first post - problems, ggrrr

1st July 2014, 15:25

bought a VTR yesterday and its turning into a mare. (might of been for sale on here)
Drove it home 100 miles and it seemed fine. fan did come on a bit though, but today i noticed the temp was going way up and the fan was constantly on all time. ( only drove it a few miles) bottom pipe was cold from rad and top was hot. i dont know much about engines but thought id check the thermostate. but suprise suprise took the housing off and it didnt have one. any ideas why ????
anyway, got a new one, run it, still over heating. gggrrr. took top pipe off and run hosepipe through and it seemed to do the trick. bottom pipe now getting hot and temp not going as high. but..... theres water leaking from the heater matrix area. dunno if the pressure of the water not curculating had caused a pipe to split cos its a mare to look at. heaters are working, will the matrix leak if heaters work? any ideas where water is coming from? and to top it off, it now wont start, jump it its fine soon as i turn key off its dead again, f**king stress. any help really helpful, cheers, mike

1st July 2014, 15:52

also the battery light is on, obviously the alt will be working fine otherwise i wouldnt of been able to drive it 100 miles home but was told it was cos the brown wire leading to the alt wasnt connected, is that right ?

1st July 2014, 16:08

have a look at the alternator, is there are a brown wire disconnected? lolzzz

Overheating is a mare, is it pressurising the coolant system and boiling over, or just getting too hot?

1st July 2014, 16:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by D4MJT

have a look at the alternator, is there are a brown wire disconnected? lolzzz

Overheating is a mare, is it pressurising the coolant system and boiling over, or just getting too hot?

temp did go right up, since i flushed it its been fine bar from the leaking, and i said the brown wire was disconnected

that causes the battery light to be on does it ? told you i dont know much about engines

1st July 2014, 16:32

if someones removed the stat they are most likely trying to hide something wrong with the cooling system

1st July 2014, 16:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gandi699

if someones removed the stat they are most likely trying to hide something wrong with the cooling system

This is what I was getting towards.

If it's pressurizing the coolant system, the thermostats been removed on purpose, then I wouldn't be suprised if it turned out the head had cracks in it hence the cooling failure.

I bought a VTR years back on the cheap that had just had the head gasket done and continually cooked itself. Whipped the head off, cracked across 3 cylinders.

1st July 2014, 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by D4MJT

This is what I was getting towards.

If it's pressurizing the coolant system, the thermostats been removed on purpose, then I wouldn't be suprised if it turned out the head had cracks in it hence the cooling failure.

I bought a VTR years back on the cheap that had just had the head gasket done and continually cooked itself. Whipped the head off, cracked across 3 cylinders.

That's cracking

1st July 2014, 16:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by D4MJT

This is what I was getting towards.

If it's pressurizing the coolant system, the thermostats been removed on purpose, then I wouldn't be suprised if it turned out the head had cracks in it hence the cooling failure.

I bought a VTR years back on the cheap that had just had the head gasket done and continually cooked itself. Whipped the head off, cracked across 3 cylinders.

Hmm. Engine running temp has been fine since i flushed it out. Not even hitting half way on gauge. Water is clear to and no signs of oil in resovoir tank either. First things first is i need to sort the leak out going to matrix so i guess i gotta strip half the engine bay to get at it

1st July 2014, 17:03

dont forget though if the matrix is leaking then the system cant hold pressure properly. By pass the matrix if you cant fit a new one immediately.

1st July 2014, 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gandi699

dont forget though if the matrix is leaking then the system cant hold pressure properly. By pass the matrix if you cant fit a new one immediately.

Ooooh didnt even know i could bypass it. Im hoping a pipe has split rather than the matrix is naffed. Heaters still work tho. How do i bypass it. Just join the two pipes together is it ?

1st July 2014, 17:11

Yeah pretty much. Might need something in the middle to restrict the flow too but I've never bothered when I've done this kind of thing

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1st July 2014, 17:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gandi699

Yeah pretty much. Might need something in the middle to restrict the flow too but I've never bothered when I've done this kind of thing

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I know heaters are needed but it will fix it temporarily. Finding a pipe to fit is another job though. Any ideas what i can use ?

