Volcane ZX overheating on New Years Day

ale2104p · Unread post by **ale2104p** » 01 Jan 2003, 18:54

Happy New Year to all forum users. However mine has not been the best as my Volcane ZX 1.9i started overheating this early morning. I watched the temp gauge steady rise into the red until the engine management light came on. Called in the AA and the patrol man said it may be a faulty thermostat. Can that be the problem? The isn't any obvious signs of coolant leak, neither is the heater matrix obviously faulty/broken, neither is the radiator leaking (that I can see).
Any ideas that I need to check for?
Solly

Rolf R · Unread post by **Rolf R** » 02 Jan 2003, 01:44

Do you really have cooling water enough?
Is the gauge rising when you swith on more light and rear window heating?
/ Rolf

alexx · Unread post by **alexx** » 02 Jan 2003, 02:30

First check if there's enough coolant anyway. Than switch on the engine and turn heating and heater blower to max. If you get hot air after 2-3 min, and the radiator stays cold even with the engine temperature reaching 90 deg. C, the thermostat is faulty. But if the air from the heating stays cold, the coolant pump is faulty (not likely but possible).
Don't overheat the engine!

ale2104p · Unread post by **ale2104p** » 02 Jan 2003, 20:00

The temp gauge will rise into the RED but the heater blows cold. It started on a rainy new years morning will wipers, heater, dimister all on.
Still looking for what the problem is.
Solly

Rolf R · Unread post by **Rolf R** » 02 Jan 2003, 23:22

If the gauge rises when you switch on heater, lights and so on, and goes back a little bit again when you switch them off, it is the same trouble that I had. Here two garages could not find the fault and it took me quite some time to figure it out. The earthing between battery minus and motor was not alright. Ohm metering did not reveal anything special, something around 1 Ohm if I recall it right. But when more amps were drawn from the alternator, I had a big voltage drop. So, the motor earth was up to 2 volts lower than the battery minus. This way the sensor, which was partly grounded to motor earth came below battery earth and therefore gave full deflection.
But I had heat blowing, so perhaps not quite the same. But you do not harm anything by measuring the voltage between battery minus and motor.
(Between battery and chassis is another thing, but there you should have the indication of less light if it isn´t OK)
/ Rolf

ale2104p · Unread post by **ale2104p** » 04 Jan 2003, 15:22

I had the thermostat changed and that seemed to stop the problem for 24 hours. Then hey presto!! Over heated again, seems like the housing unit. Back to square one. I wonder if this is the end for my ZX. I really do not trust it to go out anymore. Calling out the AA twice for the year is not my idea of owning a ZX.
Solly

CITMAN · Unread post by **CITMAN** » 05 Jan 2003, 02:26

Dont give up on the old girl yet mate. It may still be a electrical problem. Check to make sure that the radiator is not blocked to do this feel the matrix all over with engine at operating temp and check for cold spots in the middle signifying a blocked radiator. And while your at it check that that coolant hoses are no becoming rock hard which means the coolant system is presurising and may mean head gasket trouble. Does the car use much coolant, is the oil in the coolant and vice versa.
However if the radiator is cold all over it means that you have coolant circulation problem, maybe the thermostat, even though you have replaced it. Might be the water pump, but a doubt it.
Regards Citman
Edited by - CITMAN on 04 Jan 2003 21:29:10