Incomprehensible collection thread - COOLING MISERY

[Lacquer Peel]

Yep it's running great now thanks to 320touring's parts stash. It became unbearably slow a few miles from his house. Lucky!

[320touring]

Its a homing instinct..

[beko1987]

Huzzah! Never a failed collection thread when you have an ARSE in a BMW!

[320touring]

Huzzah! Never a failed collection thread when you have an ARSE in a BMW!

Oi you, I resemble that remark!

[Noel Tidybeard]

Huzzah! Never a failed collection thread when you have a HAIRY ARSE in a BMW!

 

FIFY

[KruJoe]

Autoshite

Rescue, 

Shite-fixing,

Etc.

[Lacquer Peel]

 

Bollocks.

[Laseraligningfoofooflanges]

[320touring]

Bollocks.

Where are you?

[Laseraligningfoofooflanges]

Shit lp just seen the post above mine.. Medieval guy is not a dig! Hope you get home safe buddy!!

[Lacquer Peel]

About 5 miles from home now.

[320touring]

About 5 miles from home now.

Let us ken when you land

[Lacquer Peel]

I'm back now.

 

My theory is that the water pump is buggered, a common problem with these because of VAG's insistence on plastic water pump impellers, it stays at a constant 90c on the open road but the temperature rockets up steep hills.

[Cleon-Fonte]

At least it's revealing its niggles early on.

[Richard]

Turns out milk isn't much good in the cooling system either.

[beko1987]

 

Bollocks.

SCRAP IT!

 

Or does Neil have a waterpump in his bedside cabinet too?

[Lacquer Peel]

The water pump seems ok, you can feel the impeller through the hole for the thermostat and it's intact and doesn't budge.

[bub2006]

A4 ftw

[Lacquer Peel]

Aye, I was attracted by shiny things and trinkets.

[beko1987]

The water pump seems ok, you can feel the impeller through the hole for the thermostat and it's intact and doesn't budge.

Have you tried feeling the impeller with the engine on to check it's moving?

 

Is this not the sort of issue that's usually sorted with one of ECP's finest* thermostats and coolant?

 

 

*you'll have to buy a Vauxhall Astra 2004 1.4 to fit the stat they send you obv

[Lacquer Peel]

No I'm not feeling the impeller with the engine on!!

 

Tested the thermostat in a pan and it's fine.

 

Maybe it is the coolant cap or an air lock / wishful thinking

[Dave_Q]

These rarely run hot enough to even get the fan on unless you're driving through death valley or something.

 

If there was no leak maybe the rad is silted up or has blocked airflow?

 

Alternatively if its a plaggy impeller water pump maybe it only slips when hot due to expansion etc.

[Richard]

Does your other engine still have a working water pump?

[Lacquer Peel]

I've removed the thermostat, refilled with water and added the shiter's favourite dishwasher tablet.

I was told that if the water pump was fucked the engine would heat up quickly thermostat or not.

 

It's not overheating now and there's hot air from the heater. Maybe it's just a silted up cooling system and a dodgy thermostat? It passed the pan test but maybe it's opening at too high a temp, not sure why that would happen though.

 

Richard I do have a spare water pump.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

Good luck with it. - I hope it is a cheap and easy fix.

[320touring]

My bro has a spare expansion tank and cap if you need it.

 

what a pain in the hoop

[Dave_Q]

I had a VAG with a failed pump, was a pez mind, but the temp gauge didn't really move off cold on idle, then shot up after a short time of normal driving.

 

As long as the dishwasher tablet had a Powerball you'll probably be OK. It might be prudent to do the water pump anyway but I imagine cambelt kit + water pump = significant percentage of cost of whole car.

[Lacquer Peel]

Annoying thing is it had a new cambelt not long ago.

Normal driving is no bother, I drove it for hours yesterday at 70 and the gauge didn't move, it's only when I hit the mountains that it shot up.

[320touring]

sludging in the RAD?

[Asimo]

Is the radiator fan switching in as it should?

It's years since I had anything VAG but I bet their thermo-switches are still crap.