1st July 2014, 18:03

Whatever's handy if it's temporary. Usually copper fittings for water pipes will do the job like what you'd use on a plumbing job in a house

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1st July 2014, 18:03

The pipes onto the matrix, are they the push on type ? Or have they got clips ? I wanna find out where its leaking from but unless i take parts off engine i cant get at them and then i cant run the car anyway

1st July 2014, 18:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gandi699

Whatever's handy if it's temporary. Usually copper fittings for water pipes will do the job like what you'd use on a plumbing job in a house

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Was thinking copper pipe myself. It it impossible to get pipes off without taking parts off engine? Looks potchy

1st July 2014, 18:07

I can't remember if you can get them off the matrix with it in situ, I'd have thought you can. There will be clips holding them on. I cut the pipes on the last time I did it as the car didn't really matter that much

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1st July 2014, 18:44

It's not really the engine that's the issue, it's the brake balance bar. Long nose pliers and patience are you friends there my man.

1st July 2014, 18:47

Ah, i dont wanna cut them. Unless im desperate. Wanna run hosepipe thro them first also

1st July 2014, 18:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by D4MJT

It's not really the engine that's the issue, it's the brake balance bar. Long nose pliers and patience are you friends there my man.

Whats a brake balance bar ? Never heard of that

im probably coming cross as really thick. Engines never have been my strong point lol. I just drive em

1st July 2014, 19:09

It's the bar that connects your pedal to the servo basically, needed on rhd saxos and 106s. Matrix change is a dash out job pretty much not the most fun ever

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1st July 2014, 19:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gandi699

It's the bar that connects your pedal to the servo basically, needed on rhd saxos and 106s. Matrix change is a dash out job pretty much not the most fun ever

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I know about the matrix. Id rather freeze or sell the car before i do a dash out job lol. So whats the bar got to do with any problem i got

1st July 2014, 21:21

Dash out ain't that bad. Can have it out in 30mins if you know what you're doing

1st July 2014, 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by chompy

Dash out ain't that bad. Can have it out in 30mins if you know what you're doing

Taking things apart is easy. Putting them back together is the hard part

2nd July 2014, 14:08

Can someone put a link up to a thread / how to bleex the water system to get all the air out pleeeease

2nd July 2014, 14:29

Can someone put a link up on how to bleed the water system to get rid of airlocks pleeeeease.
think ive fixed the leak. Bottom matrix pipe had a hole in it just as it connects to matrix so cut an inch off.

2nd July 2014, 14:32

Put it all back together and the car started first time. Strange as i had to jump it yesterday. Run it for ten min. Fan come on but no temp gauge working. Ffs. Turned car off. Wouldnt start back up but when ignition was on temp gauge worked ::conf: any ideas ? Turning key over just seems dead. Not ticking over.

2nd July 2014, 14:32

nice and easy buddy

There's a black screw on the rad next to the top hose that turns 180 degrees and pop out, an allen bolt on the thermostat housing to loose, the air nipple on the coolant hose at the back of the engine next to the inlet manifold. Open them all, then cut the bottom off a 2 litre bottle of pop and use it as a header tank by putting it neck first into the radiator fill cap and duck tape it into place. Fill it with coolant, the pressure with it being the highest point in the system will push the coolant round.

As it starts coming out of the bleed points you've opened, shut them in turn, ie RAD > THERMO HOUSING > MATRIX RETURN.

Once they're all shut, top the makeshift header tank up, run the car and it should come up to temp and any excess air should make it's way out.

Job jobbed.

2nd July 2014, 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by vtrblack

Put it all back together and the car started first time. Strange as i had to jump it yesterday. Run it for ten min. Fan come on but no temp gauge working. Ffs. Turned car off. Wouldnt start back up but when ignition was on temp gauge worked ::conf: any ideas ? Turning key over just seems dead. Not ticking over.

Don't quote me on this for certain, but don't dead temperature sensors give all kinds of trouble for idling etc?

Could be a fucked sensor dude!

2nd July 2014, 14:39

I seen the matrix return and the allen bolt on the side of the thermo housing.didnt see the one on the rad. Will look later. So open them as take them off is it ? The matrix one is plastic aint it like a dustcap

2nd July 2014, 14:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by vtrblack

I seen the matrix return and the allen bolt on the side of the thermo housing.didnt see the one on the rad. Will look later. So open them as take them off is it ? The matrix one is plastic aint it like a dustcap

That's the one. The one in the rad just twists and pops out iirc, don't think you actually remove it. It shuts first anyway. The bottle is the most important part though, for the water height.

2nd July 2014, 14:47

Where is the temp sensor bareing in mind im crap with engines. Ive had the fuel injectors off and the coil pack etv to get at the matrix pipes so did unplug a few wires. I dont think its not working it just didnt work when the car was running but when i turned engine off and it wouldnt then start the ignition was on and the gauge was working