1.8 16v corrado keeps overheating!

[lexstar16v 0]

My 1.8 16v corrado keeps seeming to loose coolant after even very short journeys. By that I mean the red light water temp light starts flashing and water temp moves between 100 and 110 depending on speed. Then when I check the expansion tank following a journey the level has noticeably dropped. The fan is working as normal. I don't seem to have any leaks from any of the rubber piping. Has anyone got any ideas?

thanks alex

[Goldie 2]

Start the car and while its running have a very good look round under the bonnet. The water must be going somewhere.

 

Have a good look at the radiator itself, all piping and around the engine block.

[Toad 0]

Could be the rubber O-ring in the expansion tank cap.

 

Is the cap one of the old black original ones? They do fail, and many people have fitted new units (light blue)

 

Could there be an air lock in the cooling system? Apart from using water now, have you changed the coolant recently?

[lexstar16v 0]

Have bleed the coolant system and refilled with new coolant and if anything it is now worse! Have checked the entire system for leaks and there are none however the fan doesn't seem to cut in even when the water has reached 110! All the coolent then guesses out of the overflow (under the black cover on the expansion tank) I take it the thermo stat is gone or the fan itself? I have replaced the fuse for the fan.

[nocrap 0]

Yeah there's a control switch on the fan that doesn't cost that much to replace, get a new blue tank cap as the old black ones have been know to cause problems similar to yours......but if coolant is backing up i'd put a guess on the thermostat not opening.

 

Regardless to which is causing the problem, i'd change both.

[nocrap 0]

+ what coolant did you use?? was it G12+?

[lexstar16v 0]

G11

[nocrap 0]

G12+ is what you need, dont mix it with 11 tho.

 

have a read of the thread below, Supercharged says some useful stuff about half way down

 

Click on me

[lexstar16v 0]

Have taken it into my garage they replaced the fan switch and the fan is working now but reckon the reason is overheating is that the head gasket is gone! I feel this is going to get expensive oh no

[speedtwelve 0]

Yeah, sounds like a HG leak allowing cylinder hot gas leak to pressurise your coolant, particularly if the coolant is bubbling/boiling in the expansion tank and coming out of the overflow when hot.

 

Get hold of a CO tester and 'sniff test' the expansion tank with the cap off and engine running. The above HG problem will cause an increase in CO level due to exhaust gas blowing in the coolant.

[nocrap 0]

Humm that doesn't sound good, best of luck!

[lexstar16v 0]

Thanks