blowing smoke while on idle

[Sophia]

ahhk, so is there anything else that I should be keeping check on?
Like is the coolant supposed to foam up

[I8A4RE]

No, it shouldnt. But foaming usually indicates air in the system. This could be from your leak so I would fix that first. Take your car to a radiator place or mechanic (but radiator places are usually a lot cheaper) and get them to pressure test your cooling system. Coolant will start pissing out where the leak is, making it easy to identify whether it is a hose or something more sinister. Dont pay any more than $50. Usually around 20-30 bucks and some places do it for free, in the hope that you will get the work done there.

Foaming can also be a sign of head gasket but considering you have a coolant leak somewhere else, I would rule that out for now.

[Dras]

Just wondering, if you have a coolant leak in the throttle body like I did, and they pressurise your cooling system, you will end up with a nice puddle of water inside your engine that could really bugger everything up if you don't drain it before starting the engine.

I suppose my question is, how would a radiator place deal with a situation like this?

I would imagine that you would have to remove the spark plugs and blow out all the water. This would not be something they would cover happily under the < $50 price tag I would think.

[Sophia]

Simon? Thoughts on what Dras just added? Or should I just mention that when I take it in?

[I8A4RE]

lol @ blowing water out.

no you will be fine. The radiator place is only pressure testing it. They only put same amount of pressure into the system as when your car is driving.

Dras how was your coolant leaking into the intake? It would be impossible for a split hose to that? The only way I could of thought that would happen would be a cracked throttle body?

[Sophia]

Alrighty I shall find somewhere to take it into

[Dras]

I didn't spend too much time investigating why it was happening. I was happy enough to just remove the throttle body from the coolant loop and plug up the connectors on the throttle body.

The area where I noticed the coolant was where the air that bypassed the butterfly via the stepper motor entered the intake manifold. I possibly should mention that it is a 65mm bored throttle body that I bought second hand from someone on here.

[I8A4RE]

I possibly should mention that it is a 65mm bored throttle body that I bought second hand from someone on here.

Ahhhh, that explains it. I have never heard in my life of a factory throttle body cracking under normal driving conditions. But when they "bore" out a throttle body, they are removing metal from inside the unit, which decreases the wall thickness. That in turn could cause issues like you have explained but extremely rare if not impossible on a fctory unit.

[Sophia]

So last night was a nightmare!

I could not for the life of me figure out what had happened to my car, hence why I messaged you a few times simon and called stef to even get your number.

My car was blowing a lot of smokoe and ticking and echoing and stinking like rubber, but, in my infinate wisdom, I came to the conclusion that I think I drove all the way home with the hand brake on

[I8A4RE]

Oh sorry, only just got your message this morning. Did you still need me to call you?

[Sophia]

No thanks
I was just worried about driving it again and needed to know your advice
but Im pretty sure it was just stupidity and the handbrake.... I hope

[I8A4RE]

lol ok no worries.