Author Topic: 1.6TD overheating and puking coolant problem (Read 6834 times)

Jetta Fan · « **Reply #15 on:** May 10, 2007, 07:55:36 am »

In a previous car (Chev Corsica) I had a pressure test done on the cooling system. Worked well and confirmed a cracked block. Never had a vacuum test performed though.

But in thinking about what a vacuum does, is it not possible that by applying vacuum that it pulls things closed (small leaks in a HG perhaps). I'm not sure, but I would think that by applying pressure, you would get a better indication of what the cooling system was like. Just a thought.

For your friend's sake, I hope it is the t-stat. He's lucky to have a friend like you.

burn_your_money · « **Reply #16 on:** May 10, 2007, 09:45:38 am »

Well it all got worse last night as he was trying to limp it to Thunder Bay. He was getting near instant pressurazatio as soon as he added more coolant. I warned him about adding cold coolant to a hot engine, hopefully he took that to heart.

I agree that a vacuum test could pull small leaks shut, hence my confusion with that method.

He is on his way to the dealership and I'm really hoping for the best here. It's a 300km tow from where he is right now, CAA is covering 200km of that and then they start charging him at CAA rates. $2.45 a km. I told him that's BS and to get dropped off when the free tow ends and call a company from Thunder Bay and just get a flat rate of like $150.

He did replace the thermostat and the car was giving the exact same symptoms of the old thermostat, which was also only a week old. When I drove the car around town I took it on a 10 minute highway run and I pushed it hard, it never went over 90. I also pushed it as hard as I could around town and the coolant temp gauge held solid at 90. I know how quirky these thermostats can be though.

He doesn't have AC but the first mechanic ran a manual switch to the cabin so it is always turned on.

All I know about the speed/temp relation ship is that above 80 it did overheat but below it it wouldn't. He played around with it at various speeds to fnid the right one so I'd imagine it did make a difference.

I can see this being HG and also thermostat at the same time but with a repaced thermostat I don't know...

rubadubdub · « **Reply #17 on:** May 10, 2007, 10:10:44 am »

Im no mechanic but isn't testing pressure in a coolant system which jtanguay reckons may have a jammed thermostat potentially flawed as you may just end up testing the pressure in the area outside the block.

If the thermostat is knackered then removing and running the car without it in would surely cause it to run a little colder and stop loosing coolant until he gets to the dealer. Although im not sure how advisable this is with canadian climate. This would also prove the thermostat being at fault.

Once at a dealer if its still pressurizing the coolant even without a thermostat in they should be able to do a compression test to prove if the HG is gone, altho i cant see what else it could be.

burn_your_money · « **Reply #18 on:** May 10, 2007, 02:14:16 pm »

I thought that completely removing the thermostat was a bad idea because it allowed too much coolant to flow in direct X and not enough in direction Y.

BTW it's nice and warm in this part of Canada, low 20s

burn_your_money · « **Reply #19 on:** May 10, 2007, 03:33:20 pm »

So he's at a shop... $86/h sweet. They haven't even done anything yet and they are saying he needs a new head. I told him to have them look at it first and if it isn't warped and the cracks aren't huge then just re-use it. :roll:

jtanguay · « **Reply #20 on:** May 10, 2007, 03:46:02 pm »

he should have bought c-tire's cheapest t-stat... it will ensure that the system will not pressurize much at all, and its a good bandaid... especially since warm weather is approaching! That way at least he can shop around and find a decent mechanic that won't overcharge, and get the problem solved for good.

rubadubdub · « **Reply #21 on:** May 10, 2007, 05:32:23 pm »

Low 20's they're temperatures i can only dream of at the moment! I thought canada was supposed to be freezing cold and covered with mooses, so long as the stereotype holds true anyway. Which, sadly, in england it is, seeing as its been raining all evening

Apologies for the misleading info, i was just firing off some ideas. I'll end my specualtions with a row of

? in future to avoid confusion.

Did the garage even say what was wrong when they suggested a new head?

jtanguay · « **Reply #22 on:** May 10, 2007, 07:32:48 pm »

really depends on where you are i guess... today it was around 25C, but the humidity made it pretty hot. yay for a/c!

sometimes it's hard to breathe when it's really humid.