Car over heated!!
 

Hello scooby lovers,
Driving to work friday the car over heated, small bit of steam under the bonnet. :( I found a split water pipe under neath by the trottle body. i replaced this and topped up with water.
But the car still over heats. when the car is sitting idling the temp gauge doesn't move above the norm , but when i go for a short spin the temp shoots up.

I was told that i might be an air lock in the system or termaotat stuck as theres no heat coming from the heater when its up full.

Where do i bleed the cooling system and wheres the termostat. or am i barking up the wrong tree.

thanks in advance. oh and my car is a 95 wrx import

Heater & fan on max, start the car and warm it up for up to 15 minutes (as long as it doesn't overheat) whilst topping up the coolant reservoir. That should get rid of airlocks if that is your problem.

Thanks, i try that later

I also had this problem with my honda crx, turned out to be a stuck thermostat which lead to broken water pump.

Done what John banks said to do, but after the car warmed up the reservoir started to buble !!!! head gasket gone :( ?? No water in oil ??

Might have. Get the coolant checked for hydrocarbons. This is easily done at many garages and will tell you if excessive combustion gas has got into the coolant.

thanks again i'll get the checked .

Why do people talk about putting the heater on to remove air locks?? The heater matrix has no valves to control flow, coolant flows through it regarldess of the fan setting?

Drain the cooling system through the plug in the bottom of the rad, remove the top hose from the engine side and fill up the rad through the hose.. Now remove the hose from the rad side and re-attach the engine side and fill the block through the hose.. Poor the water very slowly..

refit the top hose and fill the header tank and expansion tank.

If you still have a problem after this remove the thermostat and check it in a pan of nearly boiling water (it should open).. If it opens then your problem maybe head gasket related, or even a clogged rad/heater matrix.

Thanks davey.

oh, and Davey, wheres the termostat located, excuse my ignorance !!

If you look at the front of the engine its on the bottom right, if you look where the hose that comes from the bottom of the rad joins the engine there is a little housing with two 12mm bolts.. Its in there.. If you remove the rad its really easy to get to.

Davey, cheers, thanks alot, i'll check it out fully tomorrow. up the wall at work !!!

Ah well, head gasket is gone !!!!!:(


anybody got some for me ???

bummer buddy.... I was lucky enough just to escape with an Airlock, when my radhose split.. All is running fine now.

If you get over on the ferry to Stranraer, travel up the 77 and take the car to Greers should be roughly £700 from them to get both gaskets changed.

Also. take out the thermostat and pull the guts out if it, then pop it back in, should keep the car running fine for a while buddy.

i Have some one to do the work just need some advice on what gaskets i need for thr rebuild.

I'd guess cos its common practise.As you know on older cars it was a valve that just shut the coolant off.Its easier to just turn the heater on than to go looking round under the bonnet of a modern car for a valve asspecially if your working on loads of different models.