General Temperature above 90

ycming · Feb 28, 2012

Hey peeps,

Just got to work just want some idea for a quick check during my lunch hour. Basically the temp got higher than usual today and noticed the fan didn't come on. And the fan is blowing out cold here but from time to time there would be a bust of hot air. The car generally doesn't really blow hot air like my other cinq.

I have checked the fuse for the fan and that is fine.

I will check the coolant level during my lunch hour, is there anything i could do as a quick check. (can't really lie under the car

). Will top it up and bleed it if that has went low, but the it was fine when i checked it 3 days ago.

Also why is my heater temp fluctuating like that ?

Thanks
Ming

ycming · Feb 28, 2012

forgot to add once the car is driving the temp is normal only happens when stuck in traffic.

Ming

David C · Feb 28, 2012

If it is a Cinq, fluctuating heater like that would either be low coolant you've mentioned or the coolant pump slipping (no coolant flow meaning hot engine but cold heater).

ycming · Feb 28, 2012

David C said:
If it is a Cinq, fluctuating heater like that would either be low coolant you've mentioned or the coolant pump slipping (no coolant flow meaning hot engine but cold heater).

No lost of fluids, even went out to bleed it again only did it for 10 mins but there seems to be any air in the system...

Try spinning the fan by hand, it wasn't as freely as I hope. So will do the paper clip test when I am home but will probably change the fan anyway!

Sorry yes, it is a cinq with the 16v engine.

Is it possible for the coolant pump to slip? would that not affect the timing as well?

Thanks
Ming

David C · Feb 28, 2012

ycming said:
Is it possible for the coolant pump to slip? would that not affect the timing as well?

Depends on the construction of the pump.
What can happen (usually with plastic impellers) is at the point where the impeller connects to its shaft the impeller cracks and that allows the shaft to spin without turning the impeller, which stops the coolant flowing.

andys cinq · Feb 28, 2012

David C said:
Depends on the construction of the pump.
What can happen (usually with plastic impellers) is at the point where the impeller connects to its shaft the impeller cracks and that allows the shaft to spin without turning the impeller, which stops the coolant flowing.

or the plastic impellers have just disintegrated like a vectra i did 2 weeks ago

David C · Feb 28, 2012

andys cinq said:
or the plastic impellers have just disintegrated like a vectra i did 2 weeks ago

Well yes!
But if it gets that far that there will be no coolant flow at all, there is usually a bit of slipping before it gets to that though, but anything can happen...!!

ycming · Feb 28, 2012

David C said:
Depends on the construction of the pump.
What can happen (usually with plastic impellers) is at the point where the impeller connects to its shaft the impeller cracks and that allows the shaft to spin without turning the impeller, which stops the coolant flowing.

Thanks for that another thing to check during my lunch break. Hope is not the pump, as that is new since 5000 miles ago!

Thanks
Ming

ycming · Feb 28, 2012

any more idea why the air blowing out is cold?

Also I no longer have a bleeding point for the heater matrix.

I will bleed it again when i am home, jacking the car up a little.

Thanks
ming

David C · Feb 28, 2012

Is the heater blowing cold when the engine is hot?

ycming · Feb 28, 2012

David C said:
Is the heater blowing cold when the engine is hot?

Yup ... even when the temp needle is above 90.

Ming

fingers99 · Feb 28, 2012

ycming said:
any more idea why the air blowing out is cold?

Can only be:

air in heater matrix

cold water in heater matrix

But the second is pretty much impossible.

ycming said:
Also I no longer have a bleeding point for the heater matrix.

Re-instate as a matter of some urgency.

ycming said:
I will bleed it again when i am home, jacking the car up a little.

Check water pump (you can peek at the impeller by removing the water rail, and try to spin it).

Check thermostat.

Compression test.

ycming · Feb 28, 2012

thanks for that fingers.

I really don't believe is water pump or thermostat (well i hope lol), water pump is around 5000 miles old and thermostat only 2000 miles..

I noticed after driving home that the heat came back (it wasn't that hot to start with anyway), and that the top hose to the matrix wasn't very hot at all. And i noticed if the car is stationary the temp from the heater would drop and resume to "normal" once driving.

I guess all these do point to a airlock in the system ?

Thanks
Ming

David C · Feb 28, 2012

ycming said:
I guess all these do point to a airlock in the system ?

Or something isn't optimal with the routing of the coolant circuit.
Are there any hoses that are bigger or smaller bore than std?

Is the waterpump pulley the original size for that engine?

cc1 · Feb 28, 2012

Classical signs of Head gasket going. Only slight gas loss of cylinder to coolant system, Air locking in the system when coolant flow rate is low but not enough to over pressurise the system to the point of discharge to atmosphere.
Compression test probably won't show this yet as it is so slight. Sniffer test might.
Hope I'm wrong, But........

ycming · Feb 28, 2012

I am not too fussed if it is HG ~ but the coolant that came out is perfect I am going to reuse it.

I really hope is just an airlock tho

.

Thanks
Ming

ycming · Feb 28, 2012

David C said:
Or something isn't optimal with the routing of the coolant circuit.
Are there any hoses that are bigger or smaller bore than std?

Is the waterpump pulley the original size for that engine?

Good call that I have to extend one of the coolant hose as it wouldn't reach the inlet manifold. I'll double check it i didn't think routing of it would cause a problem. What could i do to make it better? Make the routing shorteR?

Waterpump is the pump for the engine, so i think it should be ok.

Thanks
Ming

saw · Feb 28, 2012

Are dashboard controls actually doing what they supposed to? & not come apart?

arc · Feb 29, 2012

ycming said:
Good call that I have to extend one of the coolant hose as it wouldn't reach the inlet manifold. I'll double check it i didn't think routing of it would cause a problem. What could i do to make it better? Make the routing shorteR?

Waterpump is the pump for the engine, so i think it should be ok.

Thanks
Ming

What did you do with the little hose that used to run from the SPI unit too the expansion tank?

ycming · Feb 29, 2012

arc said:
What did you do with the little hose that used to run from the SPI unit too the expansion tank?

That is T back to the coolant system. When it was SPI it had a pug TB on it, and it has been T back into the coolant system since then.

Thanks
Ming

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General Temperature above 90