displaying posts 1 to 21 of 21

Author Subject: Running way too hot !
neonauto

Newbie

Location: Pressignac

Registered: 26 Feb 2010

Posts: 10

Status: Offline

Post #1
Hi Guys,
I own a March 2000, 306 GTi6 over here in Sunny France. It is a uk car that I have had no problems with....Until now !.
Over the last two days it has started to run very warm. It gets to varying temperatures over the 90 mark, before the fan actually bothers to come in (one point it was nearly on 110). Whilst the fan cools it down, it does not bring it to the 'usual' operating temp I have had before of nearly 90. I appreciate the weather here is 23 degrees, but can't see that being a problem as it did it this morning when I took my kids to school at 8.00am and the temp was only 10 degrees.
I have read the forums and tried to figure it out for myself. I have had the bleed undone, at the heater matrix pipe (is it supposed to trickle out or fly out ?), I have had the bleed open on the stat housing (just trickles out) and I have had the bleed open on the radiator top. Unfortunately all to no avail. It doesn't appear to be losing water the rad is still full and there are no deposits in the oil, on the dipstick or oil filler cap. The car still pulls really well, but I am at a loss as to what to do next.
I refilled the system and disconnected the brown plug so the fans ran on high all the time and then went for a drive. About 10 miles and 15 minutes round the lanes and although it didn't go too high, it still kept creeping up towards the 90 mark and a little bit beyond.
It's a great car, but I am completely lost as to what to do........any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Posted 25th Mar 2010 at 17:17
rikky 🦔

Location: cheshire

Registered: 28 Feb 2004

Posts: 26,796

Status: Offline

Post #2
have you tried replacing the thermostat or looked at the possibility of a bad reading on the gauge?

i dismantled my speedo the other week to change a bulb and in the process the temp needle moved so was resulting in it looking like it was running way too hot, but wasn't

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Posted 25th Mar 2010 at 17:23
neonauto

Newbie

Location: Pressignac

Registered: 26 Feb 2010

Posts: 10

Status: Offline

Post #3
Hi,
The first thing I thought was the stat, so I took it out, put it in a pan of water and raised the temp. It worked fine. I did take the dash out over a week ago, to change a bulb on the airbag light, but didn't think I'd touched anything. What could I have done ?. When I took the kids to school this morning the car had not moved for 14 hours and yet it reached 90 in less than 2 miles, seemed strange to me, but I've never had a prob with the car before so who knows.
Cheers
Posted 25th Mar 2010 at 17:46
neonauto

Newbie

Location: Pressignac

Registered: 26 Feb 2010

Posts: 10

Status: Offline

Post #4
Hi,
The first thing I thought was the stat, so I took it out, put it in a pan of water and raised the temp. It worked fine. I did take the dash out over a week ago, to change a bulb on the airbag light, but didn't think I'd touched anything. What could I have done ?. When I took the kids to school this morning the car had not moved for 14 hours and yet it reached 90 in less than 2 miles, seemed strange to me, but I've never had a prob with the car before so who knows.
Cheers
Posted 25th Mar 2010 at 17:46
iplay

Seasoned Pro

Location: Number Wang

Registered: 18 May 2006

Posts: 3,268

Status: Offline

Post #5
check the front of your radiator is not full of mud and debris.

Radiator cap might not be sealing correctly. they slowly fail over time and retain less pressure (hence drop in coolant). a new radiator cap allows the coolant to be 2 cm below the cap.

how old is your engine oil? check oil level. oil passed its best will not handle heat so well.
Posted 25th Mar 2010 at 17:51
neonauto

Newbie

Location: Pressignac

Registered: 26 Feb 2010

Posts: 10

Status: Offline

Post #6
Hi,
Sorry firstly I don't know why that last one posted twice...never mind eh !.
Ok, radiator is clear and free from dirt etc. Engine oil changed 600 miles ago and is still nice and clean. There doesn't appear to be any coolant loss, that's why I can't figure what's going on. I am about to go and pick the kids up from school, so to be on the safe side, I am going to pull the brown plug and leave the fans on full whilst I am out. Typically living in France, the school is 18 miles (25 minutes) away, so I'll get a good idea what's going on.
I'll post my findings when I get back.

Cheers
Posted 25th Mar 2010 at 18:39
sixysix

Seasoned Pro

Location: London

Registered: 27 Mar 2006

Posts: 2,659

Status: Offline

Post #7
What temp does it get to before the fan kicks in?
There is the low speed which should kick in at 97, then high speed kicks in at 107.

