Hot Weather - Hot Surf

[Bludger]

It seems this hot weather is playing havoc with our Surfs temperatures. Mine has levelled off round town after almost overheating on a run down to Somerset a couple of weeks ago.

I have changed the rad cap and will be changing the thermostat when I get a weekend free (I take a LONG time to do things on the car)

My only concern now is that when I start in the morning I am getting a BIG cloud of smoke from the exhaust, and the engine is very lumpy until I give it some revs.

I am also losing a bit of water from the radiator. When I went to Somerset I had to fill it up upon arrival, and when I got home, it needed about 4ltrs to top it up again. This has calmed down now driving around town, but I'd like to find out the problem rather than just topping it up each time.

I changed the fuel filter last week - no change.
The EGR valve has been disconnected for ages.
I run 60/40 vege/diesel, but in this weather, that shouldn't cause the lumpiness.

Can anyone suggest what the problem could be?

[BUSHWHACKER]

Your injectors maybe a bit gummed up, try a large dose of Redex in the tank.
If your loosing water after a long drive, then you may have pinholes or slow leaks from the radiator or hoses that open up under pressure. Not enough to see 'cos they probably evaporate when engine is hot.

[mooter]

cracked head? you're losing a fair bit of water....

[Gazbo]

I fear a head probem as well mate. If its lumpy and smokey with water loss, then it aint looking good?? What colour smoke is it?

[Bludger]

I fear a head probem as well mate. If its lumpy and smokey with water loss, then it aint looking good?? What colour smoke is it?

And herein lies the problem. After posting this thread, the Surf has stopped juddering on start up, there is a bit of smoke from the exhaust - just grey black smoke. The water loss seems to have stopped, and the temperature holds steady at half way regardless of how firm I am with my right boot.

Could this be 'old dog' syndrome? If any of you have had the heart wrenching task of taking a very old, sick pet to the vets to be put to sleep, you will know that the animal senses what is going to happen, and suddenly gets a new lease of life, playing around like a new puppy.

Is my surf 'showing off' to make me think she is in good health?

Could there be any other explanation of the juddering which has now stopped all together? Just to re-inform you all of the facts, I run 60% vege & 40% Dino, I changed the fuel filter a few days before it started juddering. I'vve put a new rad cap on, but the coolant is the original it arrived with, so may be fairly old.

Any thoughts?

[Gazbo]

Well, the filter change would give you a juddering, though mine has always sorted itself out fairly quick?? within say, 30 secs? But it depends how you change it? Rubber seals could get damaged or anything. The smoke does not to me, indicate water getting burned, sounds like over fueling! As for the heat prob, this could have been an air lock. Maybe you never checked your level for yonks and all of sudden you see its really low and add water trapping air, then you drive, temp goes up, comes back down, as does water level, top up, problem solved?
Have you got the right filter on? Or give it some redex to clean injectors

[Bludger]

Well, the filter change would give you a juddering, though mine has always sorted itself out fairly quick?? within say, 30 secs? But it depends how you change it? Rubber seals could get damaged or anything. The smoke does not to me, indicate water getting burned, sounds like over fueling! As for the heat prob, this could have been an air lock. Maybe you never checked your level for yonks and all of sudden you see its really low and add water trapping air, then you drive, temp goes up, comes back down, as does water level, top up, problem solved?
Have you got the right filter on? Or give it some redex to clean injectors

'overfueling'?

Hmm. I often fill up to the level of the fuel return (the hole about 3" inside the fuel . . . hole/pipe?) As you can see I am a master mechanic!!

Would filling to this level cause problems?

[Gazbo]

No mate. Worn/dirty injectors mainly, or at the worst a dodgy pump?

[Sancho]

Well, the filter change would give you a juddering, though mine has always sorted itself out fairly quick?? within say, 30 secs? But it depends how you change it? Rubber seals could get damaged or anything. The smoke does not to me, indicate water getting burned, sounds like over fueling! As for the heat prob, this could have been an air lock. Maybe you never checked your level for yonks and all of sudden you see its really low and add water trapping air, then you drive, temp goes up, comes back down, as does water level, top up, problem solved?
Have you got the right filter on? Or give it some redex to clean injectors

That's what it sounds like to me. I am no mechanic either, but maybe you dislodged a bit of c rap in there when you changed your fuel filter and the juddering was just that getting burnt off. Water could be just that you hadn't checked the level for ages (correct me if I'm wrong), it got hot, you topped up, airlock etc etc as above.

If it's working fine, you've got no worries. Until it stops working fine...

[MattF]

I would still change the thermostat and coolant as soon as possible, though.
For how much it costs, it's not worth trying to skimp. The 'stat especially.

[POPEYE]

Did someone say the 3lt thermostat is a few degree's lower setting than the 2.4??

[MattF]

Did someone say the 3lt thermostat is a few degree's lower setting than the 2.4??

Don't go down that route. Trust me. The bugger don't fit.