Overheating when idling

[kerry-w]

Noiced this happening last night, when parked and out of gear the temperature gague went up from the normal half mark to 75%, then the fan kicked in which has never come on before :S

When putting it in first though and pulling off the fan turned off and the temperature gague went back down to 50% after a few seconds

There was a small amount of steam coming from the bonnet too but upon opening it up I couldnt find where it as coming from at all.

Does it just sound like a faulty gague thats kicking the fan in with it, or could there be an actual problem?

Thanks

 

[jamesd1263]

75% isn't anything really is it? The fan kicked in and done it's job! Just worry if It goes red

 

[kerry-w]

75% isn't anything really is it? The fan kicked in and done it's job! Just worry if It goes red

Im just wondering why it does it when the cars idling though, its never done it before this.

Normally hits 50% and stays pretty much there for the whole time, I parked it up and within 2mins of it idling the temperature gague was at 75% so surely theres something happening somewhere?

 

[Dm_26]

When you are driving, the cold air is hitting the radiator, cooling the coolant down. If your not moving anywhere then its not getting cold air.

 

[kerry-w]

When you are driving, the cold air is hitting the radiator, cooling the coolant down. If your not moving anywhere then its not getting cold air.

Ahh didnt think this much into it! Must be that then

 

[DrR]

Sorry disagree, car should not go up in heat on idle! None i've ever had have.

 

[kerry-w]

Sorry disagree, car should not go up in heat on idle! None i've ever had have.

I thought this too as its never done it before, just started new years eve. Its sounding abit rougher on startup too for the first 5seconds but then its fine again, think ill get it booked in for a service soon as its had no previous history and I have no idea when it was done last

 

[Rob669]

Did it lose any coolant? If it did then look at the joints on the hoses for a white residue left behind. If you've had the car for sometime and it hasn't done this before then perhaps there is a fault - a sensor or thermostat fault I'd bet.

But, when you do a coolant change you need to run the engine on idle until the radiator fan cuts in (an auto bleed system operates to purge out the last of the air in the system). On my car the fan cuts in summer and winter on idle if I'm stuck in a traffic jam.

 

[kerry-w]

Did it lose any coolant? If it did then look at the joints on the hoses for a white residue left behind. If you've had the car for sometime and it hasn't done this before then perhaps there is a fault - a sensor or thermostat fault I'd bet.

But, when you do a coolant change you need to run the engine on idle until the radiator fan cuts in (an auto bleed system operates to purge out the last of the air in the system). On my car the fan cuts in summer and winter on idle if I'm stuck in a traffic jam.

Didnt check for any coolant as it was pretty much pitch black outside a mates house, ill check it outside mine tomorrow to see if anythings dripping down. Hopefully it is just a thermostat thats faulty making the car think its hotter than it actually is, causing the fan to kick in.

It hasnt done it in any traffic yet, just when parked up, might well have just been because of the slope of the hill (steep downhill) that it caused a problem?

 

[kerry-w]

Ok, had it idling for a god bit, no coolant dripping, no white residue anywhere either so id assume it just to be the thermostat sensor is twatted