Club 80-90 Forums

Hi,

Bit of an odd one, screech from the alt belt on start up last two days (out of nowhere) on a 50 mile drive all of a sudden temp gauge rises from its normal rock steady middle to just under the top line and the heater blows cold.
The led starts to flash.
I stop check no apparent overheating and water in all the right places.
Start return journey still with no heater but the temp gauge spends some time near the top white line befor falling back to normal then rising again. All at a steady 50 mph nd just over 2k revs.
It's an intercooled 1.6td (sb)

I'm thinking water pump?

Any other ideas.

Si

Possible head gasket.

Either though suspect you may be right (pump) with screeching noise. Either way it'll get worse. Whip the belt off and grab the waterpump pulley. If it rocks around, its almost certainly a gonner. Water won't be circulating properly and when it gives out, you'll really know about it.

+1 for checking the waterpump, the screeching belt implies that it could have seized. I had a waterpump fail last year - it didn't seize, but the impeller was loose on the shaft inside, so it only worked intermittently.

No heater means there is air in the system, so needs bleeding.

A worn out waterpump can make exactly the same kind of noise as a slipping belt. People sometimes tighten the belt, thinking its that, and the exta load on the pump pulley may shut the pump up (very temporarily) so they assume they've cured it. Then all hell breaks loose....

Ah soz didnt read it properly, missed the screeching belt completely! Just concentrated on td, heaters gone cold, engine hot. Most likely as said, wpump.
But on rereading the bit that concerns me is this:
"Start return journey still with no heater but the temp gauge spends some time near the top white line".
I fear my first guess may end up a correct prediction...

Well came the 10 miles back to my garage from my mates
Screeching sound at low revs on start up And revs don't increase, just for a couple of seconds
Still No heater
Engine Temps fine.

All a bit odd, I,lol have a good root about tomorrow.

Cheers

Si

my water pump seized once but with the belt still turning it got
hot and produced a lot of smoke when i opened up the back
the belt was glowing red lucky not near anything flammable

Make a beeline for that waterpump. When they go, they go big style and you'll be on a tow truck with worse damage if you're not careful. Don't drive it anymore until you know whats going on.

Well I sat back in the garage and ran the engine till it was warm, strangely the heating was toasty warm
When I took the water pump off the above pipe stiffener fell out of one of inlets to the thermostat.


Interesting lol.

Si

20p - a cheap fix