ZX heater - now longer to warm up!

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lesnajair
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ZX heater - now longer to warm up!

Post by lesnajair »

Hi All,
Hopefully a quick and simple one!
Recently my zx heater is taking longer than usual to warm up. It is normally warm to the touch within 5 minutes, but lately is still cold after 15-20 mins.
It does eventually warm up, but has been known to go cold straight after switching off and re-starting e.g. droppping kids off at school.
There isn't any sign of leaking from heater, but the battery has been getting flat over a couple of nights (don't suppose it's related?).
Any help would be greatly appreciated, as it's freezing in East Sussex at the mo!
Cheers
Les
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">1996 ZX 1.9D elation 2
Sl4yer
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Post by Sl4yer »

Check the coolant level (when the engine is fully cold!). It sounds like you've either got low coolant, or an airlock.
Mine is much slower to turn over in the current cold weather (and mines a petrol!). But it always starts. Its proably time for a new battery, especially if you still have the original. They normally last about five years.
Dave Burns
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Post by Dave Burns »

Even if the thermostat is good, at these temperatures the heater will take a bit longer to get going, mine was there very soon after starting before the weather turned cold, but like yours it now also takes longer.
Check for an air lock in the matrix, which means bleeding, this can be awkward if you haven't done it before.
Check the thermostat is working properly, or if suspect fit a new one for the trouble it will cause against the cost of it.
Dave
unobtainum
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Post by unobtainum »

As said already. Change the thermostat, BUT, put a genuine one in. After market ones often give trouble of one sort or another. Might be low on coolant, I personally dont think it is an air lock becasue it does get warm.And cold weather does make a difference...
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

Sounds like thermostat to me. The temperature gauge should rise promptly to 80+ and stay there. If it never gets there its a sure indication of thermostat problems. Another test is to feel the hoze from the thermostat to the rad as the engine warms up. It should stay cold then suddenly warm. If it just goes tepid - thermostat will have gone.
Changing the thermostat on my ZX 1.9Dwas no problem once I obtained the right O ring gasket. The one I needed was thick and I was supplied with a thin one.
Jeremy
arry_b
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Post by arry_b »

Is the temperature gauge coming up to the halfway point within the normal time or does this also take 15-20 minutes? My money is on the weather just being colder than usual. You can make it warm up quicker by running it in the lower gears for longer, with a few more revs.
Does it also take 15-20 minutes to get warm on one of our less cold days?
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

well don't wait too long - I would have thought that 2 or 3 minutes was plenty to get some heat out of the system even without a turbocharger. I'm talking about driving time here rather than idling time.
Jeremy
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TomH
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Post by TomH »

mine had that problem... I had to be doing 80 on the motorway for a bit before I got any heat! Turned out to be just an air block
James.UK
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Post by James.UK »

my ZX gives heat from the heater within about 1-2 miles. gauge is at normal (80ish) after 3-4 miles. It does vary with the weather, but not by very much. Maybe 25% ish.. At 7 miles it will roast you if full on! :-) I get my thermo changed at each 10,000 mile service. I like to be nice n warm!!! lol..
Cheers James.
PS Gareth? I have lost the details for that Scrappy near you? can you plzz give me the phone number?? thanks.. I'm still waiting for my volcane brake callipers. :-(
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