coolant hoses puffed up, not thermostat…

[Ian]

allright so i was driving my 1994 plymouth acclaim v6 home yesterday, and noticed a coolant smell just before getting home… checked it out and a little pinhole had formed on a small coolant hose on the drivers side of the engine, not only that, but i noticed that all of the coolant hoses were puffed up and under extreme pressure…much much more than the car ever has (i can usually squeeze the return hose after a ride and it gives some slack…so i’m presuming that the system got too pressurized for whatever reason and that little return hose was just the weakest link and first to pop.

so i was groping my return hose, and felt something in it and a was like “A HA!” it felt like a spring, obviously from the thermostat… hook line and sinker, replace the thermostat and problem solved…but i just whipped everything apart and plucked the thermostat apart…and it’s perfectly fine????

soo…could this be a clog in the antifreeze system? i hope not cuz i’m really not wanting to embark on the “quest for the missing bit of crap” the other thought i had, was that the overflow cap on the radiator may be shot? that is, its got that spring valve under the cap that will allow AF to flow from the radiator to the resivoir if it gets too hot… which i may have not noticed until now because i was kindof gunning it home last night, and it was a really hot day.

also note… i wasn’t low on antifreeze, i always keep it tip topped off, with just a tiny bitta room for play and expansion
also note… i wasn’t blowing any smoke, so my head gaskets are totes fine.

Topic

[college man]

If you were low on coolant you are building steam that could be why hoses were blown up.
I would replace the cap, fix any leaks and refill to see if that corrects the problem.

http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/what-to-do-when-your-engine-overheats

[Tom]

I would start with the radiator cap, replace it, preferably with an OEM piece, make sure the system is full, and then see if it happens again.

[Mike]

Replace all of your hoses. I’d wager it’s been too long since they’ve been renewed. A new pressure cap would be a good thing too.

[Joseph C]

I really hope your head gasket is OK.

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[Tom]

I was kind of thinking the same thing about the head gasket, but I didn’t want to be the one to suggest it. At any rate, always best to start with the simple, and inexpensive things first before assuming the worst.

[Author]

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