Overheating...

[Jaypee]

My 1,3mpi Felicia almost boiled over when I left it idling while picking up some food at a drive-in. I reckon the fan is not working. Does anyone know how to test if the coolant temp sensor is broken. I might haveto put the fan behind a button just in case for now.. otherwise I might have some headgasget work ahead...

[TeflonTom]

have you checked the radiator fan switch/fuses etc??

the coolant sensor itself ironically shouldn't affect the operation of the cooling system and fans

[mannyo]

is the thermostat stuck shut?

[KenONeill]

All makes sense to me. I'd check the fan electrics first, cos leccy fans don't always get troubled much if you don't spend lots of time in traffic.

[Jaypee]

the coolant sensor itself ironically shouldn't affect the operation of the cooling system and fans

Howcome? I was under the impression that since the fan doesn't spin all the time, It must know when the coolant is not being cooled by airflow and therefore must be cooled somehow else. Where does it get the signal when to turn on and off? The only place I can think of is the temp sensor, right?

I believe the thermostat is OK, since the temperature is good while driving. Haveto check the fuses and switches next. (unfortunately that is usually what I do last when the car is already torn to bits..)

[harryhill]

How high is the temperature gauge rising? It should go up to 3/4 mark and then fan should kick in. Sounds like a faulty fan switch if it isn't.

:confused:

[Jaypee]

I have numbers indicating the temp and it almost went up to 110 degrees celsius.

[KenONeill]

Howcome? I was under the impression that since the fan doesn't spin all the time, It must know when the coolant is not being cooled by airflow and therefore must be cooled somehow else. Where does it get the signal when to turn on and off? The only place I can think of is the temp sensor, right?

I believe the thermostat is OK, since the temperature is good while driving. Haveto check the fuses and switches next. (unfortunately that is usually what I do last when the car is already torn to bits..)

Which sounds logical, but most cars actually have 2 temperature sensors, one on the block which drives the guage (and EMS if applicable), and a separate one on the radiator which controls the fan and nothing else. Hence the thought that the problem is with the fan electrics.

[Jaypee]

Which sounds logical, but most cars actually have 2 temperature sensors, one on the block which drives the guage (and EMS if applicable), and a separate one on the radiator which controls the fan and nothing else. Hence the thought that the problem is with the fan electrics.

Right, by coolant temp sensor I ment the one on the radiator controlling the fan in my first post. Sorry for misunderstanding you guys, english isn't my native language.. I might need to get my hands on a Haynes manual for the feli, if there isn't one I can read online?

[TeflonTom]

yeah, there's allways a bit of confusion over that one, the one in the the radiator that controlls the fan is a thermoswitch, which closes two contacts together when a pre-demtermined temperature is reached

does you radiator top hose get warm at all?? if not then i would suggest changing the thermostat, of course if you thermostat is broke the fans might not come on because no hot water reaches the radiator!

[KenONeill]

Right, by coolant temp sensor I ment the one on the radiator controlling the fan in my first post. Sorry for misunderstanding you guys, english isn't my native language.. I might need to get my hands on a Haynes manual for the feli, if there isn't one I can read online?

Misunderstanding maybe partly mine. The important point is that I don't know how much you know, and I didn't want to labour under the misapprehension that there was one sensor when there are actually 2 (even though one is some form of thermocouple and the other only needs to be a bimetallic control).