easypops 8 Posted October 27, 2007 hi all, over the last wee while my c has been getting warm quite fast if i'm sat in traffic. i bought a blue header tank cap, a thermostat, and a thermo fan switch. i fitted the tank cap and as expected it still overheated today....temp shot up to one notch from the top and the temp light started flashing.....stopped the car and opened the bonnet....the fan wasn't on!!! waited for about half an hour and drove home....about 20 mins on the motorway doing a steady 55 and although the light didn't come on the temp sat at 110 all the way....so i have a couple of questions(and yes i have used the search) 1. should driving without stops not help the rad cool things down? 2. does this just sound like the fan switch is dead? 3. could it be just the thermostat? 4. is there anything else it could be? many thanks in advance as always martin i have not yet fitted the fan switch or the thermostat(sounds difficult) :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted October 27, 2007 Have you seen the fan working at all??? maybe a fuse? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
easypops 8 Posted October 27, 2007 Have you seen the fan working at all??? maybe a fuse? yes it was working until recently :) .......i'll go and check right now its fine, no breaks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted October 27, 2007 Remember there is a big fuse in the engine bay if you have ABS (black box near expansion tank) If your warming up from cold, keep an eye on the top and bottom hoses, the bottom one should be cold to slightly warm until you hit 80c then should get as hot as the top one in about 2 mins... if not and the top one is rock hard with the car fully up to temp the its the stat stuck closed and he rad will never get hot enough to trigger the fan... If it appears to work ok in terms of the above but the temp gets to 110 then the fan comes on it will be the thermoswitch only working at stage 2... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
easypops 8 Posted October 27, 2007 cheers for the info mate, i'll need to wait until the morning and i'll start it up....feel the pipes etc and hopefully get it sorted. the big fuse next to the abs....is it one i can get from halfords...if it is blown? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted October 27, 2007 Yeah - you need to stand there and watch it / feel the pipes while keeping an eye on the temps to work out what is going on... Big fuse - not sure, it's not like a normal blade, just a metal strip so not sure if it's standard or not... I have a few tho so can post you one if needed - if it has gone tho it will be caused by the motor burning out / dead short or similar as it's a bloody great thing, worth checking the wiring to the fan plug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
easypops 8 Posted October 27, 2007 ok...that gives me a task for first thing in the morning then :D i'll give all wiring etc a good check also cheers for the offer of the fuse....i'll let you know thank again mate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
easypops 8 Posted October 28, 2007 update... i started it from cold....temp got to just below 70....top pipe was getting warm....bottom pipe also getting warm but not as warm as the top temp gets to 80....top pipe a good heat now....bottom pipe also good heat although still slightly cooler still no action from fan temp gets to 110....top hose too hot to be holding now :D ....bottom hose also cooking...prob a tiny bit cooler but really hot also.....still no fan temp gets to just about 120 and temp light in dash starts flashing....turn off i checked the wiring to the fan and the fan switch.....i'm guessing they are ok as the haven't had any changes or movement recently.....and the fan was working not that long ago.......temp rarely got above 70/80 i think the rad is getting up to temp and the culprit is the thermo fan switch.....which i'm going to change....once it cools down :D oh and i couldn't find the big fuse near the header tank/abs??.....is it hidden behind something?....the siren thing for my toad alarm is about there....could the guy fitting it have moved it? cheers martin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigowl 0 Posted October 28, 2007 easypops - I think Supercharged is talking about fan control module I happen to have pic. I believe the metal fuse he is referring to is the thing at the bottom of the black worm I drew. Incidentally, the 5amp fuse was blown on mine - it is for the auxiliary water pump, but IMO you would not experience serious problems if only it has failed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
easypops 8 Posted October 28, 2007 easypops - I think Supercharged is talking about fan control module I happen to have pic. I believe the metal fuse he is referring to is the thing at the bottom of the black worm I drew. Incidentally, the 5amp fuse was blown on mine - it is for the auxiliary water pump, but IMO you would not experience serious problems if only it has failed. i dont have that box/stuff......i'll take a pic Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigowl 0 Posted October 28, 2007 Could be you have earlier model? We need an expert on Corrado history here, now. :lol: I have no experience of earlier fan control methods. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
