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[Brad]

Hi,

I have recently purchased an R reg 2.5 V6 (reflection).  I've had the car serviced by an independent local mechanic who also informed me that the car is in top condition.

My only concern, which may be a bit of historical motoring paranoia, concerns the water gauge.  Sitting in traffic the temperature can reach 100 on the gauge, then drops just above 90, then after a while back up to 100.  The journeys are your typical home-to-station types.  I've monitored the water coolant overflow, which shows no sign of water being lost?  However, the water in the overflow is a very slight brown.

As for the display, I've only had one 'check water coolant' but this was displayed for a brief moment.

The cars done about 87k.

Can someone give me some advice?  Unfortunately, I know nothing about cars and currently nervous about driving the car.

Cheers


Brad (lambb@willis.com)

[TheBoy]

Thats too hot by a long shot.

Is there any sign of oil in water (oil cooler failure)?

Might be worth just flushing through a few times, they refilling with proper 50:50 mix

[Andy B]

...

As for the display, I've only had one 'check water coolant' but this was displayed for a brief moment. ......

As long as the water is up to the correct mark on the header tank I wouldn't be too concerned about the 'low coolant' message, the level switches in the bottle do tend to fail.

[@lph@]

I have the same motor, and get the the "coolant message" regularly Also it gets hot (it even smells a bit hot), but someone told me to expect that from an engine this size. I don't like it much though. Going to France this summer with this car, and frankly I'm a little bit concerned. If you guys don't hear from me for a good while, I'm in France working to save up for a new engine! :-/

[TheBoy]

I have the same motor, and get the the "coolant message" regularly Also it gets hot (it even smells a bit hot), but someone told me to expect that from an engine this size. I don't like it much though. Going to France this summer with this car, and frankly I'm a little bit concerned. If you guys don't hear from me for a good while, I'm in France working to save up for a new engine! :-/

What are the markings on your gauge, and how hot does it get?

[GPar]

This temperature thing for the V6 is doing my head in! There seems to be 101 different views on the subject. TB is saying that 100 degrees is way too hot and yet my owners handbook quite clearly states that this engine will reach 100 degrees at times. The main fan does not kick in until the temperature reaches around 100. Are we saying that your main fan should never be used? I felt my running temperature was too hot and rather than go through the process of flushing out the rad (I think there may have been an oil cooler failure at an earlier point in the cars life) I fitted a a new radiator. Normal cruising temperature is now around 92 Degrees but this can vary with the ambient temperature and how much load is being put on the engine. On a cool day the cruising temp can be as low as 88 but as high as 94 on a warm day. The gauges on these cars seem to be ultra sensitive. On a warm day in traffic, especially after perhaps an uphill stretch, the temp still reaches 100 when the fan cuts in and brings it down. If you stay stuck in the traffic it goes back up again and so on... Brads temps sound perfectly normal to me.

Geoff

[psychnurse]

mine kicks in about 97 deg. I have always found vauxhalls to run high. But that is just my own opinion mate   normal run temp at 90 but easily up to 95 in town and still traffic. seems yours ok... well at least the ame as mine   and i have had no major probs  

[Richard A]

Normal is with the needle in the middle of the gauge, ie 2.5 petrol - 95degrees, each mark up or down is 2.5 degrees. At 50mph in normal traffic the engine temperture should read 95 degrees or just below - 'fact'. Most models have three fans, one engine, two aircon (some have one aircon), all three fans have two speeds, low/high. Aircon fans run as a pair at low speed with aircon on, engine fan starts at 95c, as the temp increases (the sequence does differ by model/year) the fans step up to high speed. For fans to run at high speed is unusual in the UK.  Most engines do not go higher than 97.5 without a reason, 100c to high, suggest as TB flush out system 5/6 times, then refill with a 50/50 mix, check level over a number of days.
Fans speeds, relays, thermo switchs can be all tested.
regards
richard a

[GPar]

Normal is with the needle in the middle of the gauge, ie 2.5 petrol - 95degrees, each mark up or down is 2.5 degrees. At 50mph in normal traffic the engine temperture should read 95 degrees or just below - 'fact'. Most models have three fans, one engine, two aircon (some have one aircon), all three fans have two speeds, low/high. Aircon fans run as a pair at low speed with aircon on, engine fan starts at 95c, as the temp increases (the sequence does differ by model/year)the fans step up to high speed. For fans to run at high speed is unusual in the UK.  Most engines do not go higher than 97.5 without a reason, 100c to high, suggest as TB flush out system 5/6 times, then refill with a 50/50 mix, check level over a number of days.
Fans speeds, relays, thermo switchs can be all tested.
regards
richard a

More confusion! If you are saying that the sequence varies by model and year surely this could account for different accounts of temperatures? Do you know what the differences are? I'm sure my main engine fan does not cut in until the temp is near a hundred - should it be coming on at a lower speed before that?

Geoff

[Richard A]

Yes, however there are 'two thermostatic switches' located on the near side of the radiator below the top hose, they both have three wires. The top one is the primary switch, it controls - 1) low temp, all fans on low, 2)medium temp, only aircon fans on low 3) high temp, only engine fan on high. The secondary switch controls 1) medium temp,aircon fans on high. Send me a email and I will send you a 'fan test method'.

regards
richard a

[Richard A]

Sorry, send a PM with a email address.

[Entwood]

Methinks I know the problem ...  

He's transplanted the wrong engine ... trying to move 2 tonne car with a 2.5 cc engine my model aircraft had larger engines !!!! and a 2.5 V6 .. so each pot is .42 cc ?? damned "fine" engineering

(Sorry couldn't resist it !!      )

[ians]

Methinks I know the problem ...  

He's transplanted the wrong engine ... trying to move 2 tonne car with a 2.5 cc engine my model aircraft had larger engines !!!! and a 2.5 V6 .. so each pot is .42 cc ?? damned "fine" engineering

(Sorry couldn't resist it !!      )

..there's always one..


One other point is that the marking (numbers) on the guage are completely different on facelift vs prefacelist (incl mini fl).  FL's show lower numbers - I think its rubbish as they are running the same power plant.  
So  the conclusion is that in normal driving the needle should be around the middle of the guage regardless of what number that shows (which will be highly approximate anyway.)

[Richard A]

Spot on !! All manufactures attempt to get the 'normal' running temperature in the middle position, on Omegas the fans are there help keep the engine at that temperature.  

regards
richard a

[TheBoy]

Right, to clarify running temp.

Later Omegas have 80/100 markings (making midpoint 90C)
Earlier had 90/100 markings making midpoint 95C

The cruising temp should be a shade under midpoint.  This should rise to a shade over midpoint in traffic before low speed fans cut in (around 92C/96C depending on gauge markings).  If temp continues to rise, high speed fans should come in at around 965C/98C (depending on gauge markings).


We have seen one instance of a minifacelift MV6 running hot on the gauge, yet everything else was fine (Hotel21's car). After a lot of checks and friggin, we Tech2'd it last year, and found the instrument panel had no config on it. Putting one on instantly cured his issue - which was gauge related, rather than engine getting too hot.