Damsel in distress (1 Viewer)

[Dawn no idea!]

Our offer of help still stands, but we're in / near Newcastle Emlyn this weekend

Thankyou so much....have a fantastic time...I will get there but it's nice to have you guys close if I get completely stuck and just meltdown ☺

 

[mjltigger]

1900cc she is 28 years old...

Have you got time to have a short run today? Just long enough to get up to temperature? Then you can try what @Charlie said

 

[Dawn no idea!]

Have you got time to have a short run today? Just long enough to get up to temperature? Then you can try what @Charlie said

I'm having the thermastat changed today...I will take her out for a little spin tonight and see if that helps

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[mjltigger]

I'm having the thermastat changed today...I will take her out for a little spin tonight and see if that helps

Ah well that should get you a step ahead. The wasp nest co CERN's me though as it suggests it was stood up for a long time and the rad might be blocked either inside or outside. If you are going to a mech for the stat are they flushing the rad?

 

[Bacchus]

You can take the thermostat out at this time of year, it won't make much difference!

The most serious problem that causes overheating is a cracked cylinder head, a common symptom of that is oil that looks as if it has mayonnaise in it so check that the oil is a nice golden brown - or at least sticky black in which case it needs to be changed but shouldn't cause any immediate issues.

 

[Charlie]

I would test first that way you can be assured of the cause . Not doing so does not identify the problem ..

I would want to know the cause rather than idesriminantly start changing parts at perhaps unecessary cost.

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[Charlie]

Should have said above .

If you can't get at the stat housing try this.

Start the engine from cold . Radiator should be cold but when the engine reaches working temperature the radiator should warm up,

If it does this the stat is working. If the radiator remains cold the stat is not opening.

Without the engine in front of me it's hard to see what you have or how it's laid out.

 

[jockaneezer]

When we were tuggers, on hot days, the car used to start overheating on long inclines. We would put the heater to max temp, put the fan on flat out and open the windows, that used to bring the temperature down nicely.

 

[gus-lopez]

1900cc she is 28 years old...

I'm having the thermastat changed today...I will take her out for a little spin tonight and see if that helps

Glad someone else is doing it as it is a bit of a nightmare.
The stat housing has 4 connections. Top radiator hose, bottom radiator hose, which are both 35mm pipes . one heater hose which is 20mm & at the back & a nightmare to get at & actually change is the water pump 35mm to 45mm reducing elbow.Nigh on unobtainable. I modified the steel pipe that it attaches to & transfers along back of engine to the pump to a 45mm end & can now use a 45mm equal elbow.
There is a German site someone posted that appears to have a stock of these pipes but I cannot find the link. Hopefully you won't need one.
To change the stat requires all this lot to be disconnected to allow access.

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[Dawn no idea!]

Sooo the chap that took my money to order the part that he told me he was going to change today while I was in work apparently didn't come...I think my only option now is to just take her to a garage and have someone look at her ...they might rip me off but at least I might get some answers...as this is all just words...I am fed up...

 

[Charlie]

Sooo the chap that took my money to order the part that he told me he was going to change today while I was in work apparently didn't come...I think my only option now is to just take her to a garage and have someone look at her ...they might rip me off but at least I might get some answers...as this is all just words...I am fed up...

Can I just suggest you go back a step or two. We try to help and will ! Unfortunately I live one hell of a way from you or I would come over and help. Hands are a bit full just now anyway.

The first thing to check is that thermostat..

What does it do ? It remains closed until the engine reaches working temperature. Once it does this it opens up and allows the coolant to be flowed around the radiator where it is in the flow of air as you drive along. This air dissipates the heat from the coolant. In addition to that there is a fan that once a certain temperature is reached turns on. This happens when the air flow alone cannot keep the coolant cool.

If the Stat fails to open the coolant will get hot and your engine will overheat.

