P38A Another P38 Overheating Problem

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Sorry, I remember extolling the virtue of a similar handle but upon reading your discourse I conclude that no Yank ought to know a Diesel Rangie...
Period
( did y'all see wot I did there?)
 
Wazzajnr said:
Aircon rad can be removed by taking the slam panel off. You will also need a looong extension to get the two bottom bolts through the bumper.
Should be fine without the aircon rad in as the compressor clutch shouldn't engage.
If nothing else, you can try it and if it solves the overheating then you will know what the problem is.
On the viscous fan, it never completely disengages, insofar as it will always turn.
However, the amount of torque transferred from the engine to the actual fan will be almost nothing when cold, a bit more when normal and close to fully locked when it's getting hot.
Click to expand...

Going to try removing it. RAVE says to remove the intercooler and battery box to get it out but I'm going to try and do it from the front...
 
brianp38dse said:
The viscous fan will always turn round it never stops, it just turns slower then engine speed if it is cutting in as the temp rises you will hear the thing roar like a mad thing, makes the car sound like a tank.
your grill looks original btw
Click to expand...

My fan seems to be running pretty hard, even from cold. It certainly mashes a rolled up newspaper when cold and no revs. I'll try it a few times whilst coming up to temperature to see if it disengages and again when up to temp.

Really can't see. How it can be the fan though; its brand new!
 
tomcat59alan said:
Sorry to jump in without reading the full post but if you are worried about the air con upsetting the job then take the tensioner and drive belt off. One 13mm bolt and it's off.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's the aircon itself at the moment, but it may be the condenser blocking the airflow so have decided to remove that and see if it helps... Fingers crossed!
 
The ac condenser can be taken out with out removing the battery box or intercooler, there are two pipes right hand side half way up and four bolts one each corner and the fan pack at the front then lifts out the top, if that helps
 
brianp38dse said:
The ac condenser can be taken out with out removing the battery box or intercooler, there are two pipes right hand side half way up and four bolts one each corner and the fan pack at the front then lifts out the top, if that helps
Click to expand...

Yes, that helps. I thought I could probably get it out but it's nice to have it confirmed!

I'm becoming more and more convinced it is airflow now and if it isn't the viscous fan (as that has been changed and the symptoms remain the same) it must be to do with something further forward!
 
The Viscous fan running swiftly all the time can't be encouraging increases in temperature, only the reverse if it never slows down.
If your air directing baffles are missing and the A/C rad is itself full of rubbish then your actual airflow thru the water rad would be pretty compromised I would have thought.
Good Luck and well-done for persevering.
 
Renniks said:
My fan seems to be running pretty hard, even from cold. It certainly mashes a rolled up newspaper when cold and no revs. I'll try it a few times whilst coming up to temperature to see if it disengages and again when up to temp.

Really can't see. How it can be the fan though; its brand new!
Click to expand...

It is locked when cold, loosens up within about 5 minutes of starting and then locks up again when it starts getting hot.

As Alan says, check at normal operating temperature.

your expansion tank is very full. Also, my antifreeze stuff is green. Have you got the right stuff in? If it is a mix I am told it xan cause corrosion but no-one explained why to me.
 
Grrrrrr said:
It is locked when cold, loosens up within about 5 minutes of starting and then locks up again when it starts getting hot.

As Alan says, check at normal operating temperature.

your expansion tank is very full. Also, my antifreeze stuff is green. Have you got the right stuff in? If it is a mix I am told it xan cause corrosion but no-one explained why to me.
Click to expand...

Hi Grrrr, yes, the photo was taken in the process of topping the antifreeze up; I was 'burping' it at the time and it dropped back down.

I'll have another test of the fan when it is up to temperature. The antifreeze is a winter one and is a concentrate that I have mixed with water. It was fresh antifreeze after changing the waterpump so shouldn't be mixing with any old stuff.
 
First of all check radiator for baffle, britpart means problems. Never fit those parts in cooling system, especially thermostat.
Use only genuine radiator fan clutch and good quality radiator and folow RAVE instructions for filling and bleeding the system.
Also it may not be overheating, there was an upgrade in engine wiring loom 1997/98 and and additional wire and new two pin sensor for guage was fitted, it may be simpy eletrcical earthing problem.
 
Good point, I never thought that about it just being the gauge that was showing too hot.
Not sure that would change with revs but it is possible.
 
Just got a van in with a duff coolant sensor.its telling the ECU it's over heating. It won't start and the temp gauge was reading half on start up and eventually read overheat and wont start. Unplugged the sensor and it started straight away, with glow plugs in play.
 
Thanks guys, it's definitely not a sensor issue and is definitely getting hot. I'm going to drain the system again, check the thermostat and remove the aircon condenser. If that makes a difference then I know it's air flow.
 
Renniks said:
Thanks guys, it's definitely not a sensor issue and is definitely getting hot. I'm going to drain the system again, check the thermostat and remove the aircon condenser. If that makes a difference then I know it's air flow.
Click to expand...
Hi Renniks,
I for one am dying to know if you got to the bottom of this and have an answer. Any update?
 
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