Watch Out! That's A Rock! CRUNCH.

October 9, 2010 4:19 AM

2006 Volvo S60's radiator has gigantic hole incurred when driving over big rock (thanks, teenage daughter!), most fluid slowly leaked out over the course of a week. Local mechanic said it's a Volvo-shop fix, but the dealer is 12 miles away and the coolant tank is almost empty. Is it safe to drive to the shop? I really don't want to be stuck on 95 with an unfixable radiator (and then having to call AAA).
posted by dzaz to Grab Bag (12 answers total)

Best answer: Why not simply call a tow truck and thus avoid risking damaging the vehicle any further? I'm sure that the cost of a tow truck isn't that great a cost in terms of insurance against doing further damage. Heck, if it's a decent sized dealership and you explain the situation to them, they *may* even arrange the tow truck themselves.
posted by Biru at 4:25 AM on October 9, 2010

Best answer: Have you called AAA to see if they will cover the tow?
posted by Sukey Says at 4:28 AM on October 9, 2010

If it's taken a week to leak only half the contents of the reservoir, then the hole is quite small (assuming it's been driven). If the leak it's just a tiny drip (when running and warmed up) then you might very well make it. That said, you shouldn't risk overheating the car, as you can do serious engine damage very quickly. You apparently have AAA towing coverage. Use it.
posted by jon1270 at 4:29 AM on October 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Why did it not occur to me to ask AAA if they would tow? Yep, I'll do that.
posted by dzaz at 4:34 AM on October 9, 2010

You could also buy coolant, top off the tank, and drive it over there.
posted by Alt F4 at 5:00 AM on October 9, 2010

Response by poster: AAA will tow it from my driveway; no point in taking chances on killing the engine.
posted by dzaz at 5:05 AM on October 9, 2010

Best answer: Don't waste money on pouring more coolant in. Just use distilled water. It cools better than coolant anyway. There's nothing wrong with making the trip with a couple jugs of water in the back and keep your eye glued to the temperature guage. If it get's over 3/4, obviously you're low on fluid. Pull over and using a towel and gloves, open the cap and fill the radiator and overflow. Wait for it too cool down and finish the trip.

Water = $3
Tow = $45
posted by WhiteWhale at 7:13 AM on October 9, 2010

For any others who might have this same question later and not be able to have it towed. You could certainly fill the reservoir with straight water as long as there is no chance of it freezing during the drive. It isn't ideal but it will get you there and won't harm anything. The coolant in your car's radiator is mostly water. There are some additives to keep the water from freezing in the winter and to keep it from corroding the the engine and raise the boiling point. Except for the boiling point, those are all long-term problems. If not for the need for those three things, we would actually just use straight water in the car's cooling system. Water, by itself, actually performs better as a coolant than the water/antifreeze mixes we use.

If the leak gets faster and the engine starts to overheat, open the windows and run the heat in the car on full blast. It isn't comfortable but your car takes the heat from the engine bay so that should help keep things cooler.

So long as the leak is slow enough that you can drive a few miles before having to refill the system, there is absolutely no problem with filling the system with tap water and stopping to fill it as needed even for a week or two before getting it fixed.
posted by VTX at 7:20 AM on October 9, 2010

I got a 1/4 hole in my radiator once on a trip back from Montreal and sealed it up with some JB Weld. It worked so well I didn't even need to get it fixed and drove it that way until I traded it in. If you can find the hole head to an auto parts store and try it out, the stuff seals up as hard as rock.
posted by any major dude at 8:12 AM on October 9, 2010

Also might be worth calling your insurance carrier and seeing if they cover towing - I have USAA and they covered more than AAA.
posted by radioamy at 10:51 AM on October 9, 2010

fill the reservoir with straight water as long as there is no chance of it freezing during the drive

It can be -40 degrees outside. As long as you are driving, sufficient heat is generated by a running engine which totally eliminates the chance of pure water in the cooling system from freezing.

So, the idea of using water (yes distilled is preferred to prevent deposits) is a fine short term solution.
posted by walleeguy at 3:01 PM on October 9, 2010

Best answer: Followup: I drove it, no problems. $700 to fix (the bastards).
posted by dzaz at 2:35 AM on October 25, 2010