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Author Topic: Heating and coolant loss.  (Read 1269 times)

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Jusme

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Heating and coolant loss.
« on: 03 November 2009, 21:48:55 »
About 3 weeks ago I noticed my heater wasn't doing its work properly, but not too cold at that time. The heating became intermittent until last week, now it only blows cold whatever the temperature gauge is reading? Got a mate to have a look tonight, he took a tube off the bottom of the valve that is against the bulkhead behind the head, and told me it wasn't sucking, so wasn't opening the valve. He then took half the dash apart and tried to check 2 units behind the glovebox, he thinks one of them might be knackered as, blowing through a pipe the air passed through one unit quite easily but, he couldn't get any air into the other one ? Any suggestions would be much appreciated. As to the coolant problem, there are no apparent leaks, there isn't a pond inside the car, and there's no evidence of any leakage onto the road, the engine runs fine, no missing, no apparent steam from the exhaust, and the oil is clean. What is really perplexing me is, I have to top up the header tank EVERY day, some days it needs half a cupful and some days it needs 2 pints + ??  Any help would be much appreciated. Ta !  ;)
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Under-steer is when the front of the car hits the wall, and over-steer is when the rear of the car hits the wall.
Power is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how much of the wall you take with you.

dbug

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #1 on: 03 November 2009, 22:23:24 »
Replace HBV (Heater Bypass Valve) mate  :y
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Jusme

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #2 on: 03 November 2009, 22:51:52 »
Thanks for the suggestion dbug, got a new one in the boot, will try tomorrow.. Cheers...  ;)
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Under-steer is when the front of the car hits the wall, and over-steer is when the rear of the car hits the wall.
Power is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how much of the wall you take with you.

The Red Baron

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #3 on: 03 November 2009, 22:57:36 »
Quote
Replace HBV (Heater Bypass Valve) mate  :y
yep, thats what it sounds like. :y
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Jusme

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #4 on: 04 November 2009, 12:56:13 »
Hi, just spoke to my mate on the phone reference heater bypass valve, he said, ' it isn't the valve mate, there is no vaccuum going to it, the valve is working fine, whatever supplies the vaccuum to the valve isn't working '. So, any other suggestions ??
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Under-steer is when the front of the car hits the wall, and over-steer is when the rear of the car hits the wall.
Power is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how much of the wall you take with you.

alank46

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #5 on: 04 November 2009, 13:54:15 »
Hi
I'm reasonably sure that he's got it wrong. No vacuum on the HBV equals heat and vacuum equals no heat.  Easy to check, select fully cold and then see if there is vacuum at the HBV.

Quote
Hi, just spoke to my mate on the phone reference heater bypass valve, he said, ' it isn't the valve mate, there is no vaccuum going to it, the valve is working fine, whatever supplies the vaccuum to the valve isn't working '. So, any other suggestions ??
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Jusme

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #6 on: 05 November 2009, 23:05:29 »
Oh dear, back again..?  Mate tried bypassing hbv, told me heater would be on hot constantly, it didn't work. I pleaded with him to put new valve in. Doesn't need it mate, old one is working fine. 'Please'. He put new valve in, and while I was making coffee he shoved an airline into a pipe and said he thought the matrix had a slight blockage that now seems to have moved. So new valve fitted, run engine up, ' still cold '.. He felt the 2 pipes going into the bulkhead and said one was hottish but the other was cool. Took a 20 mile drive.. ' Still cold '..???  Suggestions gratefully received.....  ;)
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Under-steer is when the front of the car hits the wall, and over-steer is when the rear of the car hits the wall.
Power is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how much of the wall you take with you.

mark.adams

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #7 on: 06 November 2009, 10:41:20 »
Quote
He felt the 2 pipes going into the bulkhead and said one was hottish but the other was cool. Took a 20 mile drive.. ' Still cold '..??? 
It is possible you have a blockage in the heater matrix, particularly if radweld has ever been used in the cooling system but not limited to that.
You could remove both pipes going into the bulkhead and flush the matrix with a hosepipe in both directions.
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Boatboy

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #8 on: 06 November 2009, 11:03:12 »
As well as the possibility of a blockage in the matrix (or aux. coolant pump under the header tank - can you feel the pump running with the ignition on?), losing that much water could result in an air lock in the matrix.

