I only run my Mk 1b every 10-14 days this time of year, just a handful of miles to pump the fluids round, charge the battery and work the brakes.
Always starts on the button, settles quickly and runs impeccably until this afternoon. A few minutes into my short journey in central London, I was aware that the heater was still blowing cool air but the temperature gauge was creeping beyond the normal mark. After a further mile or so, the gauge was on the cusp of the red so I pulled over and topped-up the coolant (always carry some red stuff and a litre of water with me).
The rad fan hadn't engaged at all though the 20a fuse that I presume governs the fan was intact. The car cooled after 10-15 minutes and I gingerly managed to make my way safely home without boiling-over although there was some light steaming.
The water pump hasn't failed so where's the first place to look - is it the thermostat?
Cheers
Paul
Cooling fan not kicking-in
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- Posts: 67
- Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 6:19 pm
- Location: London
Re: Cooling fan not kicking-in
Thermostat stuck closed would be my first port of call, however this doesn't explain why you lost coolant. You may have sprung a leak.
How much coolant did you have to put back in?
How much coolant did you have to put back in?
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- Posts: 67
- Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 6:19 pm
- Location: London
Re: Cooling fan not kicking-in
About a pint I suppose - it didn't dip below the min in the header tank and I vented the steam. I was lucky I could find somewehere to pull over and that I noticed straight away.
I'll change the thermostat shortly. Cheers.
I'll change the thermostat shortly. Cheers.
Re: Cooling fan not kicking-in
The passenger compartment heater is on a different circuit to the rad so the fact that this wasn't getting hot suggests there is more wrong than a stuck thermostat.
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- Posts: 67
- Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 6:19 pm
- Location: London
Re: Cooling fan not kicking-in
scomr2 wrote:The passenger compartment heater is on a different circuit to the rad so the fact that this wasn't getting hot suggests there is more wrong than a stuck thermostat.
After looking through the BGB through tear-stained eyes, I'm going to check the temperature sensors connectivity. If I can't fix it by jiggling things about, I'll have to think about trailering it away and paying through the nose. I don't have a warm garage and I don't fancy crawling about in the damp dirt in a communal car-park with my incomplete collection of basic spanners.
The only thing I didn't perhaps stress was the rapidity with which things cooled down once I stopped the engine. Don't know if that's significant but I thought it unusual.