The Stat can often fail to work. It can happen on a vehicle that is in use every day but on a vehicle that is left to stand light corrosion can set in stopping it from opening . This can also happen more often if there is insufficient coolant ( Commonly called anti freeze) in the system because coolant contains corrosion inhibitors. Reading between the lines here suggests that it could very likely be a combination of the above and the stat is failing. Bear in mind a stat can stick sometimes and work fine on others .

First things first check those hoses as described above ! Its not going to take long and potentially might save you a few quid !

So go check it and report back ? If its not the stat we move on to check if the radiator is flowing coolant. But check the stat first ..

Whatever you do do not embark on a trip until the problem is sorted. One major overheat really can take it from a small easy cheap repair into a very large expensive one.

Good luck !

 

[Dawn no idea!]

I have no thermastat on her ...they took it off...but thankyou for your help I'm not being in appreciative I'm just stuck...

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[Charlie]

I have no thermastat on her ...they took it off...but thankyou for your help I'm not being in appreciative I'm just stuck...

Thermostat is set within a housing. It on older vehicles is often a cast aluminium housing or at least what looks like an aluminium housing. On later vehicles the housing can be plastic. Very likely Not plastic on a vehicle of its age. Either way it will be impossible to know without removing the housing if its there or not.

How sure are you ?

If there is no stat in place the pipes each side of it will heat up at the same rate. This happens because there should be a flow with no stat in place to restrict it. Remember the stat is set to open when the coolant in the engine gets to temperature .

Can you post up a pic of the stat housing ? Close up maybe ? To the trained eye it will be obvious if the housing has been removed recently.

Bolts may be shiny on the shoulders. New gasket would show itself or signs of new gasket cement. Signs of it having been removed might help indicate what is or has been going on.

What colour is the coolant in the expansion tank ? Dip you finger in the coolant ONLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS STONE COLD ! and taste it. It should taste bitter sweet. No taste would indicate no coolant. Same if its colourless.

 

[TheBig1]

if the thermostat has been removed and the engine is still overheating, you have a serious problem. the best case scenario is a blocked radiator, which is common on old vans. the cheapest solution to that is a second hand radiator from a scrapyard but no guaruntees it will last long even if you are lucky to find one. next is to have the radiator re-cored locally.

a cheap and dirty way to check it and flush the cooling system is to disconnect top and bottom radiator hoses and flush through with a garden hose. it should pour out the bottom as fast as the hose can push it in, so any restriction will be obvious.
i presume that the head gasket has been checked? if not look at the oil filler for what looks like dirty mayonaise on the cap or a discoloured expansion chamber. take a few photos on your phone and post them to the thread and it will help with advice

 

[mjltigger]

@Dawn no idea!

Do I read right that the chap today removed the old thermostat?

I think we might all be guilty of letting you run before you can walk.. I know I can fix and replace dubries without even knowing what said dubry is called purely by having a go and others will be the same but that is after years of fiddling with (and breaking) good and bad engines.

So.. One step at a time.. Have you driven it since the chap came?

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[Dawn no idea!]

No I am to scared to as I know there is a part missing

 

[mjltigger]

No I am to scared to as I know there is a part missing

OK. As long as it was put back together properly, removing the stat won't hurt. If you know it was put back together properly then it is safe to take it for a test run to check all is working. If the stat was to blame for the overheating then not having one will seem like a fix.

Come back if you don't know whether it was put back together and we will talk you through checking.

 

[Dawn no idea!]

No he removed it and said he had ordered the part I paid him and then said they didn't have one.

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[mjltigger]

No he removed it and said he had ordered the part I paid him and then said they didn't have one.

Well if he left the thermostat housing off you will be able to see that when you open the bonnet because there will be pipes not connected coming out the top of the radiator. Pulling on the big top pipe will show you the end of the pipe either attached to something lose or just free.

If he put it back together but not properly then starting the engine with the bonnet open will cause the liquid in the radiator and engine to shoot out everywhere as soon as you start the engine.

Either way, once you know it is not together properly it cannot be driven.

