*Sigh* Cooling System Woes

Afternoon all.

My 95 460 Turbo is giving me some head scratching moments, and unfortunately I'm 100 miles away from my Haynes, tools etc visiting my parents with my new fiancee.

On the trip up, the previously non-functioning temperature guage 'woke up'. Hooray! though I, until it climbed up towards the red. Spent the rest of the trip home with the heater on full blast and the sunroof open, which kept it down to just past half way. Running around in her over the past few days has been strange - very low idle on start on some days, yet the temp guage seems to shoot up (when working), head all the way up to just underneath the red, then back down to half way, then back up (and all this with the heater off)... Note that the overtemp *light* does not come on when the temp guage heads up to the red, but has instead flickered on and off of it's own accord at some random intervals.

Now I've recently replaced the temp gauge sensor (right end of the block - small round black connector with no locking clip) in an effort to make the gauge work. The previous owner had taken the radiator thermostat out of circuit and wired it to a switch. I put this back to stock and it *appears* that it's coming on and off when I think it should (ie when the radiators hot).

I should mention that throughout all of this malarky, it doesn't appear to me when opening the bonnet and touching both the radiator and the block that the engine is *that* hot.

So;

1)My main thermostat (wax jobber) is sticking closed. Only thing is I have no Haynes so I cant locate it to tap it with a hammer. Anyone help me?
2)The temp gauge wiring is totally fluxxored. I can live with this till I get home.

Also, where is the cooling system drain point?

I could do with some help before I try to head back home on Sunday.

Cheers!

[bob13]

I have a 440 1.7 (1991) so not sure if the same. The thermostat is on the left side of the engine under the distrubuter.

When you say the radiator is hot is the big pipe at the top of the radiator very hot or just warm. If it is just warm then the thermostat is stuck shut. If you do check this then run the engine for a while as that pipe will stay cold until the engine is up to a good working temp and the stat has opened.

If you are worried you could always take the stat out all together, at least the engine will not over heat, if of couse the water pump is ok. And you will lose some mpg as the engine will run cooler.

As for the drain point on mine it is at the bottom of the radiator on the right, however i always take the pipe off the bottom of the rad as they are normaly easier to seal right up.

As for the gauge if the temp sender has been changed (for the right on not sure but i know on other models of cars if the wrong one is fitted you can get
hotter or colder readings than normal) it could be a bad conection somwhere giving the gauge a funny reading.

[Mark480]

The thermostat on the radiator couldn't change from hitting it as it's a tough wax that eventually loses it's life. If this was faulty then the radiator fan would stay on constantly. This is located on the side of the radiator on the passenger side!

I would flush the whole cooling system, drain plug is usually red on the passenger side underside of the radiator. Make sure you take the expansion cap off and then put the hosepipe in and flush it out. I'd remove, check and clean all the sensors. There is one on the front of the block for the ECU, one on the back of the block for the gauge on the dash and one on the radiator.

Good luck!