Engine Overheating

Fr0dders

Fr0dders

Fr0dders

Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
33,479
Location
West Yorks
Quite recently during the last couple of hot days, the car has started to intermittently beep an engine temperature warning at me

This quite often occurs for a short ammout of time, shortly after which the engine temperature gauge goes from maximum, back down to zero, and then back to its normal 2 bars. When this happens the extra fan kicks in

I'm unsure if this is an electrical fault, or if the engine is actually overheating. Ive not seen any steam come from the radiator, but i've never checked the radiator / coolant levels. I've always just taken it in at the required service intervals and never given it any more thought other than checking i dont run out of oil.

Is the temperature guage and the thermostat for the fine likely to be the same unit , and is this possibly an electical fault with it ?

Or should i be regularly checking my coolant levels during these hot summer months ?
 
Coolant, Oil, Brake fluid and power steering fluid should be checked regularly - have you checked it after seeing these issues (the coolant level) to make sure you're not running low on coolant?

If all is well then it is probably a sensor fault if the engine runs normally and sounds normal
 
As Fox said in this weather especially, you should be checking it every few days.

Go check :p
 
I've never bothered checking the coolant before, i've always just taken it in for servicing at the required interval and thought nothing more of it. I had a look in the handbook for coolant, but it wasnt exactly clear where you put it. It just had diagrams rather than words clearly telling you what symbol meant which fluid.
 
merlin said:
Meantime, back in the real world.....
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Ah yes I forgot you all lead such busy lives that nobody has a whole 15 seconds to glance at the coolant level (Which on most properly designed cars, ie not bloody stupid BMW 5 Series with its crap coolant tank), is done by simply looking at the clear plastic tank), and anyone who does have enough time is a sad boring person who needs to get a life.

Seriously guys its even easier than checking the oil. Open bonnet. Is tank full. If yes, close bonnet.

How busy do you have to be before thats too much hassle?

It takes more time to post on the internet about how busy you are.

Every few days is a TAD OTT though, once a month is fine.
 
Drive around with your bonnet up, it's normal to have to do that when the weather is hot.

It's just like driving with your window open, but for the engine.
 
[TW]Fox;12179873 said:
Seriously guys its even easier than checking the oil. Open bonnet. Is tank full. If yes, close bonnet.

Every few days is a TAD OTT though, once a month is fine.
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It amazes me how people can not even perform, or be bothered to, the most simple of safety and preventative maintainence tasks on their cars.

Shame, really.

I do mine roughly once every month too, although in most instances I'll check sooner anyway as it only takes a few seconds of my life, or if I've done an exceptionally high mileage!
 
[TW]Fox;12179873 said:
Ah yes I forgot you all lead such busy lives that nobody has a whole 15 seconds to glance at the coolant level (Which on most properly designed cars, ie not bloody stupid BMW 5 Series with its crap coolant tank), is done by simply looking at the clear plastic tank), and anyone who does have enough time is a sad boring person who needs to get a life.

Seriously guys its even easier than checking the oil. Open bonnet. Is tank full. If yes, close bonnet.

How busy do you have to be before thats too much hassle?

It takes more time to post on the internet about how busy you are.

Every few days is a TAD OTT though, once a month is fine.
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its not clear on all cars though.

it difficult to see the level in my mk2 golf.

on newer cars i guess it would be easy, but 18 years of road use and my coolant tank isnt as clear as it used to be :p
 
Stinky said:
its not clear on all cars though.
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Correct, mine included. Infact mine is the crappest most patheticly annoying system to check ever - you can only check level when the car is totally cold and you've got to remove the cap and look at the float. I doubt many cars are more difficult than that yet... it still takes 20 seconds on a morning once a month.

Most cars though, inc the Xsara Piccaso, have a clear plastic coolant tank making it even easier.

But it's cool not to give a **** :cool:
 
[TW]Fox;12179873 said:
Every few days is a TAD OTT though, once a month is fine.
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I disagree.

It won't kill anybody to do a simple walkaround check once a day.

Oil, Water, Tyres, Lights.

I must admit, I check my HGV more than my car tbh.
 
[TW]Fox;12179873 said:
How busy do you have to be before thats too much hassle?
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For me I'd say 40 units of busy is the threshold. :p

My washing machine says I should spin the drum by hand before each use.

Guess how many times I've done that.

Now guess how many times I've regretted not doing that. ;)
 
Yea becuase your washing machine is as complex as your car and the consequences of not bothering to spin the drum are as serious as those of running a car without enough coolant.
 
The BMW coolant tanks might be a pain to check manually but the car does give advance warning if coolant level falls below the filler level.

You get 2 warnings, yellow oil light for coolant level low and it turns red when level is very low... on the 3 series anyway!

So 'in theory' there's little need to check coolant level on cars with a similar system manually but it never hurts to keep good practice!
 
Check coolant level.

Run the engine idle until the fan comes on, make sure it does.

If it beeps in that test; check the thermostat and water temperature sensor/s.
 
mrk said:
The BMW coolant tanks might be a pain to check manually but the car does give advance warning if coolant level falls below the filler level.
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I'm pretty sure it only does this for cars fitted with high OBC and you get a text warning. The oil warning light is just that - for oil warnings. It is not a dual purpose light?
 
Na can't be high obc only because my old 318 saloon did it hence how I know :p Drove to stoke and when engine was turned off the oil light glowed yellow. Wanted to leave it til morning so when I drove to an auto store in the morning the light glowed red when turning engine off.

I topped up the coolant to the required level and was able to drive home and not see the light again for several hundred miles (maybe more actually)of commuting and shortly after part exchanged the car :p

Actually I think it happened twice, once I mentioned it on the motors channel.
 
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