Mr Footlong

iTrader: (7)

And boy oh boy what a day for it eh chaps! Gales and driving rain at 8:30 this morning, just in time to go to work. Set off as normal and was about to join the queue that is the A31 as you pass through Farnham when I noticed that a bucketload of steam started to pour out through the right side of the bonnet. This was at traffic lights just as I was moving off. Pulled over about 20 seconds later and switched off.

I noticed some water spattering around the ABS area behind the light but was concentrating more on holding the bonnet down in the gales and keeping the rain out of my eyes lol. Didn't see anything glaringly obvious. Walked in to a nearby industrial estate and begged some water off somebody to try and get the 1/2 mile back home. The guy came out with an old beaten up 2 litre drinks bottle that he only half filled with water for me and then asked for the bottle back lol.

Poured almost all the water in and tried to limp home but when cranking the heat up to max and the fans to try and aid any overheating all that came out was cold air. Within 20 secs the steam started up again and on top of this the engine started to feel like it was 'slowing' on me a little as the best way that I could describe it. I could only turn off about 10-15 seconds after detecting this but I was driving like a fairy so fingers crossed no damage.

Rang good old Subaru4you up and told them that something had gone oopsie. After I finished gibbering on like a fool, Len got an explanation out me in english and within 10 seconds had diagnosed it as being 1 of 2 things. Split in the rad top pipe or the rad side expansion-type thing. Popped the bonnet and found a 2 inch split in the underside of the top hose that had been hiding from me!

I walked the 1/2 mile back home along with my housemate/work colleague head on into the gales and rain with just a fleece for cover lol. Got back, grabbed his trusty Vectra (hmm) and I flat on my back in a puddle in the road getting at the towing eye so we could tow me back home. He was in his own little world and didn't notice me gesturing at him like a man possesed to slow right down as I had absolutely no brakes coming up to the 1st junction. Tow cable went slack, he moved off and everything went boing once the slack was taken up . So there we were, stuck in the middle of a T junction, hazards on, him stalled and traffic coming from all angles. Joy. After about 5 'boing's we got going again with him flying down the road at 30 towing me!!! Man my handbrake didn't sound overly happy with me at the next junction, luckily by using a lead foot on the brake pedal I just about managed to stop. Still he was blissfully unaware of all of this and finally coming to a stop outside our house I avoided hitting his lovely towbar by about 2 inches.

Thank god that was over. Soaked through and freezing I got to work only 1 hour late. I was still wet at midday, which was nice.

Sorry if that bored anyone but today absolutely sucked but I am glad that this is my first failure in all my time of owning Imprezas and touchwood I turned her off in time! Kudos to Len for diagnosing this with military precision and saving me a lot of worry and headscratching .

Cheers,

Nick.

Mr Footlong

iTrader: (7)

P.S. I did wonder if TYPE-R had found out my address and come over and slashed the pipe in the middle of the night. I kid I kid .

finalzero

Owe mate, I almost cringed when I read the line
Almost thought you were going to write "and my car smashed into the back of my mates Vectra".. phew.

Good luck and hope your car is sorted quick time.

Mr Footlong

iTrader: (7)

Well, this was what I found when I replaced the pipe on friday:

http://www.ftaclan.net/clanftp/nick/...fy/goodgod.jpg

It took just over 5 litres of coolant to refill! I have no idea how the engine survived or if there is any long term damage as I have yet to really take her on a proper drive. I will take a gamble and drive in to work tomorrow

vindaloo

Yup, that hose has really gone for it! Fingers crossed you've been lucky as you had the sense to turn it off before it stopped of its own accord.

Have you taken it for a run since and do you think you've got all of the lovely airlocks out of the system?

J.

Mr Footlong

iTrader: (7)

I took her for a 60 second run on friday due to the fact that a hazy smoke was coming from the rear! I think this was the soaked heatwrap drying out though as when I took her for a 5 min run yesterday it didn't appear to return. I had squeezed the rad pipes as much as poss to encourage the bubbles to come out and the level hasn't dropped so fingers crosses. There doesn't appear to be any oil in the water and vice versa so far, fingers crossed. I am just worried that due to the engine feeling like it was starting to fight me a bit 10-20 secs before I could turn off will have damaged it .

rob2006

iTrader: (1)

I hope all is well for you, this happened to my classic a few years ago. As far as i can remember the water system in the impreza is self bleeding so after 10min of idle with fans at max you will be fine.

with regards to long term damage.... my old car is now being used in rally cross on the same engine. I'm sure it will be fine.

Mr Footlong

iTrader: (7)

Thanks for that Rob. I reset the ecu for the sake of it at work today after driving her in a little gingerly. Took her out for a run this afternoon and I am having a problem with the idle hunting a bit and the oil press is hovering between 2-3.8 bar accordingly when hunting. The ECU read error 23 maf but she has read error 23 maf since the dawn of time lol and I have fitted 2 in the last 2 years for the hell of it.

I have checked hoses etc and evreything seems connected and have also double checked the MAF connector as I had it out when replacing the pipe last week. Any other things that could be causing this? I don't recall having any idle problems on the way in this morning but only stopped a couple of times on the way in after she had warmed up.

Cheers,

Nick.