking Coolant while Autocrossing?


CosmosMpower
06-04-2007, 01:57 PM
I drove my RX-8 this weekend and it was pretty hot in the afternoon maybe 90 air temp. After my second lap on course (60 second with 70 mph section) I started to smell some coolant. Pulled into the pit, popped the hood and sure enough there were a few drops on the engine cover. Looked in the undertray inside the bumper and saw a few small pools of coolant, noticed the hose coming out of the overflow tank was wet.

Just wondering if any of you autox/track guys have ever seen the car puke out some coolant when it's too hot and you are driving hard. After cooling it down and driving home I didn't notice anything beyond that so I assume it's normal.

TeamRX8
06-04-2007, 03:35 PM
search n00b :p:

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=112059

StealthTL
06-04-2007, 03:48 PM
Yes, it's quite common to smell a burp of anti-freeze when you're driving hard.

Not as benign as it sounds either - the puke blows down into the cooling fans and dribbles over a critical steering connection. Bad connections and poor grounds in this harness have been implicated in failure of the power steering in many cars (mine included). Fixed under warranty, but still......

I put a hard plastic tube from the rubber vent to the bottom of the rad.

S

takahashi
06-05-2007, 03:57 AM
My power steering is on the other side haha.

I don't used to have it until recently. I guess I have to get a new radiator cap. I don't want to run higher pressure, it will just put pressure on the whole system. I will just change the stock one to a new one, new rubber ;).

MrSuicideDoor
06-06-2007, 08:41 AM
that explains my power steering failure, there are so many power streering threads i never knew this was the reason

CosmosMpower
06-07-2007, 08:44 AM
Thanks for the replies I will find a way to re-route the short rubber tube away from the ps. I've autocrossed the car at 5-6 events and this wast he first time it happened.