Overheating?

[cherrywaves]

Right....the temp gauge normally sits at 3o'clock, exept for the last two days its been hitting too close to the red for comfort! I've got water in the header to the max line, no gunge in the oil and no engine lights/lambda dash lights. However I seem to be able to bring the temp down a little by having the heater on full speed and full heat. It's heating up quicker than normal too.

97 P 850 T5 estate.

Any ideas? My first thought is the thermostat - from what I've been reading they don't tend to jam shut on the 850?
Has anyone else had this?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[merc85]

Could be a blocked rad , check the bottom hose is hot the same as the top hose, if one is colder than the other a rad could be the issue

[Kingsford G]

As above but if one hose is colder than the other and the temperature is going above normal let it cool down, remove your thermostat and put it in the boiling water,if it doesn`t open change it,make sure it opens enough.If the thermostat is good,blocked rad or the water pump

[stribo]

Wait for it to warm up, then check the top hose, if it's still cold then it's the thermostat, as Gav said if the bottom hose is cold it's the rad, if both are hot it's likely to be the water pump.

[cherrywaves]

Right - we left her to idle for a bit and then held the revs between 1500 - 2000 rpm to simulate a short drive. The temp then then crept up to 3/4 and then suddenly rose towards the red. We shut the engine off and noticed high pressure in the expansion tank.

Top hose was hot and the lower hose was cold.
Can you unblock a rad? There's no leaks. And how much would I expect to pay for a new one? Is a re-core the way to go or should I buy a new one?

Sorry for asking you guys to wipe my a$$ but I think I need some guidance on this.

[merc85]

Back wash it with a hose pipe, take both hoses off run water top to bottom and vice versa see how much flow comes out. May not be enough to unblock it, Id certainly advise replacement as the cooler inside can also crack.

[Kingsford G]

I have a good rad spare if you want,no point trying to unblock etc.

[cherrywaves]

Fixed it on Sunday! Changed the thermostat and did a flush and coolant change. All seems okay so far...

[M-R-P]

Fixed it on Sunday! Changed the thermostat and did a flush and coolant change. All seems okay so far...

Good news mate. Will you be joining us on Saturday?

[cherrywaves]

Saturday being dyno day? I'm working on it, but with a new baby and stuff I'm not committed 100%.
Are there still places left? I'm very curious to see how many moose are left in the T5! More to the point - would it SURVIVE a best of 3! Ha!

May see if I can get it as a Christmas pressie....

[M-R-P]

Saturday being dyno day? I'm working on it, but with a new baby and stuff I'm not committed 100%.
Are there still places left? I'm very curious to see how many moose are left in the T5! More to the point - would it SURVIVE a best of 3! Ha!

May see if I can get it as a Christmas pressie....

I have a bleed valve if you wanna play lol.

Start time between 9 and 10, usually finish just after lunch. Nobody's gonna make you stay till the end if you need to go, we could even run yours first if you're in a hurry. :)