Any advice about dealing with this Corolla radiator for its last 11 miles?
The radiator on my 1994 Toyota Corolla is 23 years old (original), with
a slow leak that suddenly developed a stuck thermostat at 65 mph and the
temp gauge suddenly went to maximum and boiled coolant smoke billowed
out of the hood. When I stopped the car, coolant was spewing out from
around the radiator cap. The radiator must have developed an air bubble
the last time I added coolant and “Leak Ender.”
Any tips on how slowly I should drive this Corolla to the salvage yard 11
miles away? I can’t afford the towing charges (I’m saving up money to pay
for prostate problems), so I thought I’d drive the car only 15 mph on the
wide shoulder of a road that has little traffic.
I’ll stop whenever the temp gauge maxes out, cuz I want to make sure the
engine doesn’t seize up before it can get to the salvage yard.
Should I drive it those last 11 miles without the radiator cap on?
Since I’m junking this car, I thought I’d just add water from my old coolant
jugs instead of adding expensive coolant whenever I have to pull over and
refill the radiator. Any advice about dealing with this radiator for its last 11
miles?
(The Corolla has over 250,000 miles and a rusted out frame, plus it needs
repairs on multiple problems. A trusted mechanic told me I should junk it,
so I’m selling it to a salvage yard.)
