2.7tdi overheating

[richs2891]

Ok after owning my Terrano for a week its decided to over heat
Did 30 miles on the motorway today and all was fine

Drove back through the city and noticed the temp guage going up from its normal near straight up point to over to the right towards the red - pretty much into the red.

Pulled over when noticed it and checked that the fan behind the radiator is spinning, coolant levels are ok. If I stop and let the engine cool for ten mins or so then drive on can get about three miles before it goes back towards the red.

Radiator is clear of mud so any ideas, the only thing I can think it can be is the thermostat has gone ?
Is the theromstat easy to change & will motorfactors and the like stock them or Nissan only part ?

thanks

Richard

 

[Darwin]

possibly

radiator cap or blocked radiator

also look for a film of oil in the expansion bottle

 

[richs2891]

Ok thanks for the quick reply

Radiator cap and look to see if I can see coolant in radiator ? Cap is till warm to touch so leaving it on for now!

Collant is coolant reservoir / expansion bottle looks ok - what would a film of oil indicate ?

Block radiator is a possibility - would need the garage to check that

Richard

 

[zippy656]

give your hose a good squise

 

[jims-terrano]

Hi Richard, thermostat is easy to do and local motor spares shop will sell em. Try removing the stat and running without to see if the problem goes. Very unusual for these to overheat, usually other way round they run cool. Check your oil filler cap for a cream coloured residue, this would mean water in the oil which could indicate head gasket but again not often you get that happening on these motors. The cooling fan is viscus so will turn with engine but only actually drive when the temp gets high. Can you remove top and bottom hoses from rad and run water through from a hose or something.

Jim T

 

[zippy]

could it be an airlock?? If you only just got the motor then maybe the guy before gave it a good service and allowed some air to get in??????

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

another cause i have found is, wait for it, the dreaded water pump!
they get a minute leak on the underside and keep the coolant level a little low

but they also include the viscous coupling for the fan!

i'm sure those of you who have changed the water pump have noticed the fan cutting in and out properly again?

the leak an often be missed as it is so small it evaporates on a hot engine block

also be carefull when fitting an after market thermostat as some dont seat probely in the hosusing and can damage when tightening the bolts, they are not all bad, but price a genuine nissan/for one as well as there usualy isnt much difference between the genuine and the pattern part.

 

[jims-terrano]

Another common symptom of the water pump is the small damp patch on the floor roughly in the centre just at the front, funnily enough below the water pump.

Jim T

 

[richs2891]

Well I will have a look at it again on fri and report back - will try running a hose through the radiator
Didnt know the fan was a viscous type - I've never heard the fan kick in or out so lol will probaly be the water pump knowning my luck at the moment.

Just seems a little odd to me that it has worked fine for a week - done a couple of motorway runs etc and runs to work and back and been fine.

Saying that its the Nissan curse (for me anyway) had no real fault with them until park them up and dont use them for a week or so, then 1 week later something mechanical goes wrong ! Terrano had been parked up & not used for close on 2 months before I bought it. Some years back had a run around primera that used for the work - went on extended hol - left it parked at airport, got back - all fine drove back and was fine - week later exhaust dropped off !

Richard

 

[tezzer]

idealy you need to reverse flush the radiater, but you have to take it out to do it, turn it upside down and put hose in the bottom and let it run through rad, water pump is a fairly straight forward job to do as is the thermostat, head gasket is a bit more involved though. :thumb2

 

[rossco]

Try sticking a temperature gauge on to see what is really happening.
Least you'll see the actual temperature and just not a red mark on a gauge.

My Mistral use to run hot according to the standard gauge until I put a proper gauge in, now I know when it hits around 80c-85c pending on your thermostat and you can see the temperature drop when it opens.

 

[richs2891]

Interestingly got my Terrano back from the garage - well paid for it but not collected it yet, Not had time !
One dodgy theromastat, which has been changed now - garage did a temp check and now runs at 82 degrees and does not get any hotter.
Temp sender unit (to the guage) is faulty as well, on order from Nissan - should be with me around Jan 4th.

Does this sound right ?

Cheers

Richard