Skoda Superb '04 Elegance 2.8 V6 cant seem to idle without overheating.

[HalistaX]

Hey there fellow Superbverts or Super-Perverts as I like to call us guys... lol.. 

I've got a Skoda Superb '04 Elegance 2.8 V6 that cant seem to idle without overheating. 

The water on the tank literally boils of him when I open the tank and hot steam begins to come out of the AC... 

What's up with that? Anyone had similar issues? 

It's no trouble to drive him around, but whenever stopping for any longer than at a traffic light? 

He starts overheating like crazy and the steam begins pouring through the AC. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

I should note that he's retrofitted with a Methane gas equipment. So I can fill him with Methane and drive around, but it's not that great... 

It would be great if I lived closer to the Methane stations, I just bought this one because he was 2000-3000 dollars cheaper than the next one above him, not because of the Methane. 

Thank you and have a great day! Team Skoda for the WIN!

[KenONeill]

Are both fans operating correctly? They should both have gone to high speed before the engine boils.

Does the engine temperature gauge read correctly? (90C after 6km, until the engine starts overheating) 

 

Beyond that, you could have early stages of head gasket failure, and there's a chemical test for this by testing for combustion gases in the coolant.

Or the engine could be running lean as a result of work done when setting up to run on methane. I have no idea how to prove this, but overheating is a known symptom of running lean.

[HalistaX]

Are both fans operating correctly? They should both have gone to high speed before the engine boils.

Does the engine temperature gauge read correctly? (90C after 6km, until the engine starts overheating) 

 

Beyond that, you could have early stages of head gasket failure, and there's a chemical test for this by testing for combustion gases in the coolant.

Or the engine could be running lean as a result of work done when setting up to run on methane. I have no idea how to prove this, but overheating is a known symptom of running lean.

She hits 90C after 6km, and just stays there. It's only if I stop for a short while, maybe 5 minutes, that she starts acting weird.

But when this happens, she starts boiling, she doesn't seem to show me any notification on the dash or the computer. It isn't until after all the water is gone that she shows some notification of overheating. Even the temp gauge doesn't move when this is happening.

Fans? I have no idea about any fans, are they clearly visible if I pop the hood? Is there a way for me to see them by myself without tearing everything apart? 

It seems that after boiling away all the water on the tank, she refuses to hold water until she has cooled properly.. Had to wait about an hour the other day so I could fill him up and drive away. It was quite embarrassing, I had chicks in the car and we were about to get down to business... But I got some sweet bonding time in even though she broke down, so hooray for me! 

I'm pretty sure there's a small tear on the water tank, could that be something? 

Gasket failure? That doesn't sound that great... Is that expensive to fix? I'm in Iceland so just multiply what it costs where you live with about 2-2.5. 

And running lean? As in she's getting too much oxygen? How is that fixed? Easily? I'm guessing that's a negative... 

I'm pretty sure the Polish dude that sold me this car is now sitting somewhere in a pile of my/the bank's money and laughing while rubbing the exhaust pipe of my old Octavia... 

I don't understand all the hassle with this car, the Mayor of Reykjavík, Jón Gnarr drove it around all those years he was in office, and it didn't seem to bother him... 

Edited 14 October, 2016 by HalistaX

[KenONeill]

You're not seeing either the temp gauge climbing or the overheat warning light flashing? If so, well I'm confused too.

 

When the fans are on high speed, you should hear them even with the bonnet closed.

 

If there's a tear on the header tank, that could well be the problem. A new header tank is about £15 UK price, and even at £45 is cheaper than pretty much anything else you could do except check the fuses and contacts for the fans, and maybe the coolant gas analysis.

 

Head gasket - I take it you don't feel competent to replace that yourself? If so then it's several hours work for a garage.

 

Running lean - Correcting this means Remapping - Unless you're doing something commonplace like flashing a stage 1 performance or economy map this is a job for a specialist automotive engineer (in the correct sense of BEng (automotive)) with experience of the engine.

[HalistaX]

You're not seeing either the temp gauge climbing or the overheat warning light flashing? If so, well I'm confused too.

