NHTSA Complaint #10545300 — 2004 PORSCHE 911 GT3

I WAS DRIVING AT MILLER MOTORSPORTS IN TOOELE UTAH IN DRIVERS EDUCATION EVENT WHEN MY ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED TO INCREASE FROM 180 DEGREES UP PAST 200 DEGREES. AS THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO 250 DEGREES, A COOLANT FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON. I PULLED OFF THE TRACK AND SHUT DOWN THE CAR WITHIN 2 MINUTES OF THE FAILURE LIGHT AND I HAD TO BE TOWED OFF THE MILLER MOTORSPORTS TRACK. I HAD LOST ALL OF MY COOLANT FROM THE CAR. THE NEXT MORNING (SUNDAY) I TOOK A RENTAL CAR BACK TO MILLER MOTORSPORTS ALONG WITH 9 GALLONS OF DISTILLED WATER. I POURED 2 GALLONS OF DISTILLED WATER INTO THE CAR, AND THEN STARTED IT. ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES LATER, WATER STARTED SPURTING FROM AN ALUMINUM COOLANT LINE ATTACHMENT THAT HAD COME UNGLUED. THIS ALUMINUM ATTACHMENT WAS IN A PLACE ON THE TOP OF THE ENGINE THAT WAS READILY DETERMINABLE AS THE WATER WAS SHOOTING STRAIGHT UP FROM WHERE THE FITTING HAD COME UNGLUED AND SLIPPED OFF. I DO NOT CURRENTLY KNOW WHETHER I GOT THE CAR STOPPED IN TIME FOR THE ENGINE TO BE OK. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT BEFORE I GET ALL OF THE ALUMINUM FITTINGS REGLUED OR WELDED. BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED ON THE TOP OF THE ENGINE, THE COOLANT DID NOT CREATE A SITUATION THAT WAS A SAFETY RISK TO ME, BUT IF IT HAD BEEN A DIFFERENT ALUMINUM COOLANT ATTACHMENT THAT LET LOOSE, I COULD HAVE CRASHED AT 115 MPH DUE TO COOLANT ON THE TIRES OR SOMEONE BEHIND ME COULD HAVE CRASHED. THE MILLER MOTORSPORT PERSONNEL SAID THEY NOTICED A PLUME OF STEAM AT THE END OF THE FRONT STRAIGHT. AT THE END OF THE FRONT STRAIGHT, I HAD SLOWED TO 115 MPH. I AM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER OF THIS CAR AND DID NOT THINK I WAS AT RISK FOR THIS TYPE OF SAFETY ISSUE ON A CAR THAT IS NOT DRIVEN IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. IT ALSO ONLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 28,000 MILES. *LN UPDATED 1/8/2013 *JS