Help! Steam / smoke from Granturismo 4.2 have I broken it!?

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perleman

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Hi I have a 4.2 auto 2008 Granturismo. It has been serviced about 6 months ago & only driven about 4000 miles so had full oil change etc at a reputable place

Today I had it in the sort-of manual mode where you push the gear lever to the left. I was stationary in gear 1. Pulled away and floored it & I assumed the car would shift to 2 or the rev limiter would kick in. It seemed to rev through orange to red on the rev meter before I realised & I shifted it up to 2. Got home about 2 mins later & when I parked, there was quite a bit of steam / smoke coming from the bonnet which I opened & it cleared in about 45 seconds. Steam / smoke wasn't black & didn't smell of burning as far as I could make out

Have I broken it? I reaslise now that it doesn't up shift at the limit but surely it has a rev limiter & even the manual seems to say that it won't let you over rev the engine!

Please advise! Thanks
 
Wack61

Wack61

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You probably just hit the rev limiter and got it really hot and burnt some oil off the outside of the engine, are your cam cover gaskets leaking

All you can do is keep an eye on the the oil and water , is it an auto or MC Shift, they'll only change down in manual , up is with the paddles
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

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Er it *should* shift up. I doubt you've broken it (or at least badly)

Is it driving OK now? Have you tried since? Worth checking all your fluid levels and if you're really worried get it on a diagnostic.

Darren's got some good points (apart from the rev limiter, the autos don't do that) but I doubt it'd get much hotter in a couple of seconds of hard acceleration than under normal operating. It's possible that you always have smoke under the bonnet, you just never realised :)

C
 
philw696

philw696

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If the coolant is down check the plastic reservoir for cracking.
Also check the small coolant hose at the rear of the right hand cylinder head as they split.
 
Contigo

Contigo

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Not au fait with the auto box GT but if in SPORT mode I thought it was intended to hold the gear at the rev limiter.
 
outrun

outrun

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Steam/smoke that doesn't smell and isn't blue or black sounds like it's actually water/coolant rather than oil. I"d be taking a good look at the plumbing to ensure the integrity of the various hoses and pipes. The extra load from being up the revs could have popped off a pipe or even split something. If it's hot water then steam will occur (obviously) or if it hits the manifolds or other hot surface, the same outcome. Look too at things including the washer jets hoses and fluid reservoirs.
 
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perleman

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Hi guys thanks all for the replies, I'm quite a new owner & whilst I can afford a few £1000 every year for fixing bits and bobs I would brick it over an engine failure, coming from Porsche this was a very real concern although the Masser unit does seem more robust fingers crossed
I can take it to SMDG on Monday for a pressure test as I think the explanation about coolant leak sounds most likely
Thanks again & will report back!
 
Wack61

Wack61

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If it's coolant it has quite a distinct smell , if you can't smell anything my guess is you got it hot and boiled some caught rain water
 
conaero

conaero

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philw696 said:
If the coolant is down check the plastic reservoir for cracking.
Also check the small coolant hose at the rear of the right hand cylinder head as they split.
Click to expand...

This was my first thought, the header tanks are known to crack or the lower pipe comes off. It then pours water/coolant all over the exhaust manifold hence the steam.

Cheap and easy to fix....dont panic...and breathe :)
 
azapa

azapa

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as the clever guys say above, coolant has a distinctive strange sweet smell as it is boiling off.

Regarding over reving it, the MC shift cars or Stradales, the ones without the stubby gear knob in the center console, will not shift up for you, but they all should hit the rev limiter which will prevent bad stuff happening. You would feel it though, the rev. limiter, it feels like a huge misfire or stutter. Theses engines are tough and you will be fine in the big picture!
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

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Contigo said:
Not au fait with the auto box GT but if in SPORT mode I thought it was intended to hold the gear at the rev limiter.
Click to expand...

I though (well assumed) that. Up to Brunty last year. The auto box will not bounce off the limiter like the CC boxes

C
 
SJX

SJX

Junior Member
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I have 08 4.2 as well. I generally use it in manual mode but not in sport. In sport it will eventually change up but to me holds onto the revs too long, well into red on rev counter and feels as if loosing out in acceleration, also in non sport it is able to put power down much easier on our crumbling road. At higher speeds on nice flowing roads I do use sport but gear changes are quite erratic at times.
If you had overheated engine you definitely smell some acrid or sweet smells, so most likely as suggested some trapped residue or perhaps small leak in coolant or washers.
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

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SJX said:
I have 08 4.2 as well. I generally use it in manual mode but not in sport. In sport it will eventually change up but to me holds onto the revs too long, well into red on rev counter and feels as if loosing out in acceleration, also in non sport it is able to put power down much easier on our crumbling road. At higher speeds on nice flowing roads I do use sport but gear changes are quite erratic at times.
Click to expand...

I think you've nailed the description there, chap

C
 
P

perleman

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UPDATE!
Took it out earlier, warmed it up v gently and as soon as I used some revs, loads more steam. Nursed it to within 1 mile of my home keeping an eye on water temp, had to pull over when needle moved to about halfway from 90 degrees c to the red bit - didn't want it to get any hotter. Pulled over and coolant tank empty completely

Am awaiting recovery by a lifter to take to my local specialist shop

Big question is, have I damaged the engine running it that hot or will it be OK as I stopped it well before the water temp got to red. Because if there was no coolant whatsoever (I saw it pissing out the bottom when I stopped), would the temp reader even work correctly? Please help I am really nervous about a huge bill!
 
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perleman

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26
Drove it for about 5 mins which was 3.5 miles when it started smoking, kept the revs low, needle didn't get anywhere near red for water temp. Steam coming from under the engine & I saw drops coming out when I stopped
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

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It'll probably be fine, but you won't know until you get it looked at by a pro I'm afraid.

Find the leak
Fix the leak
Re-fill coolant
Check oil etc.
Start up

Would be my approach

C
 
P

perleman

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Thanks mate... ... surely though:

Re-fill coolant
Check oil etc.
Start up
Find the leak
Fix the leak
Re-fill coolant
Pay ££££££
 
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