Ok, so I will keep an eye on the levels and if it still needs filling right
up every day after a couple of weeks then I will get it checked out
Thanks very much for your help!
Keith - 17 Feb 2005 16:13 GMT
> Ok, so I will keep an eye on the levels and if it still needs filling
> right
> up every day after a couple of weeks then I will get it checked out
>
> Thanks very much for your help!
Haynes says that a header tank has to be used to fill the system as parts of
it are higher than the filler cap. They suggest making one by cutting off
the top of a plastic drinks bottle and sealing it in the filler neck.
Failure to do this will result in air locks.
bigmac999 - 17 Feb 2005 18:42 GMT
> Ok, so I will keep an eye on the levels and if it still needs
> filling right
> up every day after a couple of weeks then I will get it
> checked out
>
> Thanks very much for your help!
Sounds like it hasn?t been bled properly. I would strongly reccomend
getting it bled fully before using it, if there is alot of air in
there you risk overheating and damaging the head gasket and head.
> If this happened soon after the radiator was replaced maybe the garage
> just
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> requires continual topping up over a long time period then maybe get it
> pressure checked or checked for a leaking head gasket.
Agreed
> I wouldn't be so concerned about the heater but worry about potential
> engine damage. Engine cooling is the radiators primary function and the
> heater is a secondary function.
Well, yes; but in general a heater suddenly going cold can be a very good
indication that the water has stopped circulating for one reason or another,
so should be regarded as an early warning signal. Especially when you add
in the fact that water temperature gauges only work properly when the sensor
is surrounded by water. OK, they will tell you the temperature of the air
around them, but that won't give you much of a clue as to what is going on
in the hot bits of the engine until it is too late.
Ron Robinson
RyanO - 18 Feb 2005 07:32 GMT
Ron, I agree with what you're saying it can give an indication but I would
hardly recommend to someone (particularly inexperienced) to check if the
cars heater is working to find out if it's overheating, or out of
anti-freeze, by then it may be time for new engine.
On the 406 there's a bleed valve on the heater union just before it goes
into the cabin, ie the high point in the system that's most likely to have
an air pocket. So if the heaters not working it probably means the system
hasn't been bled.
I bled my cars system (according to the Haynes manual) after I replaced
the thermostat housing but I still had to top up a few times before the
level remained constant.
Ryan
Jamiemac26 - 21 Feb 2005 10:48 GMT
Well over the weekend i Bled the system and left the engine running with
the hood up so i could see if any water was spewing from anywhere. It
turns out that i had a faulty header cap and the water was streaming out
of there and subsequently sucking air back into the system!! ?6 on a new
cap, job done! thank f@%k for that! thanks for all your advise, and i
shall be back on when next problem occurs!