How hot

Post by **TechtroT25** » 30 May 2006, 20:52

How hot should the engine be. before the cooling fan kicks in mine reads about three quareters of the temp gauge before it starts and doesnt seem to drop any replaced temp sensor and rad fan temp switch oh and its an early DG Ta

Post by **jen** » 30 May 2006, 20:54

In an Aircooled you should be able to hold the dipstick, can't see it being completely different with a DG.....obviously that's not a very precise or technical answer.......

Post by **Dan Wood** » 30 May 2006, 21:01

My DG hovers just to the right of centre. I suppose it depends on the quality of the wiring, the state of the sensor and the guage, and how much voltage is actually available as much as how hot the engine is.

I wouldn't worry if it doesn't 'wander' too much, and if it always seems to settle in the same place. If the fan is going on and off, then it's all working isn't it?

Post by **TechtroT25** » 30 May 2006, 21:09

Its probably wasserboxer paranoia the gauge never gets any hotter but as i said it doesnt go any lower when the fan kicks in it has a 2 stage fan so when does the 2nd stage kick in as i havent let it run that hot again thoughts of burst headgaskets sit at the back of me mind

Post by **Dan Wood** » 30 May 2006, 21:11

I didn't know about 2 stage fan... never noticed that on mine. I don't think my guage drops much when the fan kicks in either. It does dip a bit if I put the heater on, but then goes back to where it was.

Post by **Beach Bum** » 30 May 2006, 21:47

Hi Stef, mines a late DG as you know and once the engine is warm the needle reads a tad right of the light but still on it. Never moves of it, even when fan kicks in. In Standing traffic needle tends to wander up slightly but backs off if I turn the blower to hot. Hope this helps.
You are right though these bloody vans do get you paranoid. I go away with the family on Thursday to Filey near Scarborough and I am still worried about travelling any distance even with a brand spanking new engine.
I have also just finished a list of modifications for Si at BrickWerks to do me a Gauranted Value for my Insurance Company. It weighed in at just over 16K, the wife went do-lally, or should I say "she burst at the seams"
Take it easy matey!

Post by **TechtroT25** » 30 May 2006, 21:58

Steve wot did the missus do fart and fly out the window

Post by **Beach Bum** » 30 May 2006, 22:03

Post by **trickydicky** » 31 May 2006, 08:59

I had this with mine have you carried out any other work or has it just happened?
As you have replaced cooling part's we will start with an airlock.
The way I bled was to raise the nose right up in the air using steel ramps axel stands and a Leyland Daf box van.
As per the wiki I opened the rear bleed valve removed the cap and ran out the air.
BUT ONLY TILL THE SENSOR READ HALF WAY !
I then let the enginge cool and repeated three times.
Then to the front.
START WITH A COLD ENGINE HEATER ON FULL FAN ON No. 2
I ran the engine on tickover with the bleed valve open radiator cap on and the overflow pipe clamped closed to seal the circuit.
I then removed the rad valve screw (engine cold but still ticking over) and back filled the system carefully topping up so I had the water sitiing level in the hole. As the system heated I the replaced the beed valve in the rad finger tight and checked the expansion tank.
KEEP AN EYE ON THE GUAGE! IF IT GOES OVER HALF TIGHTEN THE SCREW LET IT COOL DOWN AND START AGAIN!
As with the rear bleed I kept running the engine to half temp but rather than leaving the screw open I kept loosening it every 5 mins or so before the engine got to hot and releasing the bubbles.
It took about 5 hours, I read a book during the cooldowns but by the end of it the engine would warm the rad would get bally hot and the fan would cut in. The guage half way, steady as a rock!
There is a lot more to add to this but before you put more money into it I would start here.
But you did replace the antifreeze didn't you

If not flush it then bleed it.
P.S.
How high at the front?

Post by **TechtroT25** » 01 Jun 2006, 04:55

Cheers for the replies peeps will try bleeding it again ..........now where did i put that LDV box van

Post by **TechtroT25** » 02 Jun 2006, 17:50

Right i have spent the day bleeding the cooling system on the van replaced the temp sensor and rad fan switch gauge is still reading three quarters

the worrying thing is the rad doesnt get hot until it hits the three quarter mark does this sound like a knackered stat

Post by **trickydicky** » 02 Jun 2006, 18:08

If your stat worked before then proberly not, whilst I was trying to find an answer to my cooling issues one of the techy's said that stats rarly fail and if they do it is in the open position.
I found with mine that the rad stayed disturbingly cool for a long period before getting hot I think about the half way mark.
I would like a second opinion but I suspect your guage might be worth an investigation.

Post by **TechtroT25** » 02 Jun 2006, 18:19

Thing is the guage read lower with the old sensor in and the engine doesnt semm to be getting overly hot so i reckon you could be on to something also the guage climbs rather to fast aswell

Post by **trickydicky** » 02 Jun 2006, 18:27

When mine was running hot with an airlock the engine really was getting warm. If you feel yours isn't that hot it might be just the reading. Silly thing is I expect you got the same thoughts as me, O.K. it stays at three quarters, but what happens on a summers day on the motorway in a bankholiday tailback

Sorry but when it comes to the electrickery in the cab I am in the dark

Post by **TechtroT25** » 02 Jun 2006, 18:32

Sorry but when it comes to the electrickery in the cab I am in the dark

[/quote]

That makes two of us then

Ive got one of the little chip things that go into the printed circuit so i might give that a try and see wot happens will keep you posted if you here of a small thermal nuclear explosion on the Wirral you know ive done something wrong :run