4wding fail.

I went 4wding the other week and only just made it back home. The problem had started unbeknown to me at the time from driving through a somewhat deep and very muddy bog hole.
We were basicly heading down hill and continued on for around 5 more klm. As we were starting to run out of time we turned around and started heading back home.
Now we are driving up hill after some time i noticed the temp gauge getting very high. We stopped at the muddy bog hole to dig a drain and this allowed the car to cool down.
Continued on through the not as deep mud hole and up the hill. This time it got to the top of the temp gauge so i turned the cabin heat on full to try and dump more heat. We made it to the top of the hill and back near the main road were we will pump the tires up to normal pressure.

I lift the bonnet (hood) to check for leaking water can not see any. Keep engine running as i need to keep battery from going flat when using the 12v air compressor. Connecting the compressor to the battery i smell something burning hmm this can't be good. Then the radiator fan stops and it let the smoke out of the wires. Once the smoke comes out the wires don't work anymore:).

Now i have no cooling fan as this had also blown the fuse for the fan it also is the same fuse to start the engine. I had turned off the engine when things got smoky. Now i can't start the engine either this just gets better and better.

I had a backup compressor that runs off a rechargable tool battery system so i go some extra air in the tires better than nothing.

I pulled out the blown fuse and got my mate to turn the key while i used a screw driver to bridge the terminals awsome it started woohoo. Said good by to my mate that was in his own 4wd and i drove carefully home.

Only made it about 30 klms noticed the heat was not very hot coming out of the cabin heater. That means we have lost water now. New a spot just down the road i could turn off the highway into an old track. Stopped open bonnet and wait an hour for it to cool down. Then topped up the radiator and headed for home about another 30klms. Just backing into the drive way and notice steem comeing out o that's not good.

Lift bonnet again now the top tank on the radiator has cracked. Total failed tally 1 fan 1 fuse 1 radiator i can see the $$$ adding up.

Now after taking things apart i found the course of all this it's MUD and not the glorious kind.

Check out the mud stuck in the radiator.