Took it for a dip... now running hit - dirty rad?

Hi guys

I took my 200 TDi disco to pay and play today, and did a run in some muddy water. The car didn't get stuck or anything. This was near the end of the day. The old girl has run all day, but after 40 mins of the run back down the motorway, the engine temp started to increase quite quickly! I pulled over, let it cool down and then limped the next half hour home at 60 mph, keeping good flow over the rad.

I had the cabin heaters on full and they were RED HOT. The temp hovered around half (normally just over a third). So, it;s this just a filty Rad that can't dispel the heat properly?

If so, options? Just seal all the electrics with cling film and pressure wash it all?

Cheers

MODS: Please edit title to "running hot"

200? 300? v8??? mpi???

wiltshire landyman said:

200? 300? v8??? mpi???

Click to expand...

Doh! 1993 200 TDi

i doubt it...i just bought a 300 tdi and it runs sweet as doesnt run hot atall...when i removed the front grill when breaking the car the rad was full of mud and grass and half the fins were fooked.

so i doubt 1 dunk in some muddy water would cause your overheat

It sounds likely that it IS due to a blocked rad.

eltax91 said:

Hi guys

I took my 200 TDi disco to pay and play today, and did a run in some muddy water. The car didn't get stuck or anything. This was near the end of the day. The old girl has run all day, but after 40 mins of the run back down the motorway, the engine temp started to increase quite quickly! I pulled over, let it cool down and then limped the next half hour home at 60 mph, keeping good flow over the rad.

I had the cabin heaters on full and they were RED HOT. The temp hovered around half (normally just over a third). So, it;s this just a filty Rad that can't dispel the heat properly?

If so, options? Just seal all the electrics with cling film and pressure wash it all?

Cheers

MODS: Please edit title to "running hot"

Click to expand...

DO NOT EVER PRESSURE-WASH A RADIATOR - you'll remove all the fins.

They are quite delicate when new but on a older car need to be treated gently. Hosepipe pressure is all you need, just give it time.

thebiglad said:

DO NOT EVER PRESSURE-WASH A RADIATOR - you'll remove all the fins.

They are quite delicate when new but on a older car need to be treated gently. Hosepipe pressure is all you need, just give it time.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! Wouldn't want to destroy it.

So, strip the viscous fan off (I have the spanner from my recent cambelt change) and the fan cowling, then hose it from the inside outwards? Is that the accepted best way to clean it. Presumably I can get a wire brush in there for the stubborn stuff, as long as i'm gentle?

eltax91 said:

Thanks for the advice! Wouldn't want to destroy it.

So, strip the viscous fan off (I have the spanner from my recent cambelt change) and the fan cowling, then hose it from the inside outwards? Is that the accepted best way to clean it. Presumably I can get a wire brush in there for the stubborn stuff, as long as i'm gentle?

Click to expand...

If you use the garden hose for long enough and in both directions you shouldn't need any brushing - the water will remove everything.

I gave my 200 Disco a day of " puddle dunking " and half way through the temp got up.

When I ripped the front grill off, I could see the rad was completely full of baked on mud.

One of the lads there let me borrow his petrol powered pressure washer, which made short work of blasting out the mud. ( together with the cooling fins !! ).

The temp. came down straight away, and I,m keeping my eye out for another rad.

Del.