"overheating" car

supersunbird

supersunbird

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My 9yo Ford Ikon 1.3 is being funny again, that's the reason the "overheating" is in quotation marks.

Last night while heading home first is was go slow and then a long stretch of 120km/h cruising. When stopping at the off-ramp I heard my radiator fan is on, and I notice the water temperature gauge is almost at the top (pretty strange since it vrek cold and I was moving at pace). It quickly drops to the middle and the rest of the trip at 70 to 80km/h seems normal, but the fan does go on every now and then.

This morning the fan is frequently on and the gauge between middle where it usually is and on the 3/4 mark.

20140618_070055.jpg

Water level in reservoir is at the top mark, no steam in the cold air inside the engine bay from a crack in a pipe. I'm was planning on getting the coolant pipes and fluids replaced anyway so just need to know what else to replace.

Water pump giving up the ghost? Faulty thermometer?
 
Water pump giving up the goast, thermometer fault, or radiator is dying.

Get it looked at ASAP.
 
While you are at it might as well try a new radiator cap as well, assuming you have one.
 
supersunbird said:
Why? I'll just use the Figo rest of the week. :p

Radiator dying? How does it do that?
Click to expand...

Check the condition off the cooling fins between the cores (corrosion etc), the cores (carrying the coolant) could also be be blocked.

Might as well give it a flush, you get coolant flush you add to the system and run with the heater on for 5 to 10 min followed by a water rinse and then a coolant replacement.
 
Might be your thermostat is going, or could be your radiator needs to be flushed and cleaned.
 
With the engine on and up to temp, check all and squeeze all the coolant pipes, make sure each of them is hot, run the heater, etc (this is all to ensure that water is actually flowing around the cooling system).

If they're all hot to touch and the heater produces warm air then I'd suspect a sticking thermostat, if any of the pipes are cool to touch then water isn't getting around the cooling system, possibly the water pump.
 
ponder said:
Check the condition off the cooling fins between the cores (corrosion etc), the cores (carrying the coolant) could also be be blocked.

Might as well give it a flush, you get coolant flush you add to the system and run with the heater on for 5 to 10 min followed by a water rinse and then a coolant replacement.
Click to expand...

Heater not working, bypassed since one day it wanted to just blow hot air all the time (faulty heat exchanger).
 
Thanks for the ideas guys, I think can afford most of what is required (pump, new pipes and flush). I suspect the water pump personally.

How much do radiators cost?
 
supersunbird said:
My 9yo Ford Ikon 1.3 is being funny again, that's the reason the "overheating" is in quotation marks.

Last night while heading home first is was go slow and then a long stretch of 120km/h cruising. When stopping at the off-ramp I heard my radiator fan is on, and I notice the water temperature gauge is almost at the top (pretty strange since it vrek cold and I was moving at pace). It quickly drops to the middle and the rest of the trip at 70 to 80km/h seems normal, but the fan does go on every now and then.

This morning the fan is frequently on and the gauge between middle where it usually is and on the 3/4 mark.

View attachment 126063

Water level in reservoir is at the top mark, no steam in the cold air inside the engine bay from a crack in a pipe. I'm was planning on getting the coolant pipes and fluids replaced anyway so just need to know what else to replace.

Water pump giving up the ghost? Faulty thermometer?
Click to expand...

Thermostat definately. The warm water in the engine is not getting out to the radiator to be cooled.
I would check the Thermostat first then the waterpump.
 
Last edited:
Keep fan on heater setting while driving to help keep temp stable till you get it fixed.
Best to get it checked my a mechanic.
 
Id say check the cheap stuff first, replace the radiator cap and the thermostat. You might think the radiator cap is just to keep the water in, but actually it does more than that. If possible feel around the radiator if the temp is relatively uniform, if it is not some channels are blocked (with the fan off, don't want you losing fingers) Have the radiator flushed. 9/10 times this will cause your symptoms. Check the pipe temps as others have suggested. Usually the water pump will start leaking out the weeping hole long before it will seize and stop working.

Are you losing water at all?

Radiators are 1-3k depending where you look and have it built, materials etc..
 
psion said:
Id say check the cheap stuff first, replace the radiator cap and the thermostat. You might think the radiator cap is just to keep the water in, but actually it does more than that. If possible feel around the radiator if the temp is relatively uniform, if it is not some channels are blocked (with the fan off, don't want you losing fingers) Have the radiator flushed. 9/10 times this will cause your symptoms. Check the pipe temps as others have suggested. Usually the water pump will start leaking out the weeping hole long before it will seize and stop working.

Are you losing water at all?

Radiators are 1-3k depending where you look and have it built, materials etc..
Click to expand...

Does not have the radiator cap, the plastic coolant reservoir is only cap.

Not loosing water, and any steam or hot water leaking should be easy to see on these cold mornings and evenings. Will check the pipe and radiator heat spread.
 
Ah yes, if it has the cap on and the water level is on full that will be fine. Check the rest.
 
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