stopped for 5 min. temp gauge in red..................

[john]

if an engine is idling for 10-15 and the air being blown out of the vents is hot should the thermostat be open to allow the water to be run through the rad?

[LeWaftBarge]

I'm not so hot on this subject, but the thermostat opens and closes to allow coolant to circulate the engine channelways once it has reached a certain temperature. Normally the heater is controlled by a separate valve.

Are you getting any warm air whilst the car is up to temperature? If not, you could have an airlock in the cooling system.

[john]

Are you getting any warm air whilst the car is up to temperature? If not, you could have an airlock in the cooling system.

yes it blows out hot air but the rad is still cold, thinking the thermostat may have gone.

[Ben82]

On my C5 the thermostat was stuck open, and the car would not blow out hot air. The car would moan it was overheating even though it was -10 to -20c outside at the time and the car had only been running for about 5minutes.

If the Berlingo works in the same way I would say the thermostat would be an unlikely culprit. Stuck open would mean the engine would take a lot longer to get upto temperature and not give hot air out the vents. Stuck closed would mean its overheat and you would not get hot air through the vents.
If it was stuck partially open then maybe.

But either way getting it on a Lexia should help reveal what's going on.

[Stewart(oily)]

Few modern cars have a water valve type heater, the circuit with the thermostat closed circulates water through the heater matrix and the block all of the time, if the heater controls are off then flaps keep the warm air away from you, once the pre determined temp has been reached the thermostat opens and allows water to circulate through the radiator, the thermostat can operate partially open too, and although designed to fail in the open position it is not unheard of for them to stick closed.

[Northern_Mike]

This sounds like a blocked rad and/or broken fan. It doesn't sound like a head gasket failure. When I've had HG failures in cars, including a 1.4 ZX with this motor, they overheated on the move under power, not when stationary. My Capri with it's knackered viscous fan (which I replaced with a kenlowe) and the Saab with a blocked rad both overheated when ticking over when there was no airflow to cool them down.

[john]

But either way getting it on a Lexia should help reveal what's going on.

no one near me with 1 though.

[LeWaftBarge]

Few modern cars have a water valve type heater, the circuit with the thermostat closed circulates water through the heater matrix and the block all of the time, if the heater controls are off then flaps keep the warm air away from you, once the pre determined temp has been reached the thermostat opens and allows water to circulate through the radiator, the thermostat can operate partially open too, and although designed to fail in the open position it is not unheard of for them to stick closed.

Admittedly I'm going from experience of a 2001 Ford Fiesta....hardly a pinnacle of modern engineering!

[addo]

TU3 head gasket failure results first in oil entering the water. As the hoses rot and the radiator/heater block up, the car starts to run hotter.

[Mandrake]

But either way getting it on a Lexia should help reveal what's going on.

no one near me with 1 though.

John I'm in Coatbridge and have one, and there is at least one active member in Fife with a Lexia, although I don't recall who off the top of my head, I know because I was going to contact him before I had a Lexia of my own...

[john]

couldn't see anyone in Fife on the map.

[Estately]

John,
You don’t say if you have removed and inspected the thermostat.
The one fitted to our 2000 90Bhp Xantia operates in two ways. One part of the stat opens to allow circulation through the heater matrix and engine, the other (lower) part opens to allow circulation to the radiator as well. If the second part has failed then you will find that the heater is getting warm whilst the top hose will be cold and the engine will overheat when stationary.
Andy.

[john]

John,
You don’t say if you have removed and inspected the thermostat.
The one fitted to our 2000 90Bhp Xantia operates in two ways. One part of the stat opens to allow circulation through the heater matrix and engine, the other (lower) part opens to allow circulation to the radiator as well. If the second part has failed then you will find that the heater is getting warm whilst the top hose will be cold and the engine will overheat when stationary.
Andy.

i checked it this morning, it seems ok, i removed top hose (expecting it to be full of water) and there was some water but i wasn't full.

[addo]

Many people overlook the thermostat housing bleed screw.

[LeWaftBarge]

This may have been asked but is the water pump okay?