Checked my oil earlier, it was low so I topped it up, its now sitting just under the maximum on the dipstick. When i was topping it up I noticed that my coolant level was slightly low also just under the line. I was going to go and get some tommorow as I didnt have any.

Ive just been out, driven about ten miles on motorway and all seemed fine. Pulled up at the lights off the motorway and could see steam coming off the bonnet quite badly.

Got back home, lifted the bonnet in the dark to find everything damp under the bonnet and steam coming off the engine (I did spill a tiny amount of oil on the engine and wiped it off when i was topping up so expected a small amount of steam etc.

Got the torch had a look and the coolant is completely empty- but there seemed to be plenty in it earlier though just under the line.

Any ideas whats happened and why the coolant would be completely empty just from an oil top up? Am i likely to have done any damage? Also worried cause everything seems damp including top of the fuse box and battery- have wiped it with a cloth the best I can

bit of a wierd smell as well quite hard to see in the dark!

You do know that coolant is just water (and a bit of antifreeze) should have just put tap water in. Sounds like it's overheated and any remaining water has evaporated. If you're lucky, nothing is damaged, if not, then £££

Did you check oil when engine was cold?

Could be thermostate gone, and caused it to overheat, easy job to put new one in, while your putting new one in, flush the system, and put new coolant in and right mix of anti freeze, good time to do it just before the icy winter sets in.

A lot of cars you have to bleed the air out he coolant system one way or another, the bottle can be bang on the mark but in reality the engine can have mostly air in it.

Different cars have different ways of filling, even so, some are bloomin' difficult to do the job completely.

Yes I knew that, well I know i have mixed it with tap water in the past. But as there seemed to be quite a bit in there anyway even though just under the line i thought it would be ok until tommorow. Gonna throw some water in now anyway until I can some coolant tommorow

Willo, no I checked the oil straight after I had been out this morning, topped it up and went for a 5 minute drive after i topped it up, then checked it again

just been out and checked again all dry under bonnet now, ill throw some coolant in tommorow and hopefully all be ok. Dont understand how it had rinsed all the coolant though just from topping up the oil never done that before- also no light on the dash to tell me- I dont have a coolant guage in my car

i agree, my punto is a right pain to bleed the air out, i still aint got it all out, i still hear gurggling sounds from heater matrix when i start car, good bye head gasket

i know all about the airlocks in punto coolant systems, I had a grande punto before which had that problem lol

Did you put the cap back on? did you tighten it properly?

spider the coolant cap you mean or oil cap? Oil cap on fine, didnt touch coolant cap

Thermostats stick open when they fail, so that wont be the issue.

Id refill with coolant, and run the car on the spot with heaters on. Check the heater blows warm air and that the rad fan kicks in and turns itself off after a few mins....

Cheers Stuy, will try this later- gonna pick some coolant up later and check the level drops dramatically like it did last night

Sorry just seen rest of title

Filled it up with water been for a 5 min drive come back coolant tank empty steam everywhere again engine seems to be overheating so don't think its leaking think its actually using it. Surely related to oil I put in yesterday, checked oil level again still just under max. I used magnatec 5w 30 which is what I always use any ideas

I should also point out that no lights have come on the dash whatsoever

Gasket or a core plug has popped

Radiator burst ?

pipe burst

Where is steam coming from ?

I also put the heater on when i was sat in the car and hot air came through

steam appears to be coming directly off the engine- doesnt appear to be any leaks but had to be certain as the roads wet where its parked

front or back of engine bay ?

Hard to tell buddy, it seems to steam much worse when the bonnets closed, everything is damp under there after running for only a couple of minutes, including battery top of fuse box etc on other side of bonnet- also seems louder than normal.

text Chris Gilly earlier gonna take it to him tommorow night and get him to have a look

Fixed now thanks to Chris Gilly was a split pipe running to the heater matrix which was leaking coolant. Nicely done and at a great price well impressed