Hey guys been a while since my skoda ownership. Just picked up a 03 fabia classic 1.2 6v 54hp 

 

had some issues around running hot for the first week i removed the stat as the bottom rad hose was cold this fixed the issue and managed to do my weekly commute of 350 miles, VCDS came up with faulty temp sensor so on wednesday i treated the old girl to new thermostat housing complete with stat and temp sensor. I drained the coolant system as it had green coolant and checking online should be red so i flushed the whole system through the header tank with hose pipe for around 10 mins all seemed to be flowing also gave the heater matrix its own clear out. Once i flushed the system i reset the error codes then ran the car up to temp with the header tank cap off checked all hoses and the bottom rad hose and the right hose of the heater matrix was cold and it started to get the warning light up as was reaching 120 degrees. Now the only thing i can think of replacing now is the water pump my reasoning is when the car is a running temp there is no hot air from the heater but if i run the car at fast idle some heat starts the get through. Did this model come with the plastic impeller on the pump im thinking this might of broken reducing water flow. any help would be great sorry for the long message. 

Basically you should always get flow from the return pipe into the header tank, hot or cold. Sometimes its hard to see when its still attached to the header tank so might be worth popping it off, starting the engine and seing what flows through it. IF nothing then i would agree water pump. quite easy to check as its just on its own housing so no need to remove timing belts or chains etc...

Edited 23 January, 201610 yr by hutchysrs50

Basically you should always get flow from the return pipe into the header tank, hot or cold. Sometimes its hard to see when its still attached to the header tank so might be worth popping it off, starting the engine and seing what flows through it. IF nothing then i would agree water pump. quite easy to check as its just on its own housing so no need to remove timing belts or chains etc...

thanks for advice going to check now will update soon

so removed top return pipe on header and the flow was very slow pretty much just drips, on fast idle it was much better but bottom rad hose freezing cold, 

Edited 23 January, 201610 yr by KylePiggy85

Sounds like the water pump then . It's not a bad job. Slacken the 3 bolts holding the pully on before you take the belt off..

Sounds like the water pump then . It's not a bad job. Slacken the 3 bolts holding the pully on before you take the belt off..

thanks for the advice going to replace belt for the sake of £12 i take it i just loosen the alternator to get slack in belt ?. all these modern engines are new to me my other car is a capri with a small block ford v8 piece of **** to fix lol

You slacken the belt with the automatic tensioner. Usually a 16mm hex on it so you can get a spanner on it.

Capri sounds interesting tho..

You slacken the belt with the automatic tensioner. Usually a 16mm hex on it so you can get a spanner on it.

thanks for the help 

Capri sounds interesting tho..

The seats are a bit gay being in blue do need a retrim but are very rare puma btcc cup car bucket seats

Edited 23 January, 201610 yr by KylePiggy85

Wow, lovely Capri! I used to work at a Ford main dealer in the '80s and I used to PDI (pre-delivery inspect) those cars when they were new. They came sprayed in a protective wax from the factory and it was a bugger to get off. Haha

Edited 23 January, 201610 yr by TMB

Is that a 289 or a 302 and what transmission and back axle are you using?

Is that a 289 or a 302 and what transmission and back axle are you using?

302 running a Tremac T5 sport box with long 5th gear coupled to custom single piece prop and 2.8 lsd axle

right update on fix today. So fitted new pump nothing wrong with old one, still getting hot no hot air through heater and water not returning to header, have checked everything ended up taking out new stat just incase it was a dodgy one. with stat out bottom rad hose does get hot and there is no restriction in the water channels of the engine block i am at a stand still and cant work it out any help would be awesome

Edited 23 January, 201610 yr by KylePiggy85

would run some serious coolant cleaner if it exist just incase the internals are partially blocked but if i suck and blow on the header return hose can get water back in the header and out of the return pipe

i found this http://www.scribd.com/doc/40477415/3-cylinders-engines-for-Skoda-cars-Engine-code-AWY-AZQ#scribd 6th or7th page down shows the flow of the coolant

Put your new 'stat into a kettle full of boiling water, you should see it open.

ave not tested new stat but turned out old stat was fine. what i dont get is why there is no flow and hot air makes no sense, am tempted just to flush the coolant system with caustic or dishwasher tab have not got much else to loose as car is undrivable