I have a 2002 s60 B5244s with about 85k miles. I was driving home the other day (it was 107 outside that day) and I heard a loud pop and a bunch of steam/smoke poured out of my engine. I stopped the car to inspect and found that the lower radiator hose had popped out of its sleeve on one side. At least I think it's the lower radiator hose. It runs from one side of the radiator to the other and sits right underneath it. The steam/smoke was from the coolant evaporating/burning inside the engine cavity.

The hose had been connected inside a sort of concentric sleeve, so the hose connected to a solid metal pipe by slipping in between two metal sleeves that were crimped in the middle to hold the hose in place. I reached down, grabbed the hose, and slipped it back into the sleeve. It seemed odd to not be using a spring clamp since the line was obviously under some pressure, but I started the engine back up, it ran fine, and I drove home. Can anyone explain to me what happened, and what I should do to prevent this in the future? Is just pushing that hose back into place enough of a fix?

 

Can you post a picture of the hose in question?

 

Thanks for the reply tech. This connector is on the driver side right below the radiator. Picture attached.

 

That is a A/C line and the crimp failed on it. You will need a new A/C line.

 

Why is the A/C line full of engine coolant?

 

It is not full of coolant it was Freon with green dye in it that was lost. Freon is a gas Hence the smoke.

 

Got it. I had no idea they mixed green dye with freon. Thanks for the help.

 

Yes they do so this way if you have a leak the green dye leaks. Then they use a blacklight to find the green dye and there is the leak.

 

Anyone know the part number for the A/C line? I can't find it at FCPGroton.

 

I will have to look later or in the Morning the other laptop with Vadis is in use by someone else.