CONGESTION CHARGE & OVERHEATING
Discussion
As work kindly pay for the congestion charge when I am mad enough to drive into London, I thought I would give it ago last Friday.
The morning went well ( just 55minutes from Billericay to Southwark),but the evening was another matter.
I unfortunately joined a queue of traffic in the Limehouse link tunnel which alternated between moving at 1 to 2 mph & stopping.
Bearing in mind my previous overheating problems I kept a keen eye on the temp gauge.
Knowing my fans were both permanently switched on ( thanks to a tip picked up on these pages, bypassing the otter switch & also due to my inability to get a spanner or socket on to fit my new otter switch without removing the expansion tank, I thought I would be ok.
But oh no, slowly but surely the temp needle started heading into the red even with the heater on full blast.
Unfortunately this experience lasted for about 40 minutes until the traffic started to flow & down came the temp to below 90 degrees.
Should the cooling system with fans on be able to cope with these sort of circumstances & keep the needle out of the red.
Oh wise ones, advise please.
The morning went well ( just 55minutes from Billericay to Southwark),but the evening was another matter.
I unfortunately joined a queue of traffic in the Limehouse link tunnel which alternated between moving at 1 to 2 mph & stopping.
Bearing in mind my previous overheating problems I kept a keen eye on the temp gauge.
Knowing my fans were both permanently switched on ( thanks to a tip picked up on these pages, bypassing the otter switch & also due to my inability to get a spanner or socket on to fit my new otter switch without removing the expansion tank, I thought I would be ok.
But oh no, slowly but surely the temp needle started heading into the red even with the heater on full blast.
Unfortunately this experience lasted for about 40 minutes until the traffic started to flow & down came the temp to below 90 degrees.
Should the cooling system with fans on be able to cope with these sort of circumstances & keep the needle out of the red.
Oh wise ones, advise please.
Er, yes. After sitting in a traffic jam in Milan last summer (and generally thrashing around Italy and the Alps) with my Chimaera not getting past 100deg (on my gauge), the car should be able to handle a 40 minute jam. The temp will rise quickly when you stop (there's a lot of underbonnet heat with those manifolds crammed in there too). However, once the fans come on it should stableise (sp?).
Perhaps you have a blockage in the cooling system somewhere preventing full flow of water - perhaps the thermostat isn't opening all the way? - I'd get the system checked.
Also, TVR temp gauges are very approximate - yours could be underreading or overreading. I tend to watch how it behaves and notice if it's 'behaviour' changes from the norm. You should also be able to smell and feel when the car is really getting too hot.
T/.
>> Edited by trefor on Wednesday 26th February 20:34
Perhaps you have a blockage in the cooling system somewhere preventing full flow of water - perhaps the thermostat isn't opening all the way? - I'd get the system checked.
Also, TVR temp gauges are very approximate - yours could be underreading or overreading. I tend to watch how it behaves and notice if it's 'behaviour' changes from the norm. You should also be able to smell and feel when the car is really getting too hot.
T/.
>> Edited by trefor on Wednesday 26th February 20:34
Got the same issue at the moment. Fitted a so called Leven engine cooling kit and it then ran hotter (100 as against 90 without the "cooling kit"). Now, it could just be an air lock but as the kit was fitted as part of a service I would expect even the dodgiest of garages to know how to bleed the cooling system.
So as a temporary precaution I too have bypassed the otter to keep the fans on and I now run at about 75 when stopped still in traffic. Otherwise the fans kick in at 95 and have little effect, the temperature creeps to 100 and stays there, with the fans coming on and going off far too regularly.
I would say you have a problem if the fans can't keep it down to these sort of temps in this weather. I intend to bleed my system this weekend and if no joy it's off to the garage.
Dave
Oops - as Trefor says a stuck thermostat will cause this - can you feel hot water coming out of the hose to the radiator once the engine warms up or is is still cold? If it's cold the thermostat is stuck and needs replacing ASAP (or removing completely until you can get one)
>> Edited by donatien on Wednesday 26th February 20:43
So as a temporary precaution I too have bypassed the otter to keep the fans on and I now run at about 75 when stopped still in traffic. Otherwise the fans kick in at 95 and have little effect, the temperature creeps to 100 and stays there, with the fans coming on and going off far too regularly.
I would say you have a problem if the fans can't keep it down to these sort of temps in this weather. I intend to bleed my system this weekend and if no joy it's off to the garage.
Dave
Oops - as Trefor says a stuck thermostat will cause this - can you feel hot water coming out of the hose to the radiator once the engine warms up or is is still cold? If it's cold the thermostat is stuck and needs replacing ASAP (or removing completely until you can get one)
>> Edited by donatien on Wednesday 26th February 20:43
I've found that the radiator holds loads of air after the system has been drained,its worth having a look to make sure that this is ok.
You'll find a brass/plastic plug on the top driver side of the rad for this purpose.Be carefull though as the plastic plugs are easy to damage if you use the wrong sized spanner.
heliox
You'll find a brass/plastic plug on the top driver side of the rad for this purpose.Be carefull though as the plastic plugs are easy to damage if you use the wrong sized spanner.
heliox
Just had two speed cooling fan fiteed to my Griff 500, from modwise. engine runs around 75 degrees, solved my heat problem, before even when the heating system was turned off i used to get hot air blowing out, but now problem solved..not quite air con but at £4500.00 quoted from TVR Barnet...I'll make do..........
i agree you seem to have a problem there-definately not normal.on the thermostat front i just thought id mention that ive read somewhere that you can get stats that are correct spec and fitting but with too small a bore in them,and that this will inevitably cause problems.sorry i cant help with part nos. or any more info though.
I think you have a problem and would get it checked over by a specialist ASAP.