I am having problems with mine where the low speed is not working so my car when in traffic, will get up to 107 then cool off again when the high speed comes in.

Just let it idle till it gets up to temp and see what the fan does and go from there. Smile

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Posted 25th Mar 2010 at 19:27
neonauto

Newbie

Location: Pressignac

Registered: 26 Feb 2010

Posts: 10

Status: Offline

Post #8
OK....!!! That was not fun at all. I set off on my journey and drove 18 miles with the guage in white area of the 90 mark. Sounds ok, but I had the fans on double and the heater on full.
I went into a shop for 20 mins, came out and then drove 1 and a half miles to school. I stopped the car for 15 minutes then started it. The guage immediately jumped into the red and stayed there. I got out of the car (we were having a thunderstorm at the time !) and the fans were still going strong. The radiator was cold, the top hose was warm and the engine hot, but not burn your hand on it hot. I turned it off and left it for 10 minutes. I went to the rad cap and took it off. No hiss, no steam, no pressure and no coolant loss....erm ???.
Obviously I had to get home and drove the 18 miles back, with the fans and heater on. The guage never moved out of the red, didn't go up and didn't go down. Car drove ok, but I didn't go above 2500rpm or 60mph.
Same again when we got home, cold radiator, warm top hose, hot engine but not too hot. Radiator cap, no pressure, no steam and no coolant loss.
Totally stuck now and aint got a clue....Help !!
Posted 25th Mar 2010 at 21:20
sixysix

Seasoned Pro

Location: London

Registered: 27 Mar 2006

Posts: 2,659

Status: Offline

Post #9
neonauto wrote:
OK....!!! That was not fun at all. I set off on my journey and drove 18 miles with the guage in white area of the 90 mark. Sounds ok, but I had the fans on double and the heater on full.
I went into a shop for 20 mins, came out and then drove 1 and a half miles to school. I stopped the car for 15 minutes then started it. The guage immediately jumped into the red and stayed there. I got out of the car (we were having a thunderstorm at the time !) and the fans were still going strong. The radiator was cold, the top hose was warm and the engine hot, but not burn your hand on it hot. I turned it off and left it for 10 minutes. I went to the rad cap and took it off. No hiss, no steam, no pressure and no coolant loss....erm ???.
Obviously I had to get home and drove the 18 miles back, with the fans and heater on. The guage never moved out of the red, didn't go up and didn't go down. Car drove ok, but I didn't go above 2500rpm or 60mph.
Same again when we got home, cold radiator, warm top hose, hot engine but not too hot. Radiator cap, no pressure, no steam and no coolant loss.
Totally stuck now and aint got a clue....Help !!


Sounds like the thermostat is faulty then, or is sticking closed and not allowing coolant through to the rad Unsure

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Posted 25th Mar 2010 at 21:38
neonauto

Newbie

Location: Pressignac

Registered: 26 Feb 2010

Posts: 10

Status: Offline

Post #10
Hi,
I thought of the stat first, so I put it in a pan of water and brought the temp up. The stat opened ok. I did run it without the stat and it sat around the 70-90 mark, but I only went 10 miles. Could it be a mixture of things, rad cap not pressurising and stat not opening properly.
I've worked on overheating cars before, but this has be beat !
Ta Unsure
Posted 25th Mar 2010 at 21:45
spike_uk06

Seasoned Pro

Location: Billingshurst

Registered: 03 Aug 2006

Posts: 1,637

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Post #11
Well try a coolant flush and refill.

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Posted 25th Mar 2010 at 22:16
ballys16

Regular

Location: Godollo

Registered: 05 Mar 2009

Posts: 247

Status: Offline

Post #12
neonauto wrote:
Hi,
I thought of the stat first, so I put it in a pan of water and brought the temp up. The stat opened ok. I did run it without the stat and it sat around the 70-90 mark, but I only went 10 miles. Could it be a mixture of things, rad cap not pressurising and stat not opening properly.
I've worked on overheating cars before, but this has be beat !
Ta Unsure


Does the low speed fan come on at all?
Also, try unplugging the brown plug - fans should turn on slow for a sec or two and then both should run at full speed.

