A L 3 X Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 I noticed yesterday after a long drive that a bit of coolant had come out of the expansion tank, maybe not helped by the capto exp tank being loose.....but anyway for piece of mind ive changed the thermostat and also rad cap(motor factors gave me 1.1 bar as opposed to genuine being 0.9 Ive noticed after driving around for a bit once the engine is warm the rad pipes get a little hard, the bottom hose is sometimes hot like the top and others not( i assume this is due to how long driving how long parked idling? Now is the pipe stiffness serious, am i gonna need to do the headgasket or is there anything eldr? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Starbo Moorley Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Chrcjed your heaters too see if they still blow hot ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
akyakapotter Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Mine dose that well with the pipes going hard seams to be fine Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A L 3 X Posted February 19, 2013 Author Share Posted February 19, 2013 Yeah still blow hot mate Quote Link to post Share on other sites
smobey_sutton2 Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Pressure builds up in the cooiling system with the temperature, so naturally, the hoses will harden when engine is up to temperature. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A L 3 X Posted February 19, 2013 Author Share Posted February 19, 2013 Really? Hmm maybe it might be normal then, wasn't sure it's always been like that lol.How about the temp of the bottom pipe, if I'm parked up idling the bottom pipe warms up, not heard the fan kick in in this weather however...but if I pull up from driving and check it appears to be cold....that normal? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Glanza AuA Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 on mine both pipes are hard but somehow im not sure if this is normal could someone pls check on theres and give us an update??? you should be able to squeeze them just a little if im not mistaken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Asad Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 top one will be hard till the stat opens up and fan kicks in, like really really hard...engine temp ok? heaters ok? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
akyakapotter Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 top one will be hard till the stat opens up and fan kicks in, like really really hard...engine temp ok? heaters ok? That's what mine is like all the time even after the fan has come on Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Asad Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 your stat is probably stuck, whats the engine temp like? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Glanza AuA Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 (edited) on mine has new stat and heater removed temp stays always normal, fan kick in normal its just those hard pipes staying to damn hard like really under pressure Edited February 20, 2013 by Glanza AuA Quote Link to post Share on other sites
akyakapotter Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 your stat is probably stuck, whats the engine temp like?Engine temp is fine goes to half way and stays there Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Asad Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 the top hose gets really hard + hot, if everything else checks out i wouldnt worry about it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A L 3 X Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 An inconclusive update to mine, I took the car to two garages today, one of them put a coolant system compressor on the rad, pumped it up to 20 psi and left it ten mins, it dropped a little bit but he said it seems fine :/He also put the pressure thing on and had me run the car, it didn't built up any pressure then which he said was good....he seems to think nothing's wrong weirdlyI then took it to another garage who had a quick look and said as the bottom pipe is cold(which it always is after driving it, only warms up if I leave the car to run) he said that meant there deffo appeared to be some issue but he wasn't sure what, possibly blocked rad, faulty water pump or hg, or thermo yet it is a new one.He said to go back on Wednesday he will have a proper look. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Glanza AuA Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 lower hose only becomes hot once the thermo opens up Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A L 3 X Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 Will the thermo only open when the car is still?Like I say if I've been driving the car around the lower hose will always be cold, if its left running however on the spot it will warm up? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Glanza AuA Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 should let them do the block tester thing to see if there is combustion in the system Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A L 3 X Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 The first garage were unhelpful when I asked for a sniff tester, said he'd need to empty the coolant or some other bollocks, the second didn't have one so I've ordered one from eBay Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Glanza AuA Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 (edited) well depends how fast you reach to you operating temp so that the fans kick inthats when you know for sure the thermo has open could also feel the lower hose hot on the spot it could take a while for the temp to come up to temp since there in UK you have colder climatesbut eventually it will open up or must open up if doesn't open that means stuck thermo has to be changed Edited February 22, 2013 by Glanza AuA Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Glanza AuA Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 The first garage were unhelpful when I asked for a sniff tester, said he'd need to empty the coolant or some other bollocks, the second didn't have one so I've ordered one from eBay for how much did you order one ? also need to get one of those but kind of afraid for it to changed color in front of my eyes lol with means blown headgasket or cracked head Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A L 3 X Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 well depends how fast you reach to you operating temp so that the fans kick inthats when you know for sure the thermo has open could also feel the lower hose hot on the spot it could take a while for the temp to come up to temp since there in UK you have colder climatesbut eventually it will open up or must open up if doesn't open that means stuck thermo has to be changedAs I say it seems to open and warm the lower hose when the car is stood still, when running not so much, maybe because the radiator is cooling it with air flow? Have changed the thermo matefor how much did you order one ? also need to get one of those but kind of afraid for it to changed color in front of my eyes lolwith means blown headgasket or cracked head It was £35 mate, and yeah but at least you will know lpl Quote Link to post Share on other sites
akyakapotter Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 It was £35 mate, and yeah but at least you will know lolLink please Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A L 3 X Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 Search ebay for block tester mate, if not ill link you when I'm on a pc?Right the block tester has still not arrived, can anyone give me an opinion as I'm wanting to strip it down tomorrow if it needs a hg.Basically my symptoms are:-Pressurised and emptied the overflow tank once on a long drive to deans.-after driving the car it seems to make both rad pipes go pretty solid-sometimes if I give it a boost and then pop the lid off the expansion tank but leave the tube in it will make small bubbles.-if I leave the car to idle the bottom hose will get hot as though the stat is opening as it should...if however I pull up and chem after driving the top hose is still hot but the bottom hose is flat cold, like the thermo isn't opening but I've replaced it and checked the old one which works fine in boiling water.-sometimes the temp gauge in the car will drop in temperature when driving(coinciding with the cold bottom hose)- I've replaced the thermostat, rad cap, and flushed the system and rad and refilled and rebled it all... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
akyakapotter Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Got to be your stat mate I took mine out and it stayed hot on the bottom hose I'm going with my rad and cap being fooked sent my new rad off today to be sorted then ill no it that was my problem. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A L 3 X Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 It can't be mate pretty sure of it, I've tried two now and the one I took out was working fine with the kettle test, the other is brand new.Taking it out will definately let it run warm because its like a big gaping hole as opposed to the stat only being a small hole even when open.I'm wondering if the hg is going, causing boost to pressurise the cooling system and force the stat closed? Hence why on idle its fine, but as soon as I drive it goes cold Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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