Just made good use of the RAC! [Breakdown alert]
 

Well, i decieded to go to Riley's to play pool with some mates. Drove into town, nothing unusual, temps all ok, car running well. Come to a halt at some lights, and i see steam. oh fcuk. thats not good. I think if i can get round the next corner, i can pull in safely. So cue me pulling away from the lights, more steam, getting worse!

I manage to pull in at a safe spot, and open the bonnet. Immediatly the problem is clear. The hose that goes from the right hand side of the radiator to the engine had split:

http://www.jnolan.co.uk/Pictures/Volvo/pipe.jpg

This in turn had obviously chucked all the water over the engine, hence the steam.

I was more worried about the headgasket, whether that would be ok or not, but even when i carried on from the lights, the temp gauge was normal, and i know the temp gauge works ok. First sign of a problem was the steam out the bonnet.

Anyway, as im disabled, I have RAC response cover. They get to you extra quick, and that they did. 10 mins from the time i called them, so the RAC man being with me. Cant fault that.

He sticks a temp hose on for me, and follows me home to make sure everything is ok, then does some tests to make sure the headgasket hasn't gone.

He says all seems fine, but keep an eye on it, and replace the temp hose ASAP, which i'll do, providing GSF stock them.

Personally on the way home with the temp hose on, the car ran fine, temps all fine, theres no mixing of oil in water. The oil is clean and theres no gunk mayo like stuff under the oil filler cap, so im assuming the headgasket will live to fight another day.

Cant say enough for the RAC, thats my first experiance of a breakdown, and they were fantastic! Bit annoying that i know i could of done it myself had i kept a spare hose on me (which i will do in future!)

So now to look for another hose ASAP. :D thats my story for the night!

Im presuming this is the part i need:

V18700 TOP RADIATOR HOSE 740 2.3i B230E 84>88

Waargh!
 

Something similar happened to The Volvo in the spring, although in its case, the radiator's top hose stub sheared off. Luckily, apart from needing a new radiator, no damage was done as I was only a minute's drive from home and not still on the A127 going 80mph...

Here's a picture of it idling to itself just after I'd bodged the top hose back on and refilled the cooling system with tapwater (I replaced the radiator the next day). It looks a bit ****ed off...

sounds like they got you sorted fine.

I wouldn't bother keeping a spare one of those in your car. Once you have the replacement fitted, it should be fine for a good few years.

I had to called the AA recently to me as my car wouldn't start after returning back from holiday. Turned out the battery was shot and i had to pay them £85 for a new one as there was no where open at 10pm on a tuesday night. That was annoying!

True, but ive ordered 2 now :D and while im at it, im gonna replace the bottom hose with a new one. Might as well do a whole job as that hose is starting to look a bit old now too.

Thats what i like about my 740, it keeps me entertained :D its an adventure.

Head gasket will be fine, one early morning on the way to work I was absolutely hammering the old E plater along the A39. (I.e watching the road not the speedo/dash etc) It was only when I got there I noticed the temperature guage was bent round the stop :errrr:

Turned out the upper heater matrix hose had rubbed through on the back of the engine, and sprayed all the water out everywhere.
Got father to come trailer me home after work, joined the pipe together with a bit of copper pipe, refill with antifreeze, and all was well again. In fact, I'm pretty sure the copper pipe is still on it (my mate has that car now) and has done about 20K more miles since.

lol Chris :D

Thats what i thought though, as soon as i drove the car home, i knew it as going to be ok. Drove like new, least i hope it will be. Ive got a 3,000 mile round trip down to France in Feb next year :D

They're tough to beat, all right :)

well if it dies tomorrow, ive had my £100 worth, but its a keeper. I'll keep it going for the next 4 years at least :D

I've had The Volvo for three years in December. I'm going to keep it as long as I reasonably can as it has become part of me :)