205 overheating/dashboard warning lights

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johnb
Posts: 6
Joined: 23 Dec 2002, 03:46
Location: United Kingdom
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205 overheating/dashboard warning lights

Post by johnb »

My 1991 205 1.1 Style overheated on the M25 today! 2 red lights came on. One was the temperature guage which went off once the car had cooled down. The other located in the bottom right hand corner on the dashboard display remains on. It looks like 2 wavy lines with a lid on top. Any ideas what this relates to? I'm 350 miles from home & it wld happen just before Xmas!
john
Edited by - johnb on 22 Dec 2002 22:56:53
allmond
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Joined: 28 Feb 2001, 01:02
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Post by allmond »

[quote]
It looks like 2 wavy lines with a lid on top. Any ideas what this relates to?
Low water level in the radiator??<img src=icon_smile_dead.gif border=0 align=middle>
Jamie
748desmo
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Post by 748desmo »

The warning light with the two wavey lines is the low level warning indicator. There is a sensor in the top of the coolant filler/expansion tank.
I recently had the same problem, with both the same lights coming on. The fault with mine was that the thermostat was sticking on - to try and explain, when you start the car, the thermostat remains closed, so the coolant is pumped around the engine only ( and not the radiator), thus warming up the engine to operating temperature quicker. When the coolant reaches a set temperature, the thermostat opens and the water then gets pumped around the radiator as well as the engine, helping to cool it.
If the thermostat sticks on, the water just goes around the engine area and isn't cooled by the radiator. It can boil over,the temperature warning light comes on, and water is lost through the header tank overflow pipe, resulting in the low level light coming on.
To check to see if the thermostat is playing up, start up the engine, either drive around for a bit or leave it to warm up parked up, then after a few minutes (5-10) pop the bonnet, and facing the car, check the top hose to the radiator ( goes into the top right of the rad). If the pipe is cold, then the thermostat hasn't opened, and that could be your problem.
Hope this helps
Chris
johnb
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Joined: 23 Dec 2002, 03:46
Location: United Kingdom
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Post by johnb »

[quote]
Many thanks for your help Chris. Followed your advice/instructions and the warning light has gone off and having given car test run problem appears solved. Very grateful for your prompt response. This is a great site to exchange ideas etc. I may well pose another problem which the car has had which my local garage can't solve.
John
Edited by - johnb on 23 Dec 2002 22:01:44
jerry
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Joined: 24 Feb 2002, 02:39
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Post by jerry »

Hi I just have one more thing to add, my 205 had the low water level light come on (light with 2 squiggly lines) but when I checked the water level it was spot on. The problem turned out to be an air lock in the cooling system.
Regards
Jerry
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