3200 + pothole = water leak

[LDM 3200]

Just been out in the 3200 and had a bit of a bump down a pothole, there was a metalic sounding crack from the passenger side front and although initially nothing was visible (in the dark) steam has appeared from the area and it looks like it is damp through the vents in the front wheel arch.

Fortunately the car did not get over hot and no warning lights came on so hopefully the only damage is that of the impact which no doubt will be expensive and awkward to sort on its own.

I seem to remember reading that there was something in that area which could be easily damaged.

I have taken pictures of the offending hole in the road too so will be speaking to the roads department.

 

[D Walker]

You can claim for the damage incurred - which I know is no consilation!

 

[Contigo]

Steam? Sounds a little ominous but could just have been water hitting a hot rad, I would let the car idle at home for a good while and keep an eye on the temp.

 

[LDM 3200]

Something has cracked as i'm sure water level has gone down but will need to have a better look in the daylight.

 

[jluis]

I had the front crossmember that holds the radiators in place bent on one of the sides, probably due to the previous owner hitting a potthole as well.
In my case I have no damage to the water radiator but the oil radiator is slightly loose.

It's possible that in your case the hit caused the bottom of the radiator to crack.

I already read about more people complaining on how easy it is to damage the crossmember holding the radiator due to being so low.
Since I have an AC, I guess it's even easier in my case.

 

[StuartW]

Also, that cross member is very susceptible to corrosion as it collects water from driving in the wet and if the radiator or air conditioning condenser leaks, water can gather. Something to keep an eye on as it is the main support for a lot of components above it

 

[LDM 3200]

I've not had a chance to look the car over yet but am guessing the radiator is damaged and will therefore need sorting, not something I fancy doing this time of year. I have located a couple of possible replacements and decide what to do once I've had a better look.

 

[LDM 3200]

Ok I had a look at the car tonight, it was fairly dark so I could not see much. The coolant level had dropped so there is a leak in the system somewhere.

Initialy I couldn't see any leaks so started the car and after a while I could see some drips under the engine but not as far forward as the radiator. The car was on a slight slope so am pretty certain it is not running back from the radiator. It appears to be from the passenger side and forward of the rack. When looking under the car there is something that looks similar in shape to a oil filter but smaller which seems to have a drip forming on it.

After a while something smelt hot so turned the car off, the temperature did not seem overly high.

I had accepted that I might need a new radiator but now I am even more nervous now. Any ideas / advice would be appreciated but am guessing I will probably have to wait for the weekend to have a proper look.

 

[macaroni]

Sorry to hear about your mishap Lee, hope you get it sorted painlessly and can claim all the costs back from the council.

 

[RSM Masser]

I would certainly pursue a claim - the council will make it as awkward as they can in an effort to make you give up.
Took two years of arguing for them to agree mine and pay my insurance excess - (it was a £4k claim) then they denied liability - that leD to a row with insurance company who wanted to up my premium for an unrecoverable accident, more letters, more agg - not sure I have won the case 3 years later!

Hope you get the car sorted - rad replacement is awkward rather than difficult - plenty of tips on here if you need to try it yourself

 

[LDM 3200]

Many thanks, the council sent out a claim form straight away and there are now ramp signs up to warn drivers of the hole - I suspect bodies have been found in shallower ones!

The water had gone down slightly again when I checked this evening so this still looks like where the issue is and assume that a pipe / fitting or something probably more expensive on the passenger side of the engine bay between the steering rack and radiator.

 

[LDM 3200]

A bit slow with the follow up on this but wanted to make sure everything was resolved / right before posting.

I seems the problem was one of the water hoses that serves the turbo. The jolt must have caused it to split in a couple of places, so am guessing it was on its way out despite not looking too bad. On tick over barely a leak but under load it poured out. The location of the pipe made it quite tricky to spot initially.

Now changed with everything back together all seems fine so hopefully that will be the end of it, so a bit of a lucky escape that it turned out to be something simple and cheap - touch wood.

 

[allandwf]

That's the two hoses mine is getting replaced at the moment. Awkward ones.

 

[LDM 3200]

Yes awkward - I did think about doing it my self but just didn't fancy it. Fortunately I have a very good mechanic / garage which have always worked on my cars and trust to do things properly.

 

[StuartW]

Very lucky indeed, whilst they are awkward to get to, it could have been a whole lot worse

 

[MAF260]

I had one of those hoses go on my old 3200 with an impressive plume of steam out of the nearside bonnet vent. I had both replaced as a precaution, would now advise anyone doing it to replace with silicone hose.

 

[saintetienne]

Good news Lee - it could have been much worse , makes me laugh that the government want to spend billions on new roads when they can't even look after the ones already in existence !