Technical Best place to buy.........
- Thread starter Stark
- Start date
Currently reading:
Technical Best place to buy.........
i wouldnt buy a thermostat until i had checked that mine was definately stuck open or closed. a glass of cold water, and another of hot, can be used to see if the thermostat is opening and closing ok. you can even heat up water with the thermostat in and measure the temperature when it begins to open, then check this temperature against the expected temperature. if you need to buy one your local motorfactors will no doubt sell them cheaper than shop4parts (they usually do).
looking in the engine bay, you will see a thick pipe connected to the right of the radiator that also connects to the engine at the right hand side. behind that pipe on the engine side is the thermostat. you can do a quick check to see if it works without removing anything. start the engine, while it is heating up you should notice this fat pipe is cold. it should remain cold until the thermostat opens. then it should get hot fairly quickly. if the pipe remains cold once the engine is hot it means the thermostat is stuck shut, if the pipe gets hot very gradually and the engine takes a long time to get up to the half way mark on the gauge, it suggets the thermostat is stuck open. unless you are having problems with the engine overheating or taking too long to heat up, i would not touch the thermostat. it is a basic mechanical valve and can not cause any other problems.
so it seems the thermostat may be stuck open, or the coolant temp sensor may be faulty, or the temp gauge may be faulty. you can rule out the sensor and gauge if the temp reads half way when the car is left to idle until the fan kicks in. does the fan come on when the gauge is at half way?
Well it took 30 mins to get the temp guage up to half way and as it went past the fan did indeed kick in. Strange that when it's being driven it can't get more than 3 or 4 mill from the stop pin before ceasing movement.
Another thing i noticed was that the idleing revs dropped on the way up from 1200 to approx 800, surely this means i'll be using more fuel until this is fixed too.
So does that mean the thermostat may be stuck open?
Another thing i noticed was that the idleing revs dropped on the way up from 1200 to approx 800, surely this means i'll be using more fuel until this is fixed too.
So does that mean the thermostat may be stuck open?
30 mins! even at this time of year that suggests you have a stuck open thermostat.
add to that the fact that it cant keep the temperature up when moving (wind chill on rad) and it looks very much like a thermostat problem.
at least its stuck open, when they stick shut it can overheat, and thats far worse. so smile
the cold idle should be about 1200, and warm idle about 800, so thats good, and the fan should kick in at just above the half way point on the temp gauge so thats ok too. i'd say the temp gauge, temp sensor, fan & relay, and idle speed control valve are all working perfect.
try changing the thermostat, and dont forget to use the correct coolant mix when refilling, and bleed the cooling system correctly. then you'll be sorted and looking good for winter
add to that the fact that it cant keep the temperature up when moving (wind chill on rad) and it looks very much like a thermostat problem.
at least its stuck open, when they stick shut it can overheat, and thats far worse. so smile
the cold idle should be about 1200, and warm idle about 800, so thats good, and the fan should kick in at just above the half way point on the temp gauge so thats ok too. i'd say the temp gauge, temp sensor, fan & relay, and idle speed control valve are all working perfect.
try changing the thermostat, and dont forget to use the correct coolant mix when refilling, and bleed the cooling system correctly. then you'll be sorted and looking good for winter
dont forget, your local motor factors will only charge about £17 for a thermostat. and they'll do cheap antifreeze too.
well you did decide to live way out in the middle of nowhere.
No i didn't! I was born here lol.
Huge favour to ask i know but is there any chance of you getting one up in Durham and mailing it to me? Even with postage that'd work out vastly cheaper.
No problem if you don't have time Jug, i appreciate you're a busy guy.
Huge favour to ask i know but is there any chance of you getting one up in Durham and mailing it to me? Even with postage that'd work out vastly cheaper.
No problem if you don't have time Jug, i appreciate you're a busy guy.
i can find out a price for you on saturday morning (shops are shut by the time i get home )
i would still remove, clean and test your thermostat. often a bit of a clean will get them working good as new. that could save you a few quid
to stop it happening again it may be worthwhile flushing your whole cooling system while the thermostat is off, then refill with a fresh antifreeze mix and bleed the cooling system. this is the perfect time of year to do it and can help to avoid problems in winter.
)i would still remove, clean and test your thermostat. often a bit of a clean will get them working good as new. that could save you a few quid
to stop it happening again it may be worthwhile flushing your whole cooling system while the thermostat is off, then refill with a fresh antifreeze mix and bleed the cooling system. this is the perfect time of year to do it and can help to avoid problems in winter.
Ok buddy, unfortunately i'm not sure i'll have much of a chance today because we're helping my wife's aunt move house (oh happy day ).
If i don't get the time today i'll whip it off tomorrow and see what can be seen. Any recommendations on the method of cleaning? Hot water and washing up liquid with a good dose of elbow grease?
).If i don't get the time today i'll whip it off tomorrow and see what can be seen. Any recommendations on the method of cleaning? Hot water and washing up liquid with a good dose of elbow grease?
i use a overnight soak in vinegar. it'll come out shiney and new
