Re: [DML] Re: Question about steel bottle

[Martin Gutkowski <webmaster@xxxx>]

Both Stephen Strelczak and Chris Parnham have independently had theirs explode as a
result of the fans not kicking in, and not having self-bleeder kits. I'm guessing the
coolant boils in the lines creating a bubble in the water pump, stopping it working.

My '89 Citroen BX has a coolant bottle which is made of the same stuff. It has survived
the head gasket going and all the coolant blowing out through the cap, but it's MUCH
thicker material, and is made in two halves with a clip that holds it together around the
middle, though this has never split. It has 181,000 miles on it and is a diesel.

I recommend making absolute sure your temp guage works, know where the fans should kick
in on it, and wire up the fan-fail light so it turns on when the fans turn on.

Martin
#1458

daveswingle2 wrote:

> Actually that brings up another question. It is often stated that it
> is important to change the header bottle becaust the plastic one
> fails. I've seen dozens/hundreds(?) of these, and they often look
> pretty bad (yellow, "crazed"), but I've never actually heard first-
> hand of someone who's had one fail under operation. This system is
> commonly used on other euro cars of the same era (notably BMW/SAAB)
> and it is not common on those cars to consider this a must-replace
> item.
>
> Just wondering if anyone on the list has really, first-hand, seen one
> of these fail.
>
> Dave Swingle (Yes - changed mine to a SS bottle too - and still have
> a perfectly good but slightly yellow plastic one around here
> somewhere)