Radiator hose? Is it worth repair?
Please, help. I drive a manual trans 5-
speed 02' VW Jetta GL 2.0. I'm the 3rd
owner of this vehicle, and judging from
the repair records, we've all been pretty
meticulous. I check the oil and coolant
with each fill up, every Friday. I use
about 1/2 tank per week. 250-
350mi/week, strictly highway(from STL
to Central IL every Fri, then back Sun.
Uses around 1/2 quart of oil every
other week. 235,xxx Mi on the original
engine. It's about 1,000 miles overdue
for full oil/filter change. I use the high
mileage synthetic blend when I add oil
and the more expensive oil change for
high mileage cars. Today, I let the car
idle for 30-45 mins, first colder day of
the year. While idling, white smoke with
a pressure "hiss" came from under the
hood. I shut it off immediately then
allowed it to sit another 30mins. The
temp gauge read exactly what it
always does while warmed up, right in
the center. Did not over heat at all.
There was liquid on the ground,
coolant reservoir was empty, oil
dipstick wiped then re-inserted. No
white or milky look. The oil cap didn't
have any milky white look under it.
There was a sweet smell, and liquid
dripping from the hood down onto the
area between engine and battery. A
hose between the engine and battery
appearing to go from coolant reservoir
behind/under engine, to the radiator up
front was severed. I put a bottle of
water in the coolant reservoir and it
started right up, first try after the white
hiss smoke cloud, one turn. Drove it 8
blocks to my apt, never exceeding 3rd
gear. It ran fine, no smoke, no new
noticeable noises . Coolant light did
ding and flash. But it never got above
average temp. What issues specifically
am I looking at here? And how much
money are we talking? Is it worth
repair? I'm highly reliant on this vehicle
to transport my 16 year old to weekend
visits. We just moved to STL, I'm dead
broke, and quite close to crying my
eyes out. I care for this car as
meticulously as I can so I'm so sad to
see that my intuition was correct... I
guess when it rains, it pours...
coolant... Every f**k*ngwhere.....
