Peugeot 205 (1983 - 1997) - 1997 1.0 water temp light on but tank is full

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Sat 24 Jan 2009 17:48
1997 1.0 water temp light on but tank is full - dhani1
Hi, my water light is coming on all the time and the car is overheating but the tank is full. Any ideas what i should do. I am a total car idiot so please speak in baby language! Thanks :)

Edited by Pugugly on 24/01/2009 at 18:39

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Sat 24 Jan 2009 22:25
1997 1.0 water temp light on but tank is full - Peter.N.
Are you sure the car is overheating or is the gauge lying? If its overheating in traffic the problem is likely to be the cooling fan not cutting in, if its doing it at speed, the radiator probably needs replacing.
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Sun 25 Jan 2009 10:03
1997 1.0 water temp light on but tank is full - dhani1
Thanks for your response. it definitely is- i can tell from the smell! It starts whenever i have been driving 10 mins or so. Also the fan continues running when i have stopped the car.
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Sun 25 Jan 2009 10:52
1997 1.0 water temp light on but tank is full - andyp
The thermostat could be stuck in the closed position ? If this is the case the radiator will be cold when the water temperature gauge is in the red.
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Sun 25 Jan 2009 11:14
1997 1.0 water temp light on but tank is full - dhani1
ok, that sounds viable as my heater has stoppede working too- can i do that myself? (think car illiterate blonde!) Where will i find it and what do i do? Thanks so much :)
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Sun 25 Jan 2009 19:01
1997 1.0 water temp light on but tank is full - Peter.N.
If the heater is not working that would probably indicate air in the cooling system, likely caused by a leaking head gasket pressurising the system and blowing the water out, this could be as a result of overheating, or, it could be as mentioned, failure of the thermostat. To check for this, start the engine from cold and leave it running for a few minutes then feel the top hose to the radiator, this should remain cold until the engine reaches normal temperature and then suddenly get hot as the thermostat opens. If the high temp light comes on and the hose/radiator is still cold, that would indicate a faulty thermostat.

Is the water level normal when you check it from cold? Pressure in the cooling system can cause it to rise when hot even when the engine is not completely full. Is there any sign of water being blown out around the filler cap or vent pipe? Have you had to continuiously top up the water?
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