Cooling issues?

Right my 200 which I'm slowly getting used to now seems to get hot and stay there...it keeps getting in that little gap on the heat gauge just before the red and sometimes sits in the red....it's got water and coolant in but even if it was just water surely it should still stay cool?

I would check/replace the stat. no cheap ones pay the extra couple of quid and get a good un.
The temp gauges are pretty ****e, well worth getting a proper job or one of them cheap chinese laser stats.
Antifreeze does raise the engine temp slightly but not enough to cause it to run hot.

The stat works tho I put it in boiling water a few weeks back to see if it opened

Bad radiator cap can cause problems. Need the system pressurized with a good cap.

Ttwo said:

The stat works tho I put it in boiling water a few weeks back to see if it opened

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I didnt know that, next time you are out and engine is up to max temp have a feel of the top coolant hose, is it hot? is it ####ing hot! is it firm or rock hard?

200 real cool running engine.
In the winter at town running speeds its normal for it to take 4 to 5 miles to get heater to produce any heat at all.

My two have got no viscous and a manually switched elec fan, fan gets switched on to check it still works.

I still reckon your gauge is lying

I'll borrow a pressure tester if that's ok I'll check it's bled ok as I did matrix when I first picked it up and not sure if just running it warm with the rad cap off and by rad cap I mean the black tub you put water in

And ye it's hot slightly squishy and I can hear a slight hiss coming from the black water container you put water in for the rad...and did you mean my gauge or stat may be lying?

Ttwo said:

And ye it's hot slightly squishy and I can hear a slight hiss coming from the black water container you put water in for the rad...and did you mean my gauge or stat may be lying?

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water is boiling then.check the radiator cap then or just get a new 1 as they are cheap as chips.

My ford diesel was running on the warm side, nothing serious. Say a youtube about radiator caps. My system is supposed to be 16 psi. well cap was shagged and read 2 psi. New cap ($5.34) and all is well. with a 50/50 mix of coolant boil point is 220f @ 0 psi, at 16 psi boil point is 260f fan kicks in at 230-235f.

A 200tdi shouldn't get anywhere near boiling point whether sufficiently pressurised or not.

More likely to be a blocked rad. Check it for cool spots, it should be pretty evenly hot all over shortly after the stat opens and the top hose gets hot.

1 mile it was pumping warm air out the heaters and within 2 mile hlthe heat needle was over half way across the guage..so I checked the rad and the top end feels warm but the bottom end feels cold...well from what I could feel as the fan is in the way...but surely the rad should be same temp all over right?

is it the original radiator?

I thought that the thermostats tended to fail open?

I had same issue and needed a new radiator. Can get your old one recorred. I fitted a cheap one with plastic tanks and it's been fine.

Not to sure but in any case half was cold so I either need to get a new one or pay to get mine blasted out...but I still may need a new one...hmmm

the rad should be cooler at the bottom that's its function ie cool the water.

Blackburn said:

the rad should be cooler at the bottom that's its function ie cool the water.

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Maybe I wasn't clear, yes it should be cooler at the bottom (not cold) but the temperature drop should be even down over the rad.

The best way to check is warm it up while stationary and as soon as the top hose gets hot the system should be free flowing and the bottom of the rad and bottom hose should warm up quickly.

Uneven temperature across the rad side to side is a sure sign of blockage.

If its getting warm in under a mile you have a problem.

As an indication I used to work 12 miles way, new stat fitted thought shes running a tadge hot, same on the way home, removed stat it was stuck shut! so it had no rad cooling for 24 miles and still ran fine, so if you are getting hot in 1 maybe 2 something else is going on.
Plius as yo u still have the viscous fan fitted Im amazed it ever gets warm enough to open the stat!

As for stats failing shut Im not saying it doesnt happen but Ive not personally seen it with my own eyes, modern **** maybe, but not these old clunkers.

Both my tdi engined cars take roughly the same time to heat up etc, both are fitted with Tim capilliary gauges from ebay, very accurate.

Iv got a switch on my fan so I can just flick in on when I take her off road or in summer traffic...I'm going to call my local radiator place tomorrow and see if they can test it or blast it through and I might as well order a new cap off eBay there like £4 but as for the stat how do I know I'm getting a good one or cheap one? Is there a brand to look out for or do I just go to a motor factor and tell them I don't want any crap

Just ask for a decent make though if your top hose is getting hot your stat is fine.

I wouldn't go spending money until you know it's actually getting too hot. It could be a mismatched or faulty gauge/sender.

Went to my local landrover specialist and got a new stat...fitted....still getting hot! the needle was well into the red...I stopped and checked to see it the water in the bottle was hot and it was like warm...the bottom rad hose was warm but the top hose was hot hot...think I'll take the rad off soon and empty the contents into a bucket and see if there's crap in there and give it a rinse through...I'll keep you updated

Ttwo said:

Went to my local landrover specialist and got a new stat...fitted....still getting hot! the needle was well into the red...I stopped and checked to see it the water in the bottle was hot and it was like warm...the bottom rad hose was warm but the top hose was hot hot...think I'll take the rad off soon and empty the contents into a bucket and see if there's crap in there and give it a rinse through...I'll keep you updated

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Have you checked the water pump?
If the RAD is silted up, I doubt you will be able to clean it all out, new RAD time.

It was sat for 3 1/2 years as well is there a way to check pump? I took the stat out earlier and water just pushing through the system when it can but I did take the tank lid off...I suppose if I keep lid on then start it with my hand over pipe it should force it through right