!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Overheating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rixio]

This has been going on for a while now...sorry for the length but i think its better to explain the entire situation...

Firstly Engine Spec is:

Street Port
FMIC
Feed Rad
HKS Filters
Full exhaust system from downpipe
320hp atw

Here goes...

Came back from work one night, around 24\'c...parked up at a friends let it cool for 2 mins then turned it off. After about 10 mins i could hear it boiling inside as though there was an air lock. So left it at my mates place until the morning.

I had just received my new alloy AST so i decided to change it and flush the system at the same time. Did so but had to flush it a few times to get rid of an air lock in the rad.

For the next 2 weeks i had problems with overheating after 30 mins of driving. Changed the Thermostat, flushed the system, changed the AST all of this to no avail. After a few tries it sorted itself out :2Rolleyes
If the car is moving/getting fresh air to the FMIC it\'l stay "ok" (wont overheat)
If i get stuck in traffic it will overheat.

I had it Booked into Carl\'s for mapping and some work doing so i thought id have him check it out aswell. All the way down it was fine. As soon as i hit traffic in Newbury...bzzzzzzzzzzzzz...Let it cool down, filled it back up and finally arrived at Carls. He said it could be a number of things, rad fan was found to be lacking (could stop with one finger) he tested for combustion gasses and did a comp test all fine...phew:Yawn  He said to sort the problem it would probably be around £1k to replace rad etc etc. Not having that sort of money at the time we decided to go home...:WaveBye  Carl

Went to the services waited 3 hours for it to go cold. Then left for home. We left at 7pm got home at 5:30am (Yep:2eek)

My view was the A/C rad was blocking the water rad and the front mount blocking the entire front, therefore no cool air getting into the engine bay, along with the duff fan and hot weather this all was adding up and causing it to overheat...

Got home and ripped the AC out...still the same...

Changed the filler cap...Wooooooooooooohooooooooooooooo no problems!!!! :Party
500 miles & £200 later all it was is a £6 filler cap! :Hammer

This lasted for 2 weeks of going to work and back 18 miles a day a few in heavy traffic whilst 25\'c...car was fine!:burnout

The last few days has been cooler but for some reason its still loosing water somewhere. No visible leaks or anything. Not overheating! No buzzer! But after a run main rad pipes will be stiff with steam rather than water...is this normal??? Since getting back from Carls the water coming out of the system is brown inside. When i flush it you can clearly see the colour. Even the expansion stick thingy has gone browny with some sort of residue!
Sunday...following a cruise around town, it did buzz after it had been parked for an hour......but again no leaks?!?!

After its totally cold (next day) its lost 600-900mls of water from both expansion & filler!!!:2eek

My question is pretty simple really...













WTF is going on!!! :xconfused

[shaunwil]

When you refilled the system how exactly did you do it Have you got an airlock in the throttle body. You need to create a head of water above the rear hose to remove all the air bubbles from the system.

Also did you fill up the res tank in the wheel arch, it may being sucked out into it !

I thought you had a stock rad in the car, what kind of temps are you seeing when you are driving round ??

Are you still running the airpump, if not have you got an underdrive pulley set for the waterpump or is the belt not tight enough, maybe that could help.

Maybe the pump is goosed and cavitating. I\'ve got a couple of spare pumps if you want to try swapping it over.

What temps are you seeing

Shaun

[shaunwil]

plus wheres my db meter :p

Shaun

[Rixio]

110% flushed the system and there is no air bubbles/pockets in there...usually stick a ribena bottle on the resevoir with the throttle pipe off and let it bleed itself...otherwise i\'l use the hose into the neck and it clears it...

The expansion is loosing water along with the resevoir??!?!??
Nop tis a mahoosive Feed one...dont know temps only going according to stock gauge...
Air pump still there...just waiting for the belts for my removal kit so i can fit it along with the power pulley kit. I\'ll be taking the A/C pump out at the same time aswell...hopefully

Goosed & cavitating?!?!?!

One thing i do know is the intake temps are very high...by touch id say at least 65-70\'c before going into the FMIC then 40-50\'c from FMIC to throttle body!!!

Dont worry still got DB meter :p will bring to Mascrat...Im off on hols next week so not around this month...will be there next month though, if you need it i can post no probs

[shaunwil]

Im not at next mascart, promissed to bowl that night over 6 months ago Don\'t worry about it, only messing :p

I was seeing 38deg on sunday on the air intakes, so 40-50 isn\'t all that bad in this weather only about 15 degs above ambient.  could always try wi to help it !

The waterpump is just like a fan that pumps the water round the engine. If its nackered it could pump less than it supposed to.

Bit of an interesting problem !

Shaun

[Rixio]

I did leave the throttle body hose off one time and start the car to make sure the water pump was working and it soaked by bro who was standing 4 feet away...so i think it is

Any ideas on the brown water/residue?!?!?!

[shaunwil]

Does the stock turbos have a coolant line ? Can coolant blow out through the turbos ??

Shaun

[iaint]

Duff fan could be a big problem.  Also the fans have 3 speeds controlled by the relays near the rad and should switch up speeds as temps rise.

The odd loss of coolant and dodgy colour of the coolant on refill does kinda sound dodgy but if Carl\'s tested for seal failure and it\'s come up negative then I guess that\'s not the culprit.

As a guide - I\'ve got a FMIC and aircon between the cold ait and rad and in traffic see water temps at a rock solid 89C so you\'ve got:

1) Airlock somewhere
2) knackered fans
3) dodgy thermostat
4) pressurised cooling system from combustion gasses

Hope you sort it mate!

[Rixio]

1- Airlock - Possible - although highly unlikely like i said iv bleed it/flushed it 50x after being taught by Carl

2- Very possible am on the case for new fans, although they seem to be running ok

3- Impossible tis brand new

4- Please explain? (Coolant was tested @ Carl\'s for trace combustion gasses and was fine)

?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Vewy Vewy Confused...

[Archbish]

I had a situation a while ago where the pipe to the expension tank was pinched.  Under pressure, the water would be pushed to the expansion tank, but the vacuum when cooled would not suck the water back.  Then as it repressured, water would be pushed to the tank, and then not sucked back.

ONe check is to trace the pipe from the AST to the expansion tank and make sure that isn\'t pinched.

[iaint]

4- Please explain? (Coolant was tested @ Carl\'s for trace combustion gasses and was fine)(

Just listing the optins.  As you say this was checked and is not the problem.  You can add knackered WP to that list too!

[Rixio]

Water pump shoots water about 4 foot out of the car if the throttle hose is left off & car turned on...is that enough or should it be more than 4 feet??

I had a situation a while ago where the pipe to the expension tank was pinched.  Under pressure, the water would be pushed to the expansion tank, but the vacuum when cooled would not suck the water back.  Then as it repressured, water would be pushed to the tank, and then not sucked back.

ONe check is to trace the pipe from the AST to the expansion tank and make sure that isn\'t pinched.

Will check this but i think everything is flowing right and nothing is twisted or pinched

[Rixio]

Everything is flowing ok pipes wise...Took it out yesterday as it was cold and raining to see if its ok...not blasting it, just normal around town for about 40 mins and it overheated :Grrr

Anybody...anything...please...

[arrouk]

no advice mate but i hope you sort it soon

matt

[Jovic82]

hi rix,

now i know why you wanted me to call you! Just out of curiousity, have you done the champagne bubble test on the car. It is a pretty good indicator for coolant seal wear as far as i know.


cheers
Nick