Would suggest tracing your coolant loss would be first priority (you can always buy some gloves). In the 'how to's' there are instructions to make a pressure cap you can fit a footpump too.

To confirm an earlier post, if there is vacuum at the hbv the matrix is bypassed. The vacuum is controlled by a solenoid behind the glovebox. If it is working you can feel it click when temp settings both turned to minimum. To test it, I believe it is interchangeable with the adjacent one which controls the air recirculation flap.



Steve

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Jusme

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #9 on: 06 November 2009, 21:25:05 »
Many thanks for further suggestions, gives me more to do over the weekend. Radweld has never been used by me on this car, not sure about previously, but am inclined to think 'not', as previous owner had it from new and had everything done at Vauxhall main dealer. One possibility I suppose, could be the oil cooler letting go in a BIG way earlier this year, never seen so much mayo in my life, suppose that could have caused some blockage ?

I agree the water problem definately needs sorting, I really can't understand it. There are no visible leaks that we are aware of, the coolant seems to be fine, the engine is running normally, the temperature is normal, ' so where is it going ' ?? 
After my mate worked on it last night, we topped the header tank up again, he revved it for a few minutes to see if we could get any heat, I then drove the old girl home, ' all of 4 miles '..

Before the school run this morning I checked the header tank again, ' it took a litre ' ?? Topped it up again, checked this afternoon after doing about 60 miles and...... It was still up to the normal mark ??? During driving today I kept on turning the heater on at different intervals, lo and behold, some of the time there was warm air, but only warm, for about a minute or two until it just got steadily colder.
I'm thinking, ( which isn't a strong point of mine ) there must be a small amount of hot water seeping into the matrix, then I put the heater on, blower cools what little water is in there, ' back to chilly journey ' ??

Another cause of confusion surrounding this water problem has been caused by my Haynes manual. In one section it tells me I won't get an airlock because of the pressurised system, but in another it warns of an airlock ?? Thanks for your time and suggestions, I'll keep on trying. Take care...  ;)
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Under-steer is when the front of the car hits the wall, and over-steer is when the rear of the car hits the wall.
Power is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how much of the wall you take with you.

espen22

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #10 on: 06 November 2009, 21:33:34 »
Look, try to top up your water tank, and place the car in a place that makes the front point up as much as it can. then rev your engine to aprx 2500 rpm. see if it solves your heating issues...
If this solves it, then air is the problem... might be a head leaking in the system:(
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tunnie

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #11 on: 06 November 2009, 22:06:12 »
it will sound strange, but is your passenger footwell carpet wet?
« Last Edit: 06 November 2009, 22:06:48 by tunnie »
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Jusme

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Re: Heating and coolant loss.
« Reply #12 on: 09 November 2009, 14:10:29 »
Not had time to attempt anything over the weekend but, would you believe that after a week of adding a litre of water every morning, I haven't needed to add any at all for 3 days ?? On the school run this morning and obviously with the heater fan off, I noticed a breath of warm air from the dash vent. Switch the fan on and within 20 seconds the air is cold again. At different times I can feel warm air at the vent and at others it's cold again ? Every time I feel a little warmth and put the fan on, initially it blows warm, but always within a few seconds has gone cold. Could this mean that just a little hot water is managing to seep into the matrix, and then as soon as I put the fan on it cools it down ?? People are telling me that it's time to get rid of the old girl, but I just can't. I had 3 Carltons and was seriously fed up when they were no longer viable, after finally moving to the Miggy, I just love the old girl too much to get rid..?? Well guys, do I now go ahead and try to flush out the matrix ???  ' Of course you do you Muppet '..?  ;)
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Under-steer is when the front of the car hits the wall, and over-steer is when the rear of the car hits the wall.
Power is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how much of the wall you take with you.
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