FROZEN CAR HELP

shivkk06

hi
my battery died last week only got chance to get new one got friend to change it last night only to discover everything in car is frozen ie pipes water for wipers n rad solid ice blocks any advice and no there was no anti freeze as car hadnt been running right i forgot to get it and car was dead before the bad weather

itarumaa

I hope you realize that without proper coolant it is actually possible to damage the engine block.

This because when water freezes, it also expands. And when water expands when turning to ice, it can even damage metals.

Is the coolant completely frozen?

What you would need to do is, get the car somewhere warm so that the liquids would turn to water again and then change the coolant.

You cannot drive the car now and if the coolant is completely frozen, then you are lucky if you have not damaged the engine.

biko

Have a mechanic come and trailer it to a shop. Let it thaw out there and have the mech fix the fluids for you.
This is why it's so damn important to prepare the car for winter.

shivkk06

hi coolant is like a hard slush not completely solid but that could change i have no way of moving the car anywhere else

itarumaa

shivkk06 wrote: »

hi coolant is like a hard slush not completely solid but that could change i have no way of moving the car anywhere else

Well if it is hard slush, and specially if there is space left in expansion tank (coolant in minimun) you could add fresh coolant (no water, only coolant) to max, then start the car and hope you get enough circulation to mix the coolant to the system.

But if you feel that cooland does not flow, then leaving the car running is a bad idea.

Of course it would be safer option to get the car warmed inside.

shivkk06

the car wont start

itarumaa

Well I cannot see any other option than getting the car somewhere warm,

if you cannot get the car started then you cannot get the coolant to mix with the water either.