Spews coolant and steam

[mongoose828]

So I am out on a ride last nite and I notice steam coming from underneath the hood. It begins to worsen and I smell burned coolant, meanwhile the temp guage begins to clime into the red.
I check under the hood and it seems there is a coolant leak just below the cam sensor. What are the possible causes of this leak? I don't feel like driving an overheating car all the way to a shop without a little preemptive knowledge, if you know what I mean...
THANKS!

 

[nolimits]

There's a heater hose directly underneath...I would imagine it would be that. Check the other hoses in the area, too.

 

[mongoose828]

Nice one - I heard a rattle while driving, perhaps it's a hose clamp...

 

[Defiant]

That "rattle" is probably pinging.

 

[mongoose828]

Why would I be pinging?

 

[mongoose828]

Thanks to nolimits for what turned out to be the solution to my steam problem. The rattle, possibly pinging from overheat-related early detonation, has also stopped

 

[Defiant]

You pegged it- however, "pinging" isn't the same as "detonation". Pinging is the collision of two flame fronts inside the combustion chamber, detonation is the _exploding_ of the fuel/air instead of it burning. Detonation will quickly break big, strong, expensive parts of engines. Pinging has to go on a fairly long time before significant piston or head pitting will occur.