(G) over heating

My daughter has a 1.2 sporting ( I know very little about cars) it was overheating, and heater not working.
I changed the thermostat, and bingo heater working, but noticed radiator fan not coming on.
Checked relevant fuse that is ok, so at a guess there must be a sensor somewhere to turn the fan on.
Am I on the right track? all help greatly appreciated.
thank you

Could be an air lock or the fan switch, is it an mk1 or mk2, mk2.5.

Yes. Check if there is an airlock in the radiator. It'll prevent coolant from filling the rad' - and if the fan switch is not immersed in coolant it thinks the temperature is lower than it is (it's mearuring the temp of the air, not the coolant).

If the radiator gets hot all the way to the top, then that's fine.. the sign of an airlock is a hot bottom part but cool top part (just like your central heating radiators when they have an airlock).

Don't stick your hand in the fan when you're trying to feel the temperature of the radiator...

The fan may be faulty. It has to come on around 90C. You can test the circuit by removing the plug off the fan switch and bridging the connectors (effectively bypassing the switch). If that works, then get a new fan switch.

It's usually on the passenger side of the radiator, about half way down... looks like a brass nut (28mm?) with a wire connector plug moulded into it. About £15 I'd guess.


Ralf S.

more info here,.,
http://www.fiatforum.com/punto-guide...mk1-punto.html

also check for head gasket signs, irridium colour in the coolant, gundge under the oil cap etc.,