However, if neither of those things happen it is safe to drive until it gets to temperature bit come back after you check that far and we can talk you through a safe test drive.

 

[Dawn no idea!]

I'm having a very bad evening and have cried and just want to sell her...becsuse I don't understand mechanics...just all to much for me..thanks for all your help...but feel like pooh and deflated. ..goodbye motorhome fun

 

[DBK]

I'm having a very bad evening and have cried and just want to sell her...becsuse I don't understand mechanics...just all to much for me..thanks for all your help...but feel like pooh and deflated. ..goodbye motorhome fun

Easy for me say, but try to think positively. The vehicle can be fixed but the issue is do you want to do it? My suspicion is you have been sold a pup and if you can get your money back from whoever sold it to you then that might be the best course of action. The story you have been told about not replacing the thermostat because he couldn't get one sounds unlikely. Taking the thermostat out to try and cure overheating is a classic dodgy car dealer trick.

It is possible you can fix it yourself but taking it to a garage where they can at least diagnose the problem would be a good start. Unfortunately, they may not be able to pin down the problem but what they say will hopefully clear things up a bit.

Unfortunately, it could cost several hundred pounds to fix and if it has a cracked cylinder head can a replacement be found?

Folk could talk you through doing these repairs but the real problem is diagnosing the fault so you may end up doing a lot of investigatory work first with all the problems that will entail doing it remotely on here.

Bottom line is how deep are your pockets and what other issues might there be on the vehicle. You can MH on the cheap but you need to be prepared to do a lot of DIY.

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[Carol]

Good Morning Dawn, hope you slept and are feeling a bit more positive, like I said last night see if you can find a local recommended garage (any funsterers in Carmarthen no one) get a estimate for. Any essential work, then do it in bite size pieces , stick with it dreams are worth it.
Wishing you a better more positive day.

 

[mjltigger]

Our first attempt at motorhoming was Flo. She was an old fiat ducato based coach built with badly corroded aluminium panels and a layout that was totally wrong for us. We loved her.

I had work in Scotland the Tuesday after a bank holiday so we took the Friday off and had a slow mosy up the A roads of England aiming to get to the client Monday night and check in to the hotel we had on exes.

Sunday night as we were trying to find a suitable parking place the engine let go with an Almighty bang. Still running but clearly limping we parked in the first layby we could find and called the RAC the next day.

Turned out a piston had let go but with some patience and care the local mech had her back in her rubber and running sweeter than ever before I finished the work I was there for. She ran sweet as a but all the way home.

We are on our third van now, our most expensive so far costing us £3000 a year ago and she just flew through her MOT with only a new wiper. Both vans we had before sold within a fee pounds of what we paid for them and the only reason we changed was for layout.

Long story, sorry, but I'm trying to show that it works out in the end. Its not a perfect hobby but you get some perfect outcomes.

 

[Dawn no idea!]

Thankyou I have booked the day off work tomorrow to check out some garages and try and be a bit more positive...thanks guys x

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[TUCANO]

I don't understand your Funster name, you have got loads of ideas, stick with it as IT IS all worth it

 

[MitchandJenny]

Dawn..
Whatever you do, DONT give up !!!
Ask the garage to give you a FREE estimate, mention that your husband is an undercover Police Officer, but is temporarily away on duty..
Any decent mechanic should be able to diagnose the fault very quickly.
If they are not prepared to do that, go elsewhere !!!
I wish you all the luck in the world and remember, it WILL be worth it !!
Good luck.
Mitch. .

 

[rangi]

Keep at it Dawn you have, close on 2000-5000 maybe more all rooting for you, you have a heap of knowledge, not only M/homes, at your keyboard. I myself, have had advice on everything from fixing seized bolts, to how to get Loan sharks off my sisters (she has Alzimers) back. All on here, all for £15 per year. Mechanical advice- moral support, It's here Dawn!

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[Puddleduck]

..we can do this ...☺

Yes you can.It just might take a bit longer than you planned.