Can anybody advise me please?
My washer level warning light cmae on today so I thought I'd top it up when I got home. While filling it up I glanced across at the coolant reservoir and, like you do, tentatively touched the side of it and to my surprise it was stone cold!
My journey home is 15 miles of moving at 40-70mph, no traffic jams :)and the coolant temperature gauge got to the normal level. (OIl temp was a bit lower).
I'm worried that something may be wrong. The car had stood for no longer than 1 minute before I started filling the screen wash reservoir.
Car: Sept 2000 X reg Audi TDi 115PS, mileage 29,400, still has original coolant, which looks lovely and pink and clean! 30,000 mile service due soon.
Do I need to get this attended to under warranty?
Thanks
Pat
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On my rover the expansion tank gets warmish.
I don't think it's a problem that yours doesn't.
I suppose if you had some kind of airlock you *might* find the expansion tank water heating up as a 'symptom' but you would see other far more obvious signs of trouble.
If the heater works and your temp remains normal after 15 miles I reckon you are ok.
Someone who knows will be along shortly.
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These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
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Someone who knows will be along shortly.
Toad, that is brilliant! We ought to make that the site motto...
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>> Someone who knows will be along shortly. Toad, that is brilliant! We ought to make that the site motto...
I was only 99 per cent sure of my facts but I hate to see people worry for no reason.
I meant *not* getting hot might be the sign of an air leak.
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These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
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Pat - I don't know how close your expansion tank is to the hot parts, but if they are connected by a longish hose I would be more worried if the tank got hot!
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Thanks guys! You've put my mind at rest.
I'm not that mechanically able and I just seem to remember that on my previous cars the coolant in the plastic container got hot.
Out of interest, I'll check my wife's car tomorrow (been standing too long this evening) to see if it's hot or cold.
Thanks again for the prompt responses.
Pat
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It depends on the make of the vehicle,design of system etc.;some vehicles have a tiny bleed from the engines water outlet direct to the header tank-to get air out of the system quickly-this will allow a small quantity of hot coolant to circulate thro' the header tank at all times.However with current temperatures,heater on,cold air blowing on the block the amount of hot coolant in some systems may never get to the header tank as some are genuine header tanks and not part of the cooling circuit.
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If that "tiny bleed" gets blocked it can give overheating symptons.
This happened on my old Ford Orion in France but a French garage misdiagnosed it as a failed thermostat and I drove back from Bordeaux with the heater on full to keep the engine temperature down.
The AA patrol on the M27 found the problem and fixed it in five minutes flat.
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It's probable that with the heater on you were providing the engine with just enough cooling for the journey without it needing to open the thermostat very far (if at all). 2 litre T series Discoverys were like this - with the heater on on a coldish day at a steady 60 or so the car would drive for miles without the stat opening.
If the stat were stuck shut and there were not enough cooling then the temp would continue to rise until it reached the red at which point you would stop.
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