easypops 8 Posted October 28, 2007 i'm not sure if there is early stuff going on in the engine bay....its a 93' on an L and has late interior, bonnet etc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
easypops 8 Posted October 28, 2007 ok....i changed the thermo fan switch....re filled the cooling system....and the fan still wont come on :censored: worse than that the top and bottom pipe at the radiator go rock hard when it heated up.....and the heating in the car is now only blowing cold air......is it an air lock? ....is there a correct way to fill up the system?.....one of the pipes that go the heater matrix is warm near the engine but quite cool near the bulkhead??....air in the pipes?.....heater worked fine before i changed the switch. any advice would be well appreciated Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toad 0 Posted October 28, 2007 Yeah, it's an airlock. Fill the system from the top rad hose, disconnect it from the rad and pour coolant into the radiator until that is full and then fill the rest of the system via the top hose with the header tank cap removed. Start the car and let it warm up with the cap removed, whilst watching air escaping out the bleed pipe that plumbs into the header tank. check the pipes are all getting hot, the heater matrix pipes, the top hose then the bottom hose in that order... when the bottom pipe starts to warm, put the cap back on and let it get up to fan operating temp. then let it cool, over several hours or overnight. top up the coolant and you should be sorted, although you might like to run through the bleeding proceedure again to make sure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
herisites 0 Posted October 28, 2007 The fans not coming on could be down to the temp sensor on the thermostat housing, its the yellow one i believe, cheap fix really and wont cost you much even if that isnt it. Toad you beat me to it i was just about to type all of that Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
easypops 8 Posted October 28, 2007 cheers guys....i'll give that a go....fingers crossed :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
easypops 8 Posted October 29, 2007 an update....tried to bleed the cooling system at 7am this morning 1. emptied the system by removing the thermo fan switch 2. took the header tank cap off 3. put the fan switch in again 4. undid the top rad hose 5. filled the radiator until full 6. tried to put more coolant in through the top hose....but as i put it in there it poured out of the top of the rad??? 7. re attatched the hose 8. turned the engine on.....the temp light flashing 9. the temp climbed steadily 70..80..90.... STILL THE FAN WONT COME ON!! 10. top and bottom rad hoses hot ,put the header tank cap on 11. within a minute the top and bottom hoses went rock hard 12. the heater matrix pipes were hot where they join the block but cold at the bulkhead 13. got home at 4pm and did it all again with the same results :censored: it seems that there is air in the heater matrix....is there any way i can sort this out without removing all the dash etc? i have looked at what you did herisites and that looks really difficult for an novice like me. does the pipes going hard mean the thermostat is knackered? cheers all Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigowl 0 Posted October 29, 2007 Try and flush matrix with strong flow from hosepipe? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted October 29, 2007 Hmmm - I think the main problem is the fan not working, we need to find out why... I don't know where the control module is tho if not in the engine bay??? The air lock should go once water is circulating, especially if you run with out the cap off for a few mins... sure the water pumps are working, certainly sounds like the rad is getting hot... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
herisites 0 Posted October 29, 2007 Have you checked that your radiator isn't blocked? That could be causing the pipes to go hard and the rad wont get hot enough for the fans to kick in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
easypops 8 Posted October 29, 2007 Have you checked that your radiator isn't blocked? That could be causing the pipes to go hard and the rad wont get hot enough for the fans to kick in. how would i check this? remove top and bottom pipe and stick a hose in? cheers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigowl 0 Posted October 29, 2007 Yes, flush it through from top hose and then bottom hose so flow has gone in both directions thro rad. You can check for blockage in heater matrix similarly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
herisites 0 Posted October 29, 2007 Yeah true but i imagine it could still be blocked further along and just not fill up as much?? When the car is warm/hot place your hand on the rad (carefully mind as it should be pretty hot!) and check if its warm/hot all over, if its blocked there will be a cold spot. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toad 0 Posted October 29, 2007 What car is this by the way? My 1.8 16v had a blocked bleed pipe once... Dunno if that helps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
easypops 8 Posted October 29, 2007 sorry i should have said......its a 2.0 16v i knowledge is obviously almost zero......i dont know where/if it has a bleed pipe :oops: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