 

When the fans are on high speed, you should hear them even with the bonnet closed.

 

If there's a tear on the header tank, that could well be the problem. A new header tank is about £15 UK price, and even at £45 is cheaper than pretty much anything else you could do except check the fuses and contacts for the fans, and maybe the coolant gas analysis.

 

Head gasket - I take it you don't feel competent to replace that yourself? If so then it's several hours work for a garage.

 

Running lean - Correcting this means Remapping - Unless you're doing something commonplace like flashing a stage 1 performance or economy map this is a job for a specialist automotive engineer (in the correct sense of BEng (automotive)) with experience of the engine.

Nope not a single warning goes off.. All of a sudden I get some sweet mist into the car through the AC and I must shut her off before I ruin something. Then I open the water tank half way, only half way because it just starts spewing burning hot water all over! And after about 4-5 minutes it's completely empty. 

The tear is like at the seems, where the tank is put together, you know? So it's kinda high up! Doesn't explain why he seems to leak every drop I put on him afterwards. 

I poured four liters on him thinking "How deep is this damn tank?" and as I looked behind the car there was a river running from the car and to the street below. 

I checked as best I could is there was a tear on the water container elsewhere but that doesn't make sens since I have water on her right now as she's standing in the driveway. 

I even drove on her about 300 maybe 400 kilometers last night, and as long as I just switched her off when I wasn't driving, all was fine. 

I'm gonna listen for those fans later, the guy I literally just spoke with at the auto garage through the phone told me that's what might be bothering her. 

Yeah, new tanks are dirt cheap. It's just this little tank made of plastic... Even at the dealership, where they offered me a plastic skid plate for roughly 1100 dollars, this tank is like somewhere around 65 bucks. It's pretty expensive, but it's the dealership we're talking about here, everything is expensive! 

I don't feel competent to touch any of this stuff.. I just drive the thing, don't tinker with it's insidy parts. Several hours? Lets say 4... That runs me for 480 dollars roughly only for the work.. What with the hour in an auto shop being around 120-130 US dollars.. 

Man, I hope it's not running lean then... 

But I love this damn car! It's 200hp! You know how it feels to drive something so powerful? It's like sliding on butter along the asphalt... I'm never going back to 100hp... 

[KenONeill]

Without actually seeing the car myself I'm pretty sure that the header tank needs replaced; part plus about 15 minutes time plus you may well need some new antifreeze (particularly in view of where you live).

[HalistaX]

Without actually seeing the car myself I'm pretty sure that the header tank needs replaced; part plus about 15 minutes time plus you may well need some new antifreeze (particularly in view of where you live).

Happy sappy news I've got for everyone! I managed to rear end some old lady who stopped short at a round about... YAY FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!

The liquid steering or what ever it's called went completely by that blow, so did radiator. I guess that's just more **** they've gotta fix on Monday.. For money I don't have... 

I guess I'm completely Yarised right now...(Don't want to say the F-word so I just said something equally as bad)

Here are some pics of how I didn't even make a dent in that lady's car... I guess it's mighty fine since it will come out on my insurance... 

http://imgur.com/a/vcyGd

 

[Sheldon.Cooper]

I poured four liters on him thinking "How deep is this damn tank?" and as I looked behind the car there was a river running from the car and to the street below. 

I checked as best I could is there was a tear on the water container elsewhere but that doesn't make sens since I have water on her right now as she's standing in the driveway.

there's your problem. Where exactly was the water coming from? Find and fix that...something is opening up when hot.

[HalistaX]

there's your problem. Where exactly was the water coming from? Find and fix that...something is opening up when hot.

Yeah. After rear ending that old lady, I guess they'll check everything, in case something is not quite right.. 

[Danny 57]

Don't tell the garage about the problem and wait until it is all repaired. If it is still there ask them why.

[HalistaX]

Don't tell the garage about the problem and wait until it is all repaired. If it is still there ask them why.

I guess it's too late for that speech... But I guess also that I'm gonna have to have another chat with them about the big hole in my front end, where that light used to be... So I guess we can pull this off! Thanks for the advice!