Hello everyone! I know overheating is quite an issue with these, but other posts don't seem to be quite the same. It's been happening on and off for a few months. Symptoms:

- car reaches 90° a lot quicker than it used to. didn't go above 90° whilst driving until today when just driving at 30, it decided to get very hot.

- heaters don't heat up as usual,only hot whilst driving, when stopped at traffic lights etc they go cold. Until today when they didn't get hot at all.

- bottom rad hose doesn't get warm at all.

- never heard the rad fans turn on.

- no coolant loss

- no smoke/ fumes out of exhaust

So I've tried...

Changing thermostat

Coolant flush

Airlock - had car running with cap off, but no bubbles as such, it gurgled when I switched engine off.

Water pump fitted a short while ago with metal impeller so can't imagine it being that and the water returns to tank constant when revving engine.

I'm at a loss, dreading it being the hg as I commute a long way.

Anu suggestions gratefully received

sound like you still have an air lock, when you bled the coolant system, did you have the heater on full too? it needs to  be on its hottest setting to get the air out of it quickly

bottle cap off heaters on full and on hot let it warm up till fan comes in should do it

saw the word 'nuts', clicked on profile. Confused :think:

 

TBH I've never, ever heard my rad fans kick in, even during this and last years hot summers so I'd rule them out of the possible list.

 

 

TBH I've never, ever heard my rad fans kick in, even during this and last years hot summers so I'd rule them out of the possible list.

 

I agree, i've left my car on tick over for 4hrs and never heard a fan.  Sounds like an air lock.

I agree, i've left my car on tick over for 4hrs and never heard a fan. Sounds like an air lock.

Neither of my Fabias have done but the Clio does

If you turn on the AC, one of the fans should start spinning...in theory.

Everything sounds like air lock or failed water pump.

Could be a blocked radiator as well I suppose.

Look at the header tank with the cap off and watch the small pipe, do you see water coming out of it?

Well tried driving to work and all was fine for 40 minutes, then just driving at 40 and the gauge went to red very quickly and couldn't bring it back down with the heaters on (only blowing cold air) so had to pull over. Didn't hear the fan come on.

Took the cap off last night and water is coming through in spirts but constant when revving. If it is an air lock, can't bloody shift it :( or it keeps coming back.

'saw the word 'nuts', clicked on profile. Confused :think:'

Hahaha

Edited 28 August, 201411 yr by Emsy

Since you've replaced the water pump and the thermostat then the only thing left is the head gasket I'm afraid, check to see if the system is over-pressurising by giving the top hose a squeeze, if it's rock hard then you have a head gasket issue.

Oh no! That was my fear too. The top hose is quite hard to squeeze but I have girly hands, so that doesn't help

Oh no! That was my fear too. The top hose is quite hard to squeeze but I have girly hands, so that doesn't help

 

I'm not really sure if gender is particularly relevant to the diagnosis. Given that head lift is quite a common problem especially on older VRS's then I think it's highly likely that you have a head gasket issue, I suggest you look into getting it replaced and getting uprated ARL bolts fitted, it's not actually a very difficult job and shouldn't cost that much at an independant specialist.

When the engine is overheating, try turning on the ac.

I can't turn the ac on as the pumps not connected.

I have spend most of the day at my brothers trying to bleed it, did a rad flush. The weird thing is there's no coolant loss until the coolant starts to boil.

After losing all patience and energy, last resort before I get it to a garage was using a bottle of k seal which seemed to work, there was heat from the heaters. When I drove home the heaters went cold and only got warm when I put my foot down, started to go a little over 90 after about 10 miles then went back down. Got home, opened bonnet, theres hissing from the bottle,but the levels the same. Grrr

I would say that your metal impellor pump is crap/rubbish or there is possibly something blocking the waterways. Did the previous pump come out intact or was it missing bits?

Listen very carefully, I will say this only once.

 

Your head gasket has blown and it needs replacing before localised overheating warps the head and makes the repair more complex and expensive, Get uprated ARL bolts fitted since this probably started with head lift in the first place.

 

I have no idea why other posters here keep dancing round the issue and offering ludicrously and increasingly improbable explanations for your symptoms but they're not doing you any favours.

 

Maybe it's because you're a girl?

Listen very carefully, I will say this only once.

 

Your head gasket has blown and it needs replacing before localised overheating warps the head and makes the repair more complex and expensive, Get uprated ARL bolts fitted since this probably started with head lift in the first place.

 

I have no idea why other posters here keep dancing round the issue and offering ludicrously and increasingly improbable explanations for your symptoms but they're not doing you any favours.

 

Maybe it's because you're a girl?

Is it because the OP is a girl that you're jumping to the most expensive failure without doing basic diagnostics like "Is there oil in the waterways?", "Is the car using lots of oil?", "Is there water in the sump?" and a coolant exhaust gas analysis: Total cost about £15? 

 

It's quite possible that it is HGF, but I'd rather spend £15 and 10 minutes on checking these things than change the HG only to find out that the problem is a blocked radiator.

Is it because the OP is a girl that you're jumping to the most expensive failure without doing basic diagnostics like "Is there oil in the waterways?", "Is the car using lots of oil?", "Is there water in the sump?" and a coolant exhaust gas analysis: Total cost about £15?

It's quite possible that it is HGF, but I'd rather spend £15 and 10 minutes on checking these things than change the HG only to find out that the problem is a blocked radiator.

This ^

This ^

+2

I'd certainly stick to basics to start with.

I did have a crap car garage that were happy to claim HGF on a old Fiat for the wife I'd actually done a head gasket fix not that long before ! Thankfully it WAS just a stuck thermostat ( shut rather than open) and it helped me break the trust that was not warranted in that garage. Not the first time I've lost trust in garages.

Sounds like you have ruled out the simple thermostat explanatino but I'd get a good garage to do some basic checks and get a second opinion if necessary ?

No need to jump to any conclusions until its clear what the problem actually is.

(I did the same recently and jumped to the conclusion I had HGF when in fact I had the old radiator leaking issue but that was clearly water loss). Find out the cause behind the symptoms.

the reason I'm hoping/ praying its not the hg is that I've not had any other signs of it ie no oil in water, no steam from exhaust, not using any extra oil and no coolant loss.

I'm really at a loss now as i changed the water pump yesterday, didn't look like it was broken, although the strange thing was that there was no k seal on it at all??hmm.. needless to say i prayed it was that, but no, when i drove it, it was going between 100° then went to red, then dropped a little again.

It seems to me that its not getting round the system or the thermostats not opening but i replaced that too the other day.

Waiting for the garage to reply to see when they can fit me in for a block test.

Headgasket failure doesn't always display oil and coolant mixing. From reading through, I'm suspecting the head gasket is letting exhaust gases into the coolant system, over pressurising and causing air locks which then cause the over heating. Had the exact same symptoms on one of my Rovers in the past. Take the cap off the coolant bottle and have a sniff, if it smells like an exhaust pipe in there, then that's the problem.

@OP, don't mind old Seppy, he's like that on many topics. Though he does seem to be getting more acute in delivering advice in his old age.

It doesn't smell like an exhaust pipe. Just took a whiff, neighbours must think I'm a bit strange.

Everyone's entitled to their opinions. I've had a few people ask if I'm driving my boyfriend's car and funny looks for driving it. The reason i mentioned girly hands in one of my posts was that my hands aren't strong enough to squeeze the rad pipes more than once hehe.