So i am having A/C work done on my 240 and the shop gave me a 850 turbo as a loaner car. I had noticed that the floor was a bit moist when i got it but i thought it was just the last person who had used it had wet shoes. i pulled off the highway and into a gas station to fill up. When it was done i pulled away from the gas station and when i did smoke and mist started pouring out of the vents and the coolant level light came on. i pulled over within 100 feet and called the mechanics.

the passenger foot well was soaked with coolant. i opened the hood and the coolant bottle was completely empty. I'm fairly certain this is a blown heater core but what i am wondering is, is it possible for it to be leaking a little bit and just let go completely on someone? the car has over 225,000 miles on the odometer so it is pretty old. I wasn't driving the hell out of it but i am just curious as to what happened.

 

sounds like either the heater core or one of the lines coming into it or out of it had catastrophic failure.

 

What he said.
It's a loaner. Add water and tell the folks about it when you return it
It's not your responsibility to fix it. Just don't let it get hot.
Ed

 

Heater core..mostly
They are freaky, in my car after topping fluids, I woke up to a bunch of coolant on the floors (driver side)
Has not done it again, but still I have to add coolant every week or so, Im doing a U line and taking off the heater core, since I really dont have a need for it.