Steam comming from lid on expansion tank
Discussion
Up to 600 miles now. Had to go to the supermarket this morning for a couple of small items. decided to go to the one 30 miles away 
Anyway, on a more serious note, I have been keeping an eye on the temp levels of oil, water etc as you do with a new car. All have been fine, the water temp tends to move between 80 and 95 degrees, and the cooling fans seem to cut in and out fine. However, after pulling into the supermarket carpark this morning, steam started to come out from under the bonnet. Lifted the bonnet straight away, and it was comming out from the pressure cap on the expansion tank.
Left the car to cool down, and checked the water level. which seemed fine.
Started the car again and made my way home very gingerly, but all seemed to be OK. Got all the way home, without any issue, and the temp remained well between the 80 to 95 degree mark, and the fans were cutting in and out as slow traffic was encoutered as you would expect.
Any idea what may have caused this? Could it be that the water level is to high in the expansion tank, and it is getting rid of excess water.
The Tamora I had always use to run on a very low level of water in the expansion tank. Far lower that the handbook says, and if you added more water, it seemed to find its own level again.
It was very concerning at the time, but dosen't seem to be a logical explanation. Hadn't been pushing it either, as still in the first 1,000 miles.
Anyway, on a more serious note, I have been keeping an eye on the temp levels of oil, water etc as you do with a new car. All have been fine, the water temp tends to move between 80 and 95 degrees, and the cooling fans seem to cut in and out fine. However, after pulling into the supermarket carpark this morning, steam started to come out from under the bonnet. Lifted the bonnet straight away, and it was comming out from the pressure cap on the expansion tank.
Left the car to cool down, and checked the water level. which seemed fine.
Started the car again and made my way home very gingerly, but all seemed to be OK. Got all the way home, without any issue, and the temp remained well between the 80 to 95 degree mark, and the fans were cutting in and out as slow traffic was encoutered as you would expect.
Any idea what may have caused this? Could it be that the water level is to high in the expansion tank, and it is getting rid of excess water.
The Tamora I had always use to run on a very low level of water in the expansion tank. Far lower that the handbook says, and if you added more water, it seemed to find its own level again.
It was very concerning at the time, but dosen't seem to be a logical explanation. Hadn't been pushing it either, as still in the first 1,000 miles.
I Dont have a Tamora myself, but I'm no stranger to cooling issues so I'll have a guess 
Could be it just ridding itself of excess coolant, as you said. When did you last top it up?
It doesn't realy sound like it's overheating so, it may just be a dodgy pressure cap which could need replacing.
Alternatively it may be worth giving it the once over to make sure that the cap is actually seating properly.
i.e. is the top surface of the neck of the tank smooth and is the rubber in the cap itself in good condition?
Hope this helps.
Oh, and above all - don't panic!
>> Edited by bobfrance on Sunday 26th October 22:32
Could be it just ridding itself of excess coolant, as you said. When did you last top it up?
It doesn't realy sound like it's overheating so, it may just be a dodgy pressure cap which could need replacing.
Alternatively it may be worth giving it the once over to make sure that the cap is actually seating properly.
i.e. is the top surface of the neck of the tank smooth and is the rubber in the cap itself in good condition?
Hope this helps.
Oh, and above all - don't panic!
>> Edited by bobfrance on Sunday 26th October 22:32
I had a similar situation with my Tamora. Parked up after an enthusiastic blat to find steam and water dripping from the epxansion tank. After cooling and checking levels I tightened the cap a lot tighter than it had been ... I've never had a problem since. My conclusion was the cap hadn't been adequately tightened and a little more force did the trick.
Thanks for the replies guys.
Since taking the cap off and making sure that it was fully on and tight, it has been fine, with no sign of any further leakage, and all temperatures being where they should be.
It was just a bit concerning at the time, having only had the car for a week, and seeing steam pouring out from underneath the bonnet, on top of the fact that it had to go back to the dealer after just two days of ownership, as it was leaking oil from underneath. An oil pipe had come loose.
Nearly 700 miles now, and it is running fantastic, just itching to start to use the rev range a bit more
Since taking the cap off and making sure that it was fully on and tight, it has been fine, with no sign of any further leakage, and all temperatures being where they should be.
It was just a bit concerning at the time, having only had the car for a week, and seeing steam pouring out from underneath the bonnet, on top of the fact that it had to go back to the dealer after just two days of ownership, as it was leaking oil from underneath. An oil pipe had come loose.
Nearly 700 miles now, and it is running fantastic, just itching to start to use the rev range a bit more
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