Important! : Overheating!

26th February 2011, 00:06

Hi folks, need a wee bit of help... overheating

Used to have a VTR a few years ago (had it for 5 years and nothing went wrong!), sold it to go travelling and just got back and bought a 1997 1.4 saxo VSX. Now, it appears to be running hot... The temperature gauge hovers around the middle line as I think it should... it moves a few mm above and the fan cuts in but if I'm stuck idlling for any amount of time, say a few minutes the needle approaches the red section - it never actually gets there or enters it - in fact it's a few mm below to about half way between the mid-line and the red but the light comes on!?! Why is the light coming on...? Is the car actually running hot?

It's only done 52,000miles and I've looked at the service history - it's had a new thermostat and all the fluid levels are correct. I've been reading a few older forums and it appears to be a common problem, some people have suggested it may be the thermostat housing/casing that's slightly loose? It's just so annoying, most of the time it's fine but I'm forever watching the temp gauge and panic when I see it rising even a few mm!!!

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks

26th February 2011, 00:10

No sure bud, but mines was overheating like crazy and it was the water pump. just skint me £280 for water pump,thermostat,timing belt, and all flushed

26th February 2011, 02:56

Id be more worried about the light. Im fairly sure that is the oil temperature warning light (maybe im thinking of a VTS?)

You need to start off with the basics... like bleeding the coolant system. If it doesn't pump water out - then you will need a new water pump, but by the sounds of it, its more likely just air in the system.