Coolant froze! Car wont start

[Ghost22]

I hope this is the relevant forum.... I need ideas on what to do next.


So, I moved to colorado in july. I had a hose pop off on the 1800 mile trip to colorado. Refilled the coolant with the 50/50 mix i had in the trunk for emergency's. Never thought anything of it again.

It gets cold where I am now, VERY COLD Potentially -40 -50 F on record nights. . People had just started to warn me that 50/50 mix would not work, and that i desperately needed a block heater, when my car froze up.

It did not hit -30 yet, so im surprised it froze on me. Two weeks ago, i went to the store a couple blocks away. It was -17. My heater wasn't working, and its occasionally not worked on and off for years, never been able to find the problem. I did not think much of it. Oh god I wish I had.

I drive about 3 miles or so, and im on my way home, when I start losing all electrical power. I thought my alternator had just taken the piss, but i was only 2 blocks from home so i kept going. One block from home my temp guage spikes to the max. I drive for about 8 seconds, plow through 4 foot snow drift, and turn the car off as i coast into my driveway.

Open the car to see steam and ice everywhere. The alternator and battery were completely soaked in a coolant mixutre, and there was GREEN ICE all over the place.

I do not have a garage to take this too to thaw, and my tools and resources right now are extremely limited as Im an unemployed person, about to be evicted 1800 miles away from friends and family.

What I know so far is, that the 50/50 coolant I have froze long before it should have, the antifreeze has what appears to be a small amount of light brown liquid occasionally floating in it. Which i can only assume is oil(sigh). and the car will not start, even at a mild 28 degrees F.

What do I do now? What process should i be doing next? Quickest way for me to assess the final damages? Why in the earth would the coolant have frozen like that? Does the lower atmospheric pressure at 8,000 feet change the freezing point?

This is an engine with only 64,000 miles that i just put in, in january. I'd really be screwed if its toast.


I apologize for long winded story, or if its in wrong subforum, with everything going on in my life im not thinking straight, or very rationally , and with my car went my soul.


Thanks for any help or suggestions.

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[slayer44wagon]

Dang.... Idk what to say man...

[Zefy]

first step would be to thaw that sucker. It sounds like you had a leak from somewhere and then it flash froze on the engine. A block heater should thaw most of it but your radiator (if there is anything even in there still) will be frozen. I'm assuming you can't even get really work on the car like that...

Might need to get it towed to a shop so it can thaw out and asses the real damage. You are probably having head gasket issues.

[jay25RS]

Light brown liquid might be the cooling system conditioner.

[Ghost22]

There is no money for a tow, there is no money for a shop. At this point i guess its come down to is the damage bad enough im scrapping it for whatever penny i can get whilst crying for weeks on end. Or am I moving into and sleeping in my car, and trying to save it. Im pretty sure i'd rather have an eagle rip my heart out, then sell it for pennies.

There was a leak in the radiator, and that is where most if not all the superficial fluids came from. Im more concerned about the block,heads, gasket etc.

Is there anything diagnostically relevant that i can do without access to warm enviorment is the question i guess.

[Ghost22]

Originally Posted by jay25RS

Light brown liquid might be the cooling system conditioner.

I had never even considered that, my mind immediately jumped to oil, for obvious doom and gloom reasons.

[built4rally]

post in your regional forum and see if anyone can lend a hand and possibly garage space revive your baby.

[Amazing Asian]

Originally Posted by built4rally

post in your regional forum and see if anyone can lend a hand and possibly garage space revive your baby.

+1 this. This forum has a lot of helpful hands!

[Ghost22]

Originally Posted by built4rally

post in your regional forum and see if anyone can lend a hand and possibly garage space revive your baby.

Done. not sure why that slipped my mind. Thanks

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by Amazing Asian

+1 this. This forum has a lot of helpful hands!

Originally Posted by built4rally

post in your regional forum and see if anyone can lend a hand and possibly garage space revive your baby.

+1000......check the RMIC section, I would be surprised if multiple people didn't offer to help.

Where in CO are you? I have some non-Subaru friends out there that may be able to offer warm space for a day or so.

[Sir-Knight]

if you moved from a non freezing climate, you probably had mostly water if not all water in the rad.... which means a jug of 50/50 probably isn't going to give you anywhere close to 50/50 mix in your system... more like 70/30 at a guess.... My car runs 50/50 here in ottawa winters and we get as cold as that, I've not had coolant freezing issues at all. You also need to check what the lowest temp that coolant can take... I believe there are different ratings available.

Take a breath, calm down, Thaw it out... drain the coolant... fix the rad... put in good stuff. Tons of folks on here should be willing to help.

[Ghost22]

Originally Posted by Charlie-III

+1000......check the RMIC section, I would be surprised if multiple people didn't offer to help.

Where in CO are you? I have some non-Subaru friends out there that may be able to offer warm space for a day or so.

Gunnison.

@sir knight.

We put a new engine in this January, and filled it with 50/50 at the time, i may be from a warmer climate, but we still get -F tempatures back home. the top of the radiator had a small crack from drunken idiots ( me and my friend) dropping the new engine onto the radiator a bit. I patched with jb weld, and patched it again in july before my trip west. I never saw it leak from there, but is it possible the antifreeze or a portion there of could have boiled off through a small leak in the very top of the radiator? or evaporated off? leaving mostly water behind?

As for calming down, man if its only the radiator i'd be ok, but if its more then that, then im in such a bad pickle that i cant even bring my self to fathom the consequences

[Charlie-III]

"Coolant" does not really evaporate, water does. So any refilling you did was to replace the water.

As to "locals", most I know are more in the Denver/Boulder area, thus quite a hike for you.

[vlcmstnsct]

put it in a giant oven