When starting from cold watch the temp gauge rise at some point (on my gauge just over 70) you will notice the rate of increase pause for a while, this is the point that you thermostat starts to work. The temp will then steadily increase again until the fans come on (mine is at 90).
I have an override switch fitted on the cooling fans, so when in traffic to prevent the fans constantly cutting in and out I switch in the override (if I leave it to the otter switch it stays just over 90 until we start moving again). It then takes between 5 to 10 mins for the fans to bring the temp back down to 70, but it always does even in mid summer.
I’m sorry, but I’ve no idea what temperature thermostat or otter switch is fitted as I’ve never touched them so I assume their standard.
Hope this helps,
Simon.
When starting from cold watch the temp gauge rise at some point (on my gauge just over 70) you will notice the rate of increase pause for a while, this is the point that you thermostat starts to work. The temp will then steadily increase again until the fans come on (mine is at 90).
I have an override switch fitted on the cooling fans, so when in traffic to prevent the fans constantly cutting in and out I switch in the override (if I leave it to the otter switch it stays just over 90 until we start moving again). It then takes between 5 to 10 mins for the fans to bring the temp back down to 70, but it always does even in mid summer.
I’m sorry, but I’ve no idea what temperature thermostat or otter switch is fitted as I’ve never touched them so I assume their standard.
Hope this helps,
Simon.
I'll echo everyone else's comments.
The standard cooling system was designed to cope - indeed mine does. While I have been tempted by all the tweaks that could be done, Dave Batty has always maintained that the system will be fine and I don't need to waste my money. He has, of course been right (and I spent the money on nice Leven Technology bits instead!).
But, air locks are definitely a common problem and, assuming you have two fans, one of the fuses failing is always possible - have you checked both?
If there's still a problem, you just have'nt got coolant circulating - that's all that's left. A specialist will be able ot work out why.
Just to add Simon's point, I was led to believe that as the car warms up, the fans will come on first at a slightly lower temperature before going off and settling into their comfrotable cycle. Something like 70-ish.
The standard cooling system was designed to cope - indeed mine does. While I have been tempted by all the tweaks that could be done, Dave Batty has always maintained that the system will be fine and I don't need to waste my money. He has, of course been right (and I spent the money on nice Leven Technology bits instead!).
But, air locks are definitely a common problem and, assuming you have two fans, one of the fuses failing is always possible - have you checked both?
If there's still a problem, you just have'nt got coolant circulating - that's all that's left. A specialist will be able ot work out why.
Just to add Simon's point, I was led to believe that as the car warms up, the fans will come on first at a slightly lower temperature before going off and settling into their comfrotable cycle. Something like 70-ish.
Thanks for the tips & advice to date. It gives me a few things to check & try out before handing over my hard earned to someone else.
PS - any tips on replacing the otter switch? I've bought a new one but am A)having trouble getting access & enough purchase to remove the existing one & B)what size is the bloody thing? it must be imperial as my metric sockets seem to miss out the size. My guess is about 28 or 29mm ( or metric equivalent). Has anyone managed with an adjustable spanner without having to take the expansion tank off ?
PS - any tips on replacing the otter switch? I've bought a new one but am A)having trouble getting access & enough purchase to remove the existing one & B)what size is the bloody thing? it must be imperial as my metric sockets seem to miss out the size. My guess is about 28 or 29mm ( or metric equivalent). Has anyone managed with an adjustable spanner without having to take the expansion tank off ?
Yup, just have the new otter switch ready before unscrewing the old one. Pop the new one on quickly (with swirl pot cap still on to minimise coolant loss) and you'll have lost maybe half a pint of coolant. Refill the swirl pot with 50:50 anti-freeze:water and you're done. Should take about 10 minutes.
Use an adjustable type, leave that one in place, simply straps to the outlet hose. I will outlast the car!! I suspect that your last overheating might of done some damage as if you bypassed the otter and it still got hot, there is something up! On the subject of the sysytem being "fine" so are the lights,the bonnet stay,the glovebox,the starter motor,the radio reception,the boot entry method,the boot lights and of course the seat belts.
David
>> Edited by david beer on Saturday 1st March 09:40
David
>> Edited by david beer on Saturday 1st March 09:40
Just back from a nice long run out followed by 15minutes on tick over & am glad to report everthing seems fine.
It appears that the system was in bad need of bleeding as when I undid the rad screw ( in my case brass & on the left hand side when viewed from the front, not blue & on the right as the handbook says )it started to belch out air & the level of coolant dropped quickly from the expansion tank. I added at least two maybe 3 pints to the system with the heater on & continued to let the air out at the rad screw, until it stopped putting air out.
The temperature rarely went over 80 degrees & generally around 70 degrees.
I will try fit the new otter when it all cools down.
Hopefully there was no lasting damage done.
Thanks for the advice everyone.
It appears that the system was in bad need of bleeding as when I undid the rad screw ( in my case brass & on the left hand side when viewed from the front, not blue & on the right as the handbook says )it started to belch out air & the level of coolant dropped quickly from the expansion tank. I added at least two maybe 3 pints to the system with the heater on & continued to let the air out at the rad screw, until it stopped putting air out.
The temperature rarely went over 80 degrees & generally around 70 degrees.
I will try fit the new otter when it all cools down.
Hopefully there was no lasting damage done.
Thanks for the advice everyone.
for you in celebration!!Managed to fit my new otter switch to complete my cooling system works. I had to take out the 3 bolts that hold the expansion tank so that I could get on to the old switch & remove.
Drove into work this morning, plenty of slow moving traffic & glad to say temperature never went above 95ish.
Thanks for the help Pistonheaders.
Drove into work this morning, plenty of slow moving traffic & glad to say temperature never went above 95ish.
Thanks for the help Pistonheaders.
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