Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

Hi

I have a 1.4 2004 Honda Civic and on Saturday I pulled over with the engine running, was sitting there and all of a sudden I heard the top pipe of the radiator come off and all of the water and steam came out for no reason!

No warning.

I put the pipe back on this morning and refilled the radiator all seemed fine and I took it for a test drive about 6 miles.

I got back home and the top pipe had come off again.

Any ideas why this would have happened originally and then again today?

I had my brakes changed last week and when I pulled out the orange engine light had come on the one that looks as though there is a fan on the top and at the front, dont really know what that is!

It went off the next day so thought nothing off it.

Any help is greatly appreciated

Thanks

Re: Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

put some better hose clamps on there to start

Re: Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

It still has the original clip on it.

The one that you pinch to get it on and off.

Why would it suddently go like that?

As when I push it back on it seems fine!

Re: Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

Does the hose have any cracks, splits or bulges ?? End look o.k. ??

Inspect the hose and try a new clamp, only a couple $.

Re: Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

Does it overheat? Is the clamp really hard to pinch? SHould be, should need pliers to do it. I'd just replace the clamp with a good screw down one since it's popped off there already. Maybe there's a backup in your coolant flow, but if it's not overheating I doubt it.

Re: Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

It was not overheating, before it popped off.

You need a pair of pliers or as I used mull grips to pinch the clip.

I have not seen any cracks or splits and the end looks ok.

Like I say a few days before when I had my brakes changed a warning light came on an organge engine with what looked like a fan on the top and on the left side.

It went off again after a couple of days.

I dont think there is a block as it was running ok before.

Just seems funny that it just popped off the pipe that is, never had any trouble before.

Is there a right or wrong way to refill the radiator?

How much anti freeze should I use?

Thanks everyone

Re: Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

Make sure you fill it with the car running. If not, you'll crack something.

I usually just fill it until it's to the top.

Re: Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

There is a little expansion tank on the front of the radiator do I fill this.

Complete novice here!

What about the mix of Anti Freeze?

Re: Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

If your car didnt over heat use one of these http://www.customcorvetteaccessories...Band_Clamp.jpg
and just call it a day. You may want to consider changing all your clamps over to them. I still have OEM but once they go bad Im going to use some band clamps as well.

Re: Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

Fill the radiator with 50/50 mix, or better yet just use some Honda coolant that is perfectly mixed for your motor. Best to do it on a hill with nose up.

Re: Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

When you fill the rad the car needs to be at operating temp so the thermostat is open. If you take the cap off while it's cold and then let it run, you'll eventually see the coolant in the radiator go down, once this happens fill it more until it stays at that level.

Then after it cools back down later on, make sure the expansion tank is at the max level, there is a max and a min line on it that are kind of hard to see.

Re: Top Radiator Pipe Blew off Saturday!
 

Who taught you this?

Something might crack if the car is overheating and you add just straight, cold water to it. But not if the car is cool.