Help - Heater don't work!

CharlesY said:

I always check a car when I get it to find out where the sender is, and then you know better what the temp gauge is trying to tell you.

CharlesY

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Good advice that! Actually the one on the TD5 is particularly good because of the ludicrously complex coolant management system of this engine, which directs the coolant to different places depending on temperature and revs. The gauge behaves differently depending whether the stat is working, stuck open or stuck shut. The downside is that when the stat DOES stick, the whole system gets confused and can easily overheat. (Sorry Rev -none of this applies to you!)

Sean said:

PM me yer address and i'll post you a couple tomorrow, i've got about 40+ genuine ones in me garage not doing anything, apart from taking up space

xmas comes early down ere

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Thanks for the kind offer, unfortunately just seen this message and got new (Unipart) one today!

that'l teach ya fer going to bed so early

Put new one in and its still the same........

Gonna attack the heater matrix next!

Just been to Valley and back (about 4 miles each way) It did exactly the same as it did a few days ago. Temp gauge slowly went up all the way to the top bit just before the red and then very quickly dropped back to half way again. Both times happened at about the same place just after the long straight embankment section. Plenty of water in it and still no heaters.......

Is there anybody there?

Just been out and flushed the matrix out and have a good flow through it. Went for a drive, sure enough temp climbed up to nearly red after about 6 miles then came down, ran it with cap off all the way back (4 miles) to try and get air out. Coolant gone a dark colour from the light blue and the heater is still cold.

Thoroughly peed off, whats it worth on a trade in?

Have you checked that the thermostat is opening. drop it in a pot of boiling water. if it dunt pop open, it's knackered.

put new one in tother day, old one seems OK too

revjames said:

Is there anybody there?

Just been out and flushed the matrix out and have a good flow through it. Went for a drive, sure enough temp climbed up to nearly red after about 6 miles then came down, ran it with cap off all the way back (4 miles) to try and get air out. Coolant gone a dark colour from the light blue and the heater is still cold.

Thoroughly peed off, whats it worth on a trade in?

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Errrrh I think I'm half here!

If your temp gauge is flying up to the red after only 6 miles, and you are sure that it's not over heating it's got to be your temp sender unit!

Sure it's not somthing analy silly like the temp knob in car for heaters bust?? Are pipes on bulk head going to the matrix warm

Problem with these thinks Rev is that you can do so much farting about that end up setting other stuff with out knowing it.

Stiff upper lip,warm jacket & that!!

ran it with cap off all the way back (4 miles) to try and get air out.

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I thought that we had done this bit once that's not how you go about getting air out of system-Fill via thermostat, bleed on radiator!

Its trying my patience Jason. There are 2 knobs for hot/cold one each side. Both are on hot and I got some warm air for about 5 seconds. If I take the top bleed off the thermostat and put water in there it just makes the level in the tank go up?

revjames said:

Its trying my patience Jason. There are 2 knobs for hot/cold one each side. Both are on hot and I got some warm air for about 5 seconds. If I take the top bleed off the thermostat and put water in there it just makes the level in the tank go up?

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Bet you are mate!

Are all your rad hoses hot? especialy top one? if yes that means your stat is open and circulating water through the radiator (not got a Kenlow that's stuck on by any chance?)

If all your hoses are nice and warm, no heater can only mean, heater matrix,air locked,blocked or fooked.The only other possible cause cood be and I'm guessing here that for some reason un be known to man the round knobs for the temperature are not operating the flaps that directs air through matrix!

Have you got air con? or a bottle of Whiskey? Have a drink!

Not doing anything else today, all rad hoses were hot so the stat was open, heater hoses lukewarm. I am a bit concerned about the water changing colour?

Mind you Jesus did that didn't He water into wine?

Just for info Rev, went to pick kids up from swimming last night (9° & pishing it doon)

From cold:

After 1 mile temp needle started to move up & slight warmth from heater.

2 miles and the heater is warm.

3 miles up to temp, hot heater and temp needle is just under half way where it always stays!

Forgotten what most of this thread has said but could possibly be that heater matrix is partielly blocked and has created a 'track' for water flow through it. i.e. water can flow but there is not enough of it in matrix to heat up, it travels through too quickly and stays coolish. Would try new matrix. If I have repeated anything previously said I apologise but that's my two pennorth.

Cabbie said:

Forgotten what most of this thread has said but could possibly be that heater matrix is partielly blocked and has created a 'track' for water flow through it. i.e. water can flow but there is not enough of it in matrix to heat up, it travels through too quickly and stays coolish. Would try new matrix. If I have repeated anything previously said I apologise but that's my two pennorth.

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that's very posssible - had the same with my main rad recently - found that there was good flow through it but it only took a couple of litres to fill - when i split it apart found plenty of hard water deposits had blocked most of the water ways, due no doubt to lack of antifeeze

Ok this is what I just did. Filled system up, thermostat housing plug out and radator plug out. Filled rad til up to plug, filled thermostat housing until it was full. Ran it with thermostat housing plug out until water started coming out. Repeated process but released cap first before taking plug out. Took it for a spin and it was cold after 2 miles. Nearly home and - whats this? warm air coming out the vents? then it got hot and stayed hot for a little while then cold again, I didn't stop when I got home I carried on driving for a while and it seemed to be cycling between hot and cold. Got home, depressurised cap and took plug off thermostat housing and put more water in.

Should there always be water in the housing? It sounds like an air lock to me now but surely it cant be that hard to get a few bubbles out?

revjames said:

Ok this is what I just did. Filled system up, thermostat housing plug out and radator plug out. Filled rad til up to plug, filled thermostat housing until it was full. Ran it with thermostat housing plug out until water started coming out. Repeated process but released cap first before taking plug out. Took it for a spin and it was cold after 2 miles. Nearly home and - whats this? warm air coming out the vents? then it got hot and stayed hot for a little while then cold again, I didn't stop when I got home I carried on driving for a while and it seemed to be cycling between hot and cold. Got home, depressurised cap and took plug off thermostat housing and put more water in.

Should there always be water in the housing? It sounds like an air lock to me now but surely it cant be that hard to get a few bubbles out?

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Bin telling yeh to fill it up like that for weeks now!!!

Come on lets have a laugh How have you been filling it up?

Rev's new thread "Coolant in Windscreen washer Bottle"

I thought you just ran it with the cap off and it magically expelled all the air. If you fill from the thermostat housing, the level goes up in the expansion tank (if not running) So I ran it with the thermostat plug out and topped it up there until it was coming out . Anyway just drove to Valley (4 miles) heaters cycling from icy cold to relatively warm and got to valley just as the temp gauge hit the lower end of the red zone before going down to half way quite rapidly. No steam, no out ward signs or smells or sounds of overheating. Whats going on inside the disco?

Just come back from Llandudno (about 45 miles) As usual temp climbed after Valley but DIDN'T come down this time it kept going. I stopped a few miles later and she was hissing under the bonnet and water being expelled from the tank. Waited a few moments and eased the cap off and let it cool. The A/C fans both came on on the front of the rad A/C was off - did they come out in sympathy with the viscous fan? I didn't know there was a connection. Anyway nursed it there at a slow speed and arrived late Occasional very short blasts of hot air. Put about a gallon of water in it and filled a couple of containers just in case. Took it steady on the way home (50 max) and temp remained between 3/4 and red zone but water stayed in. Heaters stone cold all way home. Heater hoses cold Top hose hot and bottom hose cold.

Anyone got the vaguest idea whats going on cos I can't trust it anymore except short local trips. I'm thinking blocked rad or HGF? I was thinking of getting a sniffer test done tomorrow to see if its HGF. Are most garages equipped with these?