overheating 2.4

[zetec rob]

Got stuck in traffic for about 2 mins in this heat and temp gauge went up in to the red, also getting a bit of white smoke, temp came down fast when i got moving again, ideas please.

Going to do some checks on it soon as it's cooled down.

[Albannach]

The head's gone.

[zetec rob]

If it is that, who does head skimming?

[TonyN]

lol, it won't just need skimming! but Andy's being a grumpy pessimist..

Did it lose coolant or just get hot?

Normally when the head goes it won't cool down again as its lost all its coolant. If it cooled down when you go going then its more likely to be a fan issue.

It really depends on why it lost water, although you may be talking about the head now if its a 2.4, because its got hot for another reason.

[zetec rob]

lol, it won't just need skimming! but Andy's being a grumpy pessimist..

Did it lose coolant or just get hot?

Normally when the head goes it won't cool down again as its lost all its coolant. If it cooled down when you go going then its more likely to be a fan issue.

It really depends on why it lost water, although you may be talking about the head now if its a 2.4, because its got hot for another reason.

The bit of white smoke was only on start up and stopped when warmed up, the overheating happened when i was in town traffic was at a stand still, the temp started creeping up as you would expect but it has never gone in to the red before, soon as i got moving the temp came back down rapidly to the halfway mark on the gauge, stopped again and it started going up to the red again, and again went down rapidly soon as i got moving.

Not checked the coolant yet, just letting it cool down, plus got the kids at the mo.

[BUSHWHACKER]

The white smoke is probably coolant in the combustion chambers thats got in there when the cracks opened up when the engine overheated, and being burned off when the engine starts up.

If the gauge has been in the red zone more than once, it's the head.

[Ploddit]

the overheating happened when i was in town traffic was at a stand still, the temp started creeping up as you would expect

On a side note I modded my temp gauge and it still always sits in the middle except when I go up hills.

I was stuck on the Paris ring road last week at 32°C for 1.5 hours and it was still stable.

[zetec rob]

Found a few new heads on ebay, but think i'm going to have to pay someone to do the job for me.

Of out now to check a few things.

[gwh200]

Just bear in mind, that an ebay head, will almost certainly not last. They do not tend to fall into the cheap and nasty bracket...more like, cheap and completely useless.

[zetec rob]

Just bear in mind, that an ebay head, will almost certainly not last. They do not tend to fall into the cheap and nasty bracket...more like, cheap and completely useless.

yeah true, what do you recomend? been out and done the checks, water was very low, took about 6ltrs to top up, no oil in the water and no water in the oil, but still getting a few puffs of white smoke on start up so water is getting in to a chamber, how much hassle is it to change the head?

[big tom]

talk to stevo m8
hes at stockport

theys another fella on here but i forget his name sorry
steve0161 4766144 engine co.

mine would steam - white smoke alot while idling etc. get worse after a few minutes till u cant see behind u lol clear instantly when u drive off .

prob 6 month between mine cookin and me admiting the head wos shot - cracked between every valve as they all do.

all meanded now un purfic i tink
if u buy cheap u buy twice ! sorry but true .

hope this helps
tom

[shokenore]

If you had to top it up with 6 litres of "coolant" then you need to be finding and eliminating the leak/leaks fitting a new head and still having leaks will be a major waste of money.
Get the cooling system pressure tested first would be a good start it is a lot cheaper than a new head.
Mine "overheated" but the leak was obvious when steaming hot water gushed out all over the bonnet.It was a split radiator.
New radiator fitted then pressure tested before putting in expensive "coolant" nearly all the hose clips were changed plus a new pressure cap was fitted.


Eliminate all the cheap/easy options first.It may not all be doom and gloom.
But good luck anyway.

[shokenore]

Oh and it would also be well worth checking the viscous fan oil mod Posted by one of the surf experts Sorry Can not remember who.

[imgifted86]

ive had this problem too before i fixed mine without needing to change the head. turn out my thermostat was not opening so all my water was being pumped out of the expansion tank. i took the stat out flushed out the system to remove all the old water and other pooh that was in side it, looks like at some point in its life it had that rad weld stuff put into it.
Once cleaned i put a new thermostat in, i even changed all the hoses at the front as they were starting to bulge and go a bit soft to the touch. filled it back up with some red coolant from rough trax and now the temp gauge stays where it should.
p.s my car smokes abit on startup from cold, think it might be the resistor for the glow plugs its somewhere on the inlet manifold, and once it gets going the smoke stops. hope this helps.
Jason