Can anybody help?
I have a 1997 Laguna 1.8 petrol. The temperature has never really gone over the 1st quarter unless i'm stuck in traffic. My neighbour says his Laguna reaches normal operating temperature (i.e half way) within seconds of starting.
The problem is my car started to under heat (i.e not reach normal operating temperature) and stayed between rest and the 1st quarter. I checked my anti-freeze and this was real weak so i added more, but now it takes 5 or 10 minutes for the temperature needle move from rest and seems to be overcooling the engine even more. I know there isn't too much anti-freeze in there because I checked. The thermostat was also replced last year with a genuine part. I know my heater matrix is also packed in...could there be some sort of weird connection? Any ideas on what it could be? surely under heating will be causing damage to the engine in the long run?
Ideas will be much appreciated.
Laguna Under Heating!!
Moderator: RichardW
It's got all the markings of the thermostat being stuck open.I know it's a big job but what you can do is take the thermostat out and check to see if is stuck open, if it isn't you could put it in a glass of hot water to check it operates correctly because it could be getting stuck and when you took it out you may have freed it.
The antifreeze won't be the problem because this is designed to help cool the engine and you said it was very weak,which would make the car run slightly hotter.
The antifreeze won't be the problem because this is designed to help cool the engine and you said it was very weak,which would make the car run slightly hotter.
On my Laguna the heater in the car never worked well until I unblocked it.
Under the bonnet the hoses go to the heater via a wierd connector. This can be disconnected by pressing down on the lever and pulling hard on the connector. Once uncoupled I connected a garden hose to one of the two lines and using water blew out the heater circuit. A large amount of sludge and dirty water came out! Reconnect the coupling, start the engine, make sure you fill up the coolant bottle with anti-freeze and you should have the heater working much better.
Under the bonnet the hoses go to the heater via a wierd connector. This can be disconnected by pressing down on the lever and pulling hard on the connector. Once uncoupled I connected a garden hose to one of the two lines and using water blew out the heater circuit. A large amount of sludge and dirty water came out! Reconnect the coupling, start the engine, make sure you fill up the coolant bottle with anti-freeze and you should have the heater working much better.
A few questions TazzyK.
Why is your anti freeze weak? Is the car losing coolant and you're topping up with water - where is it going?
What symptoms of under heating are you getting apart from the gauge? It could be just the gauge thats wrong.
Have you used a radiator sealer (perhaps to help with water loss)? This can block your heater and may have coated the coolant temperature sensor with muck so it doesn't show the correct temperature.
If there are no other symptoms, my money is on a dodgy sensor.
Do keep your anti freeze concentration correct though.
If your neighbours car really does read half way within a few seconds, I'd say he's got the problem, not you!
Why is your anti freeze weak? Is the car losing coolant and you're topping up with water - where is it going?
What symptoms of under heating are you getting apart from the gauge? It could be just the gauge thats wrong.
Have you used a radiator sealer (perhaps to help with water loss)? This can block your heater and may have coated the coolant temperature sensor with muck so it doesn't show the correct temperature.
If there are no other symptoms, my money is on a dodgy sensor.
Do keep your anti freeze concentration correct though.
If your neighbours car really does read half way within a few seconds, I'd say he's got the problem, not you!
Thanks for the replies guys.
Thing is, arry_b, I'm not losing anywater at all. I just got the mixture weak when I last flushed the system.
I'll got for the stuck thermo for now, and will also be flushing the heater at the coupling. Thing is jeffo, if I were to do that and the matrix is blocked, what are the chances that the unblocking will cause it to leak into the car?
Also, any ideas how easy or hard it is to fit the matrix?
Cheers.
Thing is, arry_b, I'm not losing anywater at all. I just got the mixture weak when I last flushed the system.
I'll got for the stuck thermo for now, and will also be flushing the heater at the coupling. Thing is jeffo, if I were to do that and the matrix is blocked, what are the chances that the unblocking will cause it to leak into the car?
Also, any ideas how easy or hard it is to fit the matrix?
Cheers.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by TazzyK</i>
Thanks for the replies guys.
Thing is, arry_b, I'm not losing anywater at all. I just got the mixture weak when I last flushed the system.
I'll got for the stuck thermo for now marks132, and will also be flushing the heater at the coupling. Thing is jeffo, if I were to do that and the matrix is blocked, what are the chances that the unblocking will cause it to leak into the car?
Also, any ideas how easy or hard it is to fit the matrix?
Cheers.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Thanks for the replies guys.
Thing is, arry_b, I'm not losing anywater at all. I just got the mixture weak when I last flushed the system.
I'll got for the stuck thermo for now marks132, and will also be flushing the heater at the coupling. Thing is jeffo, if I were to do that and the matrix is blocked, what are the chances that the unblocking will cause it to leak into the car?
Also, any ideas how easy or hard it is to fit the matrix?
Cheers.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">