OVERHEATING
OVERHEATING
Author
Discussion

no brakes

Original Poster:

37 posts

259 months

Wednesday 31st August 2005
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OH DEAR,DRIVING HOME TODAY THE TEMP GAUGE REACHED 98!ASUMED HOT WEATHER TO BE CAUSE UNTIL I PULLED UP AT HOME AND DECIDED TO LEAVE THE IGNITION ON WITH THE ENGINE OFF SO THE FANS WOULD STAY ON.BUT EVEN WITH THE IGN ON AND THE TEMP GAUGE AT 92 NO FANS WERE ON?!
ALARM BELLS ARE RINGING...HELP

GreenV8S

31,017 posts

313 months

Wednesday 31st August 2005
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Sounds like your fans have failed, this would explain the overheating. Time to investigate fuses and relays ...

chim666

2,337 posts

294 months

Wednesday 31st August 2005
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Leaving the ignition on with the engine off will not circulate the coolant, therefore the temperature will stay high.
However, I suspect that your problem is that the fans weren't running though, possibly the Otter Switch is faulty? - situated near the bottom of the swirl tank IIRC (the swirl tank is the aluminium cylindrical tank in the centre of the engine with the brass slotted filler cap in the top - you don't say which year your car is, so I'm assuming it is a Serpentine engine (single wide fan belt)). 'edited to say your's will be a Serpentine...just seen the image in your profile!'
If you search amongst the Chimaera threads, I'm sure you'll find a tip on using a paper clip to short out the switch which will keep the fans running until you get the otter switch replaced.
Hope this helps.

richb

56,275 posts

313 months

Wednesday 31st August 2005
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Indeed simply pull off the 2 x connectors on the Otter Switch and push a paper clip into the ends of the wires to make a circuit. If the fans come on it's the Otter Switch. You can drive home with the fans permanently on. Also it's possible to think that the switch is good and then it fails but my last one played up with that the fans coming on and off after 10-15 seconds, i.e. it became erratic rather than fully failed. This can give the impression that nothing is wrong because you hear the fans cutting in and out and don't realise that they are not staying on because I can't hear them over the sound of the engine! RIch...

>> Edited by richb on Wednesday 31st August 14:56

M@H

11,298 posts

301 months

Wednesday 31st August 2005
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You'll also find a standard car blade fuse of decent rating is ok for this..

Cheers
Matt

parrot of doom

23,075 posts

263 months

Wednesday 31st August 2005
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Try putting the interior blower on full, and on full heat. See if the temp gauge moves after 20 seconds.

By the way, my fans don't come on until the gauge is quite high, so I wouldn't panic tbh.

>> Edited by parrot of doom on Wednesday 31st August 15:54

richb

56,275 posts

313 months

Wednesday 31st August 2005
quotequote all
M@H said:
You'll also find a standard car blade fuse of decent rating is ok for this..

Cheers
Matt
Good Idea

no brakes

Original Poster:

37 posts

259 months

Wednesday 31st August 2005
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just home from work. thanks for your replies guys,about to check otter switch..will let you know what it was..

no brakes

Original Poster:

37 posts

259 months

Thursday 1st September 2005
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[redacted]

richb

56,275 posts

313 months

Friday 2nd September 2005
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no brakes said:
Huh!!?? problem gone .no work done.....I MAY START SHOUTING AGAIN NOW AHHHH!

Ok, calm ...Gremlins me thinks..or a sticky otter switch.anyone had similar.
As I said i.e. it became erratic rather than fully failed. Rich...

no brakes

Original Poster:

37 posts

259 months

Friday 2nd September 2005
quotequote all
richb said:

no brakes said:
Huh!!?? problem gone .no work done.....I MAY START SHOUTING AGAIN NOW AHHHH!

Ok, calm ...Gremlins me thinks..or a sticky otter switch.anyone had similar.

As I said i.e. it became erratic rather than fully failed. Rich...
I think you're bang on there richb.Bye the way i just checked out your profile and have to say those wheels look the business.

richb

56,275 posts

313 months

Saturday 3rd September 2005
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Thanks...