Saxo Overheating and big air lock

8th February 2012, 20:51

Hey guys thanks for taking some time to help me out...

Ok so a couple of weeks ago realised i had no oil in my car and topped it up. then driving home from work (20miles) the car starts overheating. im round the corner from my house so decide just to get it home. Well breaks down on the busiest roundabout and my radiator had gone completely.
So i get the funds together and fit a new rad. Couldnt flush the system due to no hose pipe but filled it up anyway and bled it correctly and the sticky advised. Everythings going smooth, going to work the next day still over heating alot.. turned the engine off and a big gush of water comes out of the filler cap i believe. I put that down to overfilling.
Since the change of rad ive been bleeding it every day or two. I have intermitent heating and its really starting to get on my nerves and im cold.
The gauge is always sitting on high sometimes goes into the red then drops to 3/4 and normally sits around full. Im not loosing any water and i dont think im loosing oil at all. Its just like i have a major air lock but no matter how many times i bleed it its just not working. I checked the coolant tonight, let it run with the cap off and it just kept bubbling. I did noticed a small amount of white gunk but i think thats just down to where i havent flushed the system previously?
Somebody said there car had a water regulator that went into the engine??? and that had cracked and they had the same symptoms.
Or could my thermostat be dead?
any help would be great. Thank you

8th February 2012, 21:08

The 1st thing you`ve done wrong is let your engine run without the rad cap on,try fitting a new thermostat.

8th February 2012, 21:08

Have you checked all the pipes for leaks as this may be where the airlock keeps coming from.

8th February 2012, 21:16

Well why does everyone say run it with the cap off? lol ive looked but cant see anything. Saying that i dont get much daylight with my job. Ill have a proper look asap.

8th February 2012, 21:31

Running with the cap off lets more air out of the rad hun

8th February 2012, 21:38

if theres no leaks and it keeps getting air locked then it sounds like head gasket. When you bleed the car again fill the rad to the very top and then see if theres many air bubbles coming up to the top and then give it a good rev, if the water is really thrown up out of the rad the its the head gasket

8th February 2012, 21:40

Check your carpets and around the heater matrix for dampness, heatermatrix might be broken, mine was, and wouldn't bleed, and kept over heating

8th February 2012, 21:40

ok ill try that tomoro if i can..
If it is the head gasket how much am i looking for it to be replaced?

8th February 2012, 21:43

Ive changed a heater matrix on a 306, are they similar symptoms? i.e passenger footwell area? id rather it be that than the head gasket

When i ran it earlier, the water came up to the top was slightly spilling over but there was constant bubbles for 2-3 minutes then i got bored

8th February 2012, 21:45

not sure about prices over there but over here the parts and labour would come to around €250- €300 thats assuming the head isnt cracked which you'd best get it pressure tested while its off to make sure especially if its been in the red!

8th February 2012, 21:47

Great... I wish i could just trade the heap in and get another car lol..

8th February 2012, 21:47

definitly sounds like the gasket then, its leaking on the rings and pressurising the water system, most likely why your rad bursted and the heaters go hot and cold

8th February 2012, 21:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherrie

Ive changed a heater matrix on a 306, are they similar symptoms? i.e passenger footwell area? id rather it be that than the head gasket

When i ran it earlier, the water came up to the top was slightly spilling over but there was constant bubbles for 2-3 minutes then i got bored

easy to do, dash out etc, only hard part i found was getting the hoses that run into the engine bay, i ended up taking the inlet off to get to them :\

are you sure your bleeding it right? you have all 3 bleed points open?

8th February 2012, 21:55

yeah ive done the 3 bleed point, even done it with the car raised at the front, still no luck. its going into a garage on saturday. I just paid for 6 months tax aswell, i dunno

Does anyone wana fix it for me? haha

8th February 2012, 21:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by iSlayeR

easy to do, dash out etc, only hard part i found was getting the hoses that run into the engine bay, i ended up taking the inlet off to get to them :\

are you sure your bleeding it right? you have all 3 bleed points open?

i just took the matrix off from the inside, i didnt bother the other way only cause somebody said to me the seal can go and that part was over £150 to replace. lol it worked fine though until my brother wrote it off