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Posted 26th Mar 2010 at 01:09
allesclar

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Location: Sheffield

Registered: 17 May 2009

Posts: 4,254

Status: Offline

Post #13
only if the ignition is turned over ballys16 Smile

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Posted 26th Mar 2010 at 01:11
ballys16

Regular

Location: Godollo

Registered: 05 Mar 2009

Posts: 247

Status: Offline

Post #14
allesclar wrote:
only if the ignition is turned over ballys16 Smile


Now that you mention it... Big grin

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Posted 26th Mar 2010 at 01:13
neonauto

Newbie

Location: Pressignac

Registered: 26 Feb 2010

Posts: 10

Status: Offline

Post #15
Hi,
No the fan doesn't seem to come on at all. It did come on yesterday, when it reached nearly 110 and nearly 100 (depends what mood it was in). I unplugged the brown plug and ran it with the two fans at full speed, but it still ran hot. Either it has a huge airlock or there is something else wrong with it. I am going to try and re-bleed/flush it tomorrow and I'll see where I go from there, but it really is strange.
Thanks
Posted 26th Mar 2010 at 01:17
ballys16

Regular

Location: Godollo

Registered: 05 Mar 2009

Posts: 247

Status: Offline

Post #16
neonauto wrote:
Hi,
No the fan doesn't seem to come on at all. It did come on yesterday, when it reached nearly 110 and nearly 100 (depends what mood it was in). I unplugged the brown plug and ran it with the two fans at full speed, but it still ran hot. Either it has a huge airlock or there is something else wrong with it. I am going to try and re-bleed/flush it tomorrow and I'll see where I go from there, but it really is strange.
Thanks


Blockage, airlock, waterpump on its way out, radiator cap...

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Posted 26th Mar 2010 at 01:21
neonauto

Newbie

Location: Pressignac

Registered: 26 Feb 2010

Posts: 10

Status: Offline

Post #17
Hi,
OK.. When things like this happen, you always feel positive, but any feedback before I get excited.
I came to the car this morning, 15 and a half hours after it last ran and the started it. The temp guage is reading 110 ! I have had bled it and had it running for 10 minutes, without the stat in (just to see if it was that) and the guage is on the first tiny red mark. The rad is warm and the top hose is warm. So is the heater in the car.
After 20 minutes, with the guage reading out of the door (over the red), both fans came on at low speed for about 40 seconds. Left it running for a further 5 minutes and the fans came on again for a similar time.
Rad is warm, top hose is warm engine is hot, but not stupidly hot.
Could it be a dodgy guage or sender ? It has been reading hotter and hotter over the past 3 days.
Cheers for all your input.
Posted 26th Mar 2010 at 13:22
bainsey6403

Junior User

Location: worcester

Registered: 30 Nov 2008

Posts: 92

Status: Offline

Post #18
Had this on my first 306, it wasn't a gti but a d turbo, was on way back from college and it sudden;y went into the red, got out had a look, engine wasn't hot so drove it home, changed the sender and all was sweet!!!
Posted 27th Mar 2010 at 09:22
neonauto

Newbie

Location: Pressignac

Registered: 26 Feb 2010

Posts: 10

Status: Offline

Post #19
Hi,
Thanks for all your input. Do you think it could be the switch ? I take it that the fan works off a different system and it should therefore be coming on at the correct temperature, even though the guage is reading wrong ?
Cheers
Posted 27th Mar 2010 at 12:40
daveyboy

aka Jim Davey

Location: Southampton

Registered: 01 Oct 2007

Posts: 8,648

Status: Offline

Post #20
If you have a metal bladed waterpump and the car has been run on a coolant that contains no antifreeze or corrosion inhibitor it is possible for the pumps turbine vanes to dissolve away to virtually nothing. It will mean a cambelt coming off but I would be tempted to check the condition of the pum as you say the thermostat is functioning but water is'nt circulating I would be looking at the obvious things like is water actually pumping?

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Posted 27th Mar 2010 at 23:51
neonauto

Newbie

Location: Pressignac

Registered: 26 Feb 2010

Posts: 10

Status: Offline

Post #21
Hi,
The car has only done 55,000 miles and has always had a good anti-freeze balance. Surely the water must be pumping around the system as the radiator and hoses warm up and the fan does seem to come on at a respectable temperature. Also if I turn on the ignition when the car is dead cold and hasn't run for 15 hours, why would the guage read 110 degrees. I suppose I am just looking for the easiest solution and it may not be so.
I'll try and get a replacement switch and go from there.

Thanks
Posted 28th Mar 2010 at 00:29

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