Before heading out last weekend I check all my fluids just to be sure. Esp. in the Georgia heat. As a friend of mine and I pulled onto Interstate 20 I made the comment that I hoped that all my lids and caps were all on. I alway check, but I'm paranoid. I decided that it was fine. Big mistake.

Somewhere between nowhere and nowhere, as we were driving along, suddenly my A/C began blowing hot air. It caught our attention very quickly and I had but to just glance at my temp gauge which wasstanding RIGHT ON THE RED LINE!!!!!! Holy cow! I wish I had drop into neutral and cut the engine, but in the excitment of getting off the highway and slowing from 85 to 0 I didn't have the presence of mind. We came to a screeching halt and I cut the engine.

Inspection showed that I had indeed left the cap off the overflow tank. It had fallen and was resting in the engine compartment. I had almost NO fluid. I was so sure that I lost my engine. An hour later we recieved some water from some friends, filled the system, and to our suprise it started right up. No roughness, no smoke, cool air. I couldn't believe it.

I hope I dodged a bullet. Is there any chance that damage was done and I just don't know it? I know how sensitive Rover engines can be to overheating. Just curious...

Cheers!

 

Never shut of an overheated alloy engine, pull off the road, turn your heater to the hottest position and let the engine idle till it cools down or you can loose a sleeve, and then the engine.

 

That had occured to me about 5 minutes after we stopped and I re-started the engine and ran the heater. The temp didn't seem to budge from just over the white line. After a few minutes and no change I went ahead and cut the engine.

So, if there was any damage, how soon will I know, or do you normaly know right away?

Cheers,

 

How old was your oil at the time the engine got hot?
I would do an oil change, keep an eye on the coolant level once you get it stabilized and in a week if it is stabil you should be fine if the coolant level moves around alot when the engine is cold then I would suggest you do a coolant pressure test to make sure you are not leaking any internally.

 

Why would you turn the engine back on? Why not just let the fan run on hot?

 

If he lost all his coolant then there would be no point to turn the heater on. Although that is the ideal thing to do if coolant does still exist in the system. So in the panic of the moment it appears for now you lucked out. In the forcoming days/weeks pay very close attention to your heads. And pop your oil filler cap and look underneath it if sludge is developing daily. You can always do a coolant pressure test now to verify in advance. And ya change your oil for sure now cause you burnt the hell out of it and no longer has effective properties to lubricate.

 

Because the only way the coolant will circulate to the heater core is if the water pump is pumping, thus the engine running.

 

Sounds like in his situation this could have been disastrous.

 

The fans would only cool of the radiator, not circulate cool water threw your red hot block.

 

I think you should hit your local church this Sunday....