Fiesta zetec 1.25 overheating

corktina

What should I check? Checked the obvious, plenty of water, oil on the mark and clean, no scum on filler cap fan working.

Loss of power sometimes which could mean coil-pack on way out, would that cause overheating? I wouldn't have thought so...

Nissan doctor

Is it actually overheating or are you seeing just the gauge going up?

These can suffer a fault in the temp gauge sender which can cause the temperature gauge to read up and down.

Avns1s

corktina wrote: »

What should I check? Checked the obvious, plenty of water, oil on the mark and clean, no scum on filler cap fan working.

Loss of power sometimes which could mean coil-pack on way out, would that cause overheating? I wouldn't have thought so...

Loss of power shouldn't cause overheating but overheating could cause some lack of power.

Have you checked the thermostat in addition to ND's comments?

Turner

Dont know the layout of a fiesta engine but check all the pipes of the cooling system.

The ones that come out of the engine block and to the radiator.

When the engine is warm they all should be hot to touch. If one is hot and one is cold the thing between the two usually is the problem. (thermostat, radiator etc)

Ded_Zebra

Is there anything blocking the flow of air through the rad?

Plastic bag etc...

corktina

My son has it at the moment so I only know what he tells me! He took it to a mechanic who says tis the thermostat,...we'll see! Wisdom on th net is that the heater valve can stick and when I got it , the heater was stuck on, but I cured this, I though, the control knob was disconnected from its printed circuit board, I re-inserted it and the heater was turning off and on OK.. maybe an air-lock Im thinking.??? (only had it a few days)

corktina

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Is it actually overheating or are you seeing just the gauge going up?

These can suffer a fault in the temp gauge sender which can cause the temperature gauge to read up and down.

interesting..how would I tell if it actually IS overheating then?

Nissan doctor

corktina wrote: »

interesting..how would I tell if it actually IS overheating then?

Well if the temperature is up in the red and you open the bonnet you'll have steam coming from the expansion bottle, the rad pipes will be rock hard(and very hot so be careful checking) and the fan, assuming its working, will be running constantly.

dgt

Any coolant in the bottle?

corktina

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Well if the temperature is up in the red and you open the bonnet you'll have steam coming from the expansion bottle, the rad pipes will be rock hard(and very hot so be careful checking) and the fan, assuming its working, will be running constantly.

He didnt say there was steam coming out so I wonder. The mechanic father of a friend of it says its the thermostat so he's ordered a new one...hope he's right.

George Dalton

You need to be careful with these. I had an absolute nightmare with one of them a while back. It had all the symptoms of a stuck thermostat but actually turned out to be the heater valve at the bulkhead which was stopping the coolant from circulating properly.

The lack of power sometimes is most likely a symptom of the overheating. When these engines get too hot the ECU shuts down 2 of the cylinders which then act as a heat pump to help reduce the temperatures.

corktina

yes thats the info I have re the heater valve, without the car here, Im struggling...is it on the bulkhead on the engine side and what needs doing? Can it be freed up or is a new valve in order?

George Dalton

It's on the bulkhead on the engine side, just follow the 2 coolant hoses up to the bulkhead and you will find it. To the best of my knowledge the only thing you can do with them when they act up is throw it away and fit a new one.

corktina

a bit more info. When I got the car the heater was stuck on full. The knob just turned and did nothing. I reconnected it with the printed circuit and it turns off and on now HOWEVER, it is since this that the overheating has started so Im thinking the knob was off because someone had forced it AS A RESULT OF THE CAR OVERHEATING.

Does that make sense?

Control valve has two pipe connections and a multi plug and is behind the false bulkhead in front of the aircon equipmwent etc, is this coreect?

George Dalton

That is correct.

Have you made any progress since? Did you fit the new thermostat?

corktina

still havent got the car back off my son so I dont know :rolleyes:....just looked at the lie of the land on our other fiesta to see what I was about. Ordered a new valve anyway...not convinced its thermostat

corktina

it occurs to me it would prove the point if the heater were isolated by joining the in and out pipes ....dioes that make sense?

George Dalton

That's what I was going to suggest you do yes.

corktina

jeez irts hard to sort a problem when you dont have the car with you!¬ Thx for help

corktina

UPDATE:

have car back now...bypassed the heater altogther and ran it up the road a few miles at 3000/4000 rpm and it's outside now ticking away.Temp guage on 1/2 way maximum so far....evidence of overheating around heater tank cap and it needed about 1/2 litre of water.

George Dalton

Are all the coolant pipes hot? Is the rad fan running?

corktina

pipes hot...no sign of fan at this stage but maybe not hot enough


sorry that shopuld have read OLD evidence of overheating....none now

corktina

Further Update... car did twenty mile trip and back yesterday with no overheating. Problem solved, new part ordered.

Thanks for all the help!

corktina

new part fitted by my Son in my absense....perfect and now has a heater!