Hello,

Just want to see if I can get a little advice or experience with regards to a slight issue our little cheeky is currently bothering us with.

On buying it (N reg 900cc SX) didn't really drive far enough to notice it was overheating. When it did come to light we noticed the radiator had seen better days so flushed out lots of crap out of the system & replaced it.

It was still overheating so then decided it was probably the water pump, so replaced that too.

At this point we had even lost heat coming into the car which isn't the nicest in this snowy stuff.

As it wasn't that either have *in the snow I might add* now changed the thermostat too. guess what?

Being the dutiful GF sent OH off to work in my van and persevered to flush out the pipes that run into the actual car (the matrix I assume) This did initially seem to work, managed to get heat back in the car and so handed back to his nibs for work the next day.

Yep it worked for a while but freezing air into the car once again after about 15 mins and the temp registering at 130 deg so he stopped to let it cool down again before proceeding.

Now on refilling the last time I noticed it took a lot to get air bubbles out (used the bleeder at the front near the headlight) but the lying haynes manual stated there should be one on the pipe going into the car - there isn't one there *grump* :bang:

We have also spoken to our mechanics and both state it "might" be head gasket gone but it isn't blowing out white smoke and there is no white gunge in the oil either. (just so you know)

I am hoping it is just something simple like an air lock but would really appreciate some "user knowledge" on this! Maybe it is something simpler and we are just missing it not being mechanics ourselves!!!

Thanks

Heidi *who is still smiling but rather grubby now*

do a compression test on each cylinder and do a leak test at the same point for each cylinder

you can do a pressure test/leak test on the coolant system

but 130 degrees sounds mullered to me

Ash

Thanks Ash, will give that a try next

Do or die! Bloody car

Heidi

Head gasket doesn't always mean white smoke and mayo.

However, some cars do have an additional bleed point on the bulkhead carpet, yours obviously doesn't.

Raise the bleed point you have as high as you can when filling the system, even consider putting the front of the car on the kerb to get it a bit higher to help force all the air out the matrix.

Cheers

D

Thanks D,

I will stick it up on the ramps today and see if I can get any more air out of the bleed point I do have. Might take the bulkhead carpet out anyway to see if it's hiding behind.

Appreciated!

Heidi

awesome a mechanic lady!!!

does sound like an airlock issue as previously mentioned make sure the heater control dial is on FULL HOT when bleeding else you wont be pushing anything out of the matrix!

richydraper said:

awesome a mechanic lady!!!

does sound like an airlock issue as previously mentioned make sure the heater control dial is on FULL HOT when bleeding else you wont be pushing anything out of the matrix!

Click to expand...

Indeed, 'cock on'

Cheers

D

Ah ha!

Many thanks for your help - I'm thinking the cheeky is finally getting there.

Went for quite a few jaunts yesterday after having had it sat on ramps with nose in the air (many bubbles wibbling out of the bleeder we do have)

After final longer jaunt, it did start to go cold again in car and o/heat It's only actually going just over 100deg not 130 as thought so whilst bloody hot and still under pressure managed to get more out via said bleeder and squeezed pipes too to help, also topped up antifreeze as I was going. (The inside of the cheeky then started to heat again )

Today's efforts shall require a jaunt to halfords for ANOTHER bottle of antifreeze to keep in the car for topping up purposes - wondering if Halfords do a form of 'big stick' I could keep in there to beat it with??? Hmmmm there's a thought.

Oh, another question, the bleeder valve I DON'T have on the car. Does anywhere sell such things that I could just attach to the bit of pipe it "should" be on? And if so what the hell would that be called? I'm very much hoping it involves the word cock

Thanks peeps.

Heidi :worship:

rallycinq said:

Indeed, 'cock on'

Cheers

D

Click to expand...

Ahhh crap.

Another question after steam coming out from under the bonnet on quite a small jaunt today.

The expansion tank, is this sealed or is there some sort of overflow on it, as today when rather warm it was managing to dribble out from under it...

Reason for asking? Because if it doesn't, could it be that that has a hole in it?

I do love this little car but it's trying even my happy go lucky patience.

Thanks

Heidi

the expansion tank is sealed into the system. but there is a pressure release valve built in the cap

Does it do this overheating/not heating the car at idle, say in a traffic queue?

Cheers

D

Hmm tricky tricky tricky - just me typing, as had a vodka or three now.

Thanks dronenrs, makes sense - so it could just have been slopping it out of the cap.

And D,

Oddly its doing a weird combination. With it on the drive, idling I can get it to heat the car, not overheat (fan is kicking in) then after warming up a bit it sometimes overheats but by revving it you can bring the temp down again. Much to the annoyance of the neighbours

Today though, Very weird, drove about 9 miles on dual carriage way no probs, sat at 70deg. Slowed down into town and then bamm there was the steam but only reading 70 at that point still. The moment I parked up the temp rocketed up so I undid the bleeder again got some more air out, then carefully loosened the expansion tank cap too for same reason. Fluid level now low again.

Then left it to cool down properly before trying to get it home again. Same thing return journey, fine whilst at speed (obviously getting enough air to cool) but steaming like a good'un when back into 30mph area.

Does that help at all?

Hx

As 899 pumps age they can get to the point of not pumping enough water at low engine speeds. A blip of the throttle sends the water round again, but the stuff in the rad is cold and the stuff near the head is boiling so you get some strange readings.

I would have thought a pump was the way to go, fortunately for you its external.

I might have an 899 expansion tank in the shed, I'll try and look when I am there tomorrow.

Cheers

D

Keep the heater control at hot and the fan on max boost until you replace the pump... only helps a little with a compromised pump.

cook baby cook

Sorry

Noel

Thanks boys,

Appreciate the feedback but the pump was the second thing we changed?!?!?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Trolling the web for a new expansion tank...

Hx

ClementsCheeky said:

Thanks boys,

Appreciate the feedback but the pump was the second thing we changed?!?!?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Trolling the web for a new expansion tank...

Hx

Click to expand...

Trawl no more.

PM me your address.

Cheers

D