Club 80-90 Forums

I have recently had a new thermostat and waterpump fitted. My Coolent reservoir has a standard Metal pressurised cap with a rubber and spring under it. There is a coolent fill level and there is a pipe coming out of the top side of the reservoir going into the smaller overflow.

I have noticed that when i run the engine not and take to e bleeder screw out of the top of the radiator nothing comes out. Bith pipe from and to the Radiator are warm.

I wanted to see if tere was enough pressure so while the engine was running i pulled what looked like a bleed nut out of the pipe that exited from the water pump. Some water came out but it was not gushing.

My Question: Is my engine neckered or could it be the pressure from the reservoir (Wrong cap) or something else.

Im clutching at strews here but im thinking its the worst case scenario. I have contacted Elite VW (As they are in my price range and offer a 2yr warranty if they fit it).

Any help?

Have you read and followed the correct way to bleed the early water system from the wiki?
You need the revs to be upto 2000rpm

Thanks Steve,

I was just wondering if the system was OK as i dont have a dalek cap. I will try to rev the engine to get some water through (Nont have a rev counter). Does that mean that without high revs there is no gushing of water. (Thats fantastic if it is the case as i will not ned a new engine)


Also I was expecting the fact that the Garage who fitted the water pump and thermostat should have blead the system. When i took the Van back I mentioned that there was air. They called me and told me i had a faulty Temp sender. I said thatks but the point is that the system was not blead.

garry247 wrote:I have recently had a new thermostat and waterpump fitted.

first things first chap... why did you have the above done? symptoms?

Here is the background.

The Light was coming on and the needle going over to right. I took it in and initially was told it could be the Thermostat so had that fitted, it was still overheating so they changed the water pump which they said was broken, once they did the system stopped overheating and they added some coolent in. They also changed a hose and fixed the metal one above the pully. They ran it for 10 mins at the Garage and it did not over heat.

I picked it up Drive it home and justg as I got there it moved swiftly right over to the right and started flashing red again.

I checked the radiator at the front and some air came out but no water, i squeezed the pipes and then could add a little more water but still no water from the Radiator.

I took it back and they called me the next day. They checked it with a Lazer thing on a drive, the meter went over to the right after a few minutes but they said that the engine temperature was OK and that i need a new sensor.

I said thats fime but there is still air in the system.

Im picking it up on Friday. As far as i know there is a faulty sensor but as there was no water coming out of the radiator i assumed that there was a blockage somewhere.

Is heat coming from your heating system? It should have been left in the open position when they refilled the system to make sure it fills up properly.

And, make sure they have/will put the correct antifreeze in it too.

Good luck, I hope it all works out well for you.

Yes it is.

G.

Early water system is pre darlek cap, a metal bayonet "radiator style" cap is correct.
Temp sender is single pole spade connector , earthing through metal thermostat housing .
Senders are 3/8 unf thread brass bodied and are available from brickwerks or gsf .

M10x1 not 3/8"

Simon Baxter wrote:M10x1 not 3/8"

Pah! Brain fart! BUT they are NOT plastic and push in ! Lol!

Surely there should be coolant coming from your radiator bleed screw when it's hot. I have had months of overheating problems and have changed tanks, thermostats, oil switches, had the buzzer of doom disengaged, during all this it seemed that the radiator was fine. I changed it and the overheating problem has gone away.(also found a blockage at a T junction, leading to LH head, in the thin coolant pipe that runs round the top of the engine bay) It's best to be methodical, do cheap fixes first and work your way up. Good luck in finding the culprit

Thanks for all your replies.


I think I will go down the radiator route.

With the slightly larger size from Brickwerks once I get the van back.

G.

flyinghitop wrote:also found a blockage at a T junction, leading to LH head, in the thin coolant pipe that runs round the top of the engine bay

Ah, so I can add you to the ever growing list of folk who have had this issue (including me).

Have you sorted the problem out yet?