A STITCH IN TIME! (850 & S/V 70 Automatics)

[peterjcoleman]

I thought I'd pass on the following experience of a "near miss" on my 1993 850SE Automatic. I had noticed a damp oily patch on the radiator just below the lower hose connection to the transmission oil cooler. As there were a few such "patches" around the engine bay (it had done almost 200,000 miles)and it wasn't dripping, I didn't worry overmuch. HOWEVER, when parked about 10 miles from home one day, I noticed an ominous pool of coolant under the radiator. I topped up the coolant tank and drove home carefully.

On safe arrival home, I investigated the source of the coolant leak. It was from the radiator bottom hose, the end of which had become very soft and spongy due to the weeping automatic transmission fluid from the hose connection immediately above. I drained the radiator (after cooling) and removed the bottom hose. I was alarmed to find that the end inch or so had almost rotted away! The cause was the failure of the o-ring in the oil cooler hose connection. My local dealer actually GAVE me a new o-ring which took 2 minutes to fit; the hose unclips from the cooler by sliding the spring clip back slightly. By doing it quickly, I only lost a few drops of oil. Fortunately, as there was plenty of radiator hose, I cut off the damaged end and re-connected it to the radiator. It's still OK several thousand miles later.

This reminded me of the classic tale "But for a nail, a horseshoe was lost; but for a shoe... etc. What if I hadn't noticed that pool of antifreeze? What if I'd been driving down the motorway? Sudden complete failure of a bottom hose would have meant rapid loss of coolant and, if the engine was not stopped immediately, a likely seized engine!! All owners of automatic 850 and 70 series, you have been warned!

Well thanks for the tip. I'll check mine.

[Mike Smith]

Nice call Peter

Regards
Mike
'96 GLT Auto Estate

For Every Problem - There is a Solution, Hopefully!