Wife's VR Commodore overheating issues, help please!
Submitted by tadpole on Mon, 2014-02-17 11:49
My wife's VR commodore is overheating and I'm having trouble sourcing a fix. It has a new water pump, new hi-flow thermostat, new radiator cap, all the hoses are ok and its not using/losing bugger all water. My next step is to put some radiator flush in and see how that goes and maybe check if the fan is kicking in. Any other suggestions people may have are more than welcome as this bloody car is driving me mental and I don't want to spend money at a mechanics on something I could probably fix myself!
scubafish
Posts: 962
Date Joined: 15/08/12
TEMP SENSOR
Check temp sensor unit.
http://img.gg/BQ91Sys
tadpole
Posts: 387
Date Joined: 28/01/13
Was pondering that. $12 from
Was pondering that. $12 from Supercheap so not a huge outlay. I'll look at that after this radiator flush but the block does seem to be getting reasonably warm
Scotte
Posts: 1145
Date Joined: 07/12/06
Air lock from when you
Air lock from when you changed water pump and refilled.?
Starbug
Posts: 563
Date Joined: 27/08/09
Same thought..... You need to
Same thought..... You need to bleed the air from the system from a bleed point on the inlet manifold.
tadpole
Posts: 387
Date Joined: 28/01/13
Turns out it was an airlock.
Turns out it was an airlock. Gave it a flush and opened the bleed valve as I was filling it up and all good now
MetroMako
Posts: 245
Date Joined: 17/07/12
head
gasket
carnarvonite
Posts: 8672
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Head gasket
Leave the radiator cap of and see what happens to the water level when you give the motor a rev. If it blows the water out and gives a near continuous flow of bubble its a good sign that you have a blown head gasket. A compression test will confirm it, though I heard somewhere that they do a gas test now days
mjohns
Posts: 337
Date Joined: 11/01/07
First thing id of done is
First thing id of done is check that the thermo's are kicking in..
If not check the fuse, then the wiring
Scotte
Posts: 1145
Date Joined: 07/12/06
When you say not using
When you say not using bugger all water do you mean its not using much or any.It would normally be sweating coolant,.have signs of coolant in oil or have slight rough idle from water in combustion if head gasket..i wouldnt think it would be head gasket unless using a bit of water..
Prego
Posts: 136
Date Joined: 03/06/09
will be a air-lock in the system.
Google "VR change coolant". There's plenty of guys out there with the same problem and don't know abiout the bleed screw in the manifold.
brg
Posts: 666
Date Joined: 31/12/09
blocked radiator?
blocked radiator?
tim-o
Posts: 4657
Date Joined: 24/05/11
PM sent
PM sent
I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.
kempy
Posts: 810
Date Joined: 28/05/09
Bleed it first. Then check if
Bleed it first. Then check if the fan is coming in then replace rad if still has problems.
Dinkum Auto Electrical A/C & Mechanical Unit 10/16 Kent way Malaga 0438755754 Also Mobile
Open 7 days except when we are fishn For all your auto electrical needs
cell
Posts: 215
Date Joined: 06/07/13
could also be blocked cat
could also be blocked cat which could lead to head gasket going eventually but try checking that too, just drop the end of exhaust off smash the guts out and should run abit smoother.....just a thought if it helps
GIVE ME A FISHING ROD.....WELL THE REST IS HISTORY
out wide
Posts: 1535
Date Joined: 30/12/08
Yep.... just get yourself a new
Radiator then no more heating problems
fishfish
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 01/09/09
Overheating
Before doing anything else you need to determine when the vehicle is getting hot .
Is it at idle ie sitting in traffic ?? And if so does the temp gauge come back down when the vehicle starts to move ?? This generally indicates a fan issue ie no airflow at low speeds .
Or does the vehicle overheat under load ie towing / highway speeds etc . If so this normally means a blocked radiator as the fans usually have no effect past about 60 clicks .
This is all assuming that the engine is in mechanically good condition but it gives you a starting point ..
troy fuller
Posts: 411
Date Joined: 30/08/10
Oil levels fine? No water In
Oil levels fine? No water In oil almost eliminates gasket id say air pocket or sensor or block rAd how quick does it get hot?
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
When will; give you the clue
When will; give you the clue you want
Had huge issue with my VZ in the past same thing new radiator and water pump. Mech changed temp sensor and thmo.
Were about to change the ECU.
Car was fine in 45d in heavy bumper to bumper traffic Only got hot when pulling hard continuous rev such as uphills or boat. |Eventually sourced back to the afteramrket water pump. Was pumping water too fast through radiator (new unblocked rad probably contributed) under revs and the water didn't have a chance to down. Fitted Genuine water pump and all good. Mech had similar issues with a toyota aftermarket pump
Youtube Channel - FishOnLine Productions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbUVNa-ViyGm_FTDSv4Nqzg/videos
tadpole
Posts: 387
Date Joined: 28/01/13
Cheers for the responses
Cheers for the responses guys. Turns out there was an airlock so after a flush, found the bleed valve on the thermostat housing and cracked that while filling it back up and it seems all good now. Haven't taken it for a big drive yet but fingers crossed. Maybe a good excuse to go fishing
choc
Posts: 670
Date Joined: 05/01/12
If it keeps happening the
If it keeps happening the best solution will be to buy a Ford.
tim-o
Posts: 4657
Date Joined: 24/05/11
Yes, good idea, he can take
Yes, good idea, he can take his frustration out on it with a sledgy haha
I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.
tadpole
Posts: 387
Date Joined: 28/01/13
Always been a holden man but
Always been a holden man but this car isn't helping that! Might just stick to my patrols and cruisers