Technical Overheating Selecta

[Most Easterly Pandas]

We'll had an eventful day today.

On the way to collect my new car (don't think the Panda's like a different Fiat model in the household) and dad's Selecta over heats in traffic.

It's been running warm for the last few days, and been thinking 'thermostat'.

So have already brought a replacement for it (under £20 for housing and gasket). But when topping up it seemed very low on coolant. Don't appear to be any leaks though.

Am I correct in thinking that a sticking thermostat will lead to mild over heating, leading to coolant loss through excape from the pressure release valve in the tank cap. Resulting in the lack of coolant

Thanks in advanced.

Jon.

 

[gibanitza]

It is possible that some amount of coolant have evaporated through the pressure valve on tank cap...

There is also possibility of damaged head gasket where coolant is leaking into compression area of the cylinder... It happend on my Panda, and my mechanic told me it is a common failure on 1,1 MPi engines - gasket gets distorted near cylinder No.1 ...

 

[allen fletcher]

Is the rad fan kicking in? Let car stand running and see if fan attached rad works when temp gauge gets up to your normal running temprature if not it will over heat very quick. Any rust staining over expansion bottle?

 

[lewey]

Allen is bang on the money I reckon regarding fan and also there should be evidence of coolant escaping from the cap, assuming you have an anti-freeze-water mixture!

Fan working and new thermostat will sort you out, very unlikely the pump has gone.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Thanks for the replys guys. Rad and header tank like new, no signs of coolant excape. Rad fan wasn't kicking in but was due to no coolant in tank to activate it. When I very carefully removed the cap and the coolant started trying to excape and hit the fan temp switch the fan kicked in, and has done ever since coolant has been filled to normal. Not spoken to dad since weekend when I was home, but think it's got better now.

Is it worth me changing thermostate anyway though as we've a replacement?

I'm to do a coolant change anyway as its just water its been topped up with at the mo.

Jon.

 

[udtrev]

Thermostats aren't expensive, I would say change it to be safe rather than sorry.


Trev

ps Jon STOP trying to break them all !!!

 

[allen fletcher]

Would do no harm to change thermostatbut:idea:keep a check on water level for a few weeks and see if you loose any. It should stay at the same level. If it drops then you have a leak that needs to be looked for and check oil dip stick for water contamination. or more oil than you started with because of water getting into oil system then you have a head job to do. If she is clear after two weeks then you have been very very lucky but always check coolant level weekly when you do your oil dip check

 

[gibanitza]

I've done head job on my Panda and I have to say that oil was clear and on same level all the time (I drove it for a few thousand kms with distorted head and gasket) so there was no oil contamination with coolant.

Good thing is to check for any bubbles in coolant tank while engine is running and to watch for small drops of water or higher amount of steam at the exhaust.