Car over heating

[domestic goddess]

My OH's car is a corsa and sometimes when he is sat in traffic the temp gauge goes up quite high..... A few months ago it went up to just below the red bit so we took it to garage who said that they could not see anything wrong. As tax was due we declared sorn and left it for a while until we had some money to get it sorted. Well we took it to a different garage yeaterday who also couldn't see anything wrong... they took it on a nine mile drive and said that the temp gauge goes up to about 97 before the fan kicks in which they say is fine.... They said that whatever it was that was wrong could have worked its way out by now! I am scared in case it goes up to the red again but two garages have said its fine....
Does anyone else have experience of this?

[ariba10]

It is not unusual for a cars temperature gauge to show a higher reading while the car is not moving.

Some fans cut in at a higher temp than others. You have two garages say that it is O K. Try it. As long as the temp drops when you are moving it should be O K.

I would have no fear in driving it if it was mine.

[saintjanet]

I agree with ariba10 on this,it would not bother me either.

As a matter of interest did it happen during the heatwave?this could make it get hotter ,quicker than usual.

[Quinny]

Got to agree with the above,although running on water alone could make it run a bit hotter.

Make sure there's a good mix of anti freeze,as per the manufacturers instructions,in as well.

Ken.

[domestic goddess]

I agree with ariba10 on this,it would not bother me either.

As a matter of interest did it happen during the heatwave?this could make it get hotter ,quicker than usual.


It actually did start happening over the summer....

I think I am just a worry wart!

[domestic goddess]

Got to agree with the above,although running on water alone could make it run a bit hotter.

Make sure there's a good mix of anti freeze,as per the manufacturers instructions,in as well.

Ken.

I didn't know that you had to check your water levels in the car ( I know how stupid am I :mad: ) so it first happened and I realised it was low so I did top it up with just water. I will get some anti freeze today.

I am thinking about doing some evening classes in car maintenence as I am so clueless.

:beer:

[Quinny]

Before you just add anti freeze,drain the entire system,and then re-fill with a mix ratio,of say 30% anti freeze/70% water.

That way you'll get the mix right.

If you just add the anti freeze to the current level of water,unless there is a leak,all you are doing is topping the system up.

(To drain the system:

Make sure engine is cold,take off radiator cap,unscrew jubilee clip on the hose that's at the bottom of the radiator,pull off said hose,and then watch water drain out.Once drained,reverse above procedure,making sure that jubille clip is tightly screwed up,put in anti freeze,then top up with water.Run engine for 5 mins at tick over,switch off,wait another couple of mins for level to settle,and then top up if necessary.Take on short run to get engine up to temp,switch off,let it cool down,and then re-check level.)

If you live near Wakefield,I could even show you how to do it.

Evening classes are a superb idea to those who don't know a great deal about cars.They will give you a basic understanding of how to check the things that you would normally take for granted.

Ken.

[the_postman]

Sadly the corsas, especially 1.4 8v, or ecotec 16v are prone to head gasket issues, keep checking for mayo under the cap, a rising temp gauge is a worry:eek:

[saintjanet]

Sadly the corsas, especially 1.4 8v, or ecotec 16v are prone to head gasket issues, keep checking for mayo under the cap, a rising temp gauge is a worry:eek:Dont want to argue about this but the op said that 2 garages have already checked the car.while i would not disagree that this could be a reason on the corsa,i think this would have been spotted,so lets not frighten them to death:D

While the other poster ,quinny, gives an excellent "how to" about draining the system,i would think it easier to first use an antifreeze tester to see if there is sufficient in there,it may just be necessary to add a little neat antifreeze,much easier!!

[Quinny]

I hear what you say,but you have to remember that if the anti freeze hasn't been changed,during the ownership of the car,then you can guarantee that it will need replacing anyhow.

What a lot of people don't realise,is that anti freeze should be changed every couple of years anyway,and unless you have an anti freeze tester,it would be as wise just to change it.

But having a tester is a good investment in the long term,and they can be picked up for about a tenner.

Ken.

[ariba10]

If it was Water, Antifreeze, Cold tea or any Bodily fluid it should not effect the temp gauge in the short term.

[Mr Grumpy]

The temperature guage on a modern car should rise to 'normal' and then stay put. IMO, anything else indicates a fault.

I had an experience a few years ago with a Vauxhall Nova. The water pump started to leak so our local garage replaced said water pump and also, as it was more accessible, the thermostat. From then on the temperature would rise to just below the red, and then return to 'normal'. This was a constant cycle whilst in traffic and obviously not right. Back to the garage the car went, they tested it, including the new thermostat, and could not find anything wrong. Eventually they fitted a different and slightly modified thermostat as a work around.

A couple of years later we had the car looked at by Home Tune. The chap was not happy with the time the car took to come up to temperature so replaced the thermostat and all was OK. So, I suspect the one fitted 2 years previously was either the wrong type or faulty.

When something changes like this it usually indicates a problem. I would suggest checking the obvious, coolant level, etc. and then look to replace the thermostat and maybe the sensor for the fan. I certainly would not ignore it as in the long run the engine will suffer.

[Birdy]

My OH's car is a corsa and sometimes when he is sat in traffic the temp gauge goes up quite high..... A few months ago it went up to just below the red bit so we took it to garage who said that they could not see anything wrong. As tax was due we declared sorn and left it for a while until we had some money to get it sorted. Well we took it to a different garage yeaterday who also couldn't see anything wrong... they took it on a nine mile drive and said that the temp gauge goes up to about 97 before the fan kicks in which they say is fine.... They said that whatever it was that was wrong could have worked its way out by now! I am scared in case it goes up to the red again but two garages have said its fine....
Does anyone else have experience of this?

Same thing happened to us - L Reg Corsa GSI Auto - garage said nothing wrong, fan cutting in as it should.

Sometime later serviced elsewhere, told wrong plugs on, not sure if coincidence or not, but it's not heating up as much now!

B.