My 156 is getting Hot!

[DamienCBR]

Hi all,

I have a 156 1.6 Tspark on an 04 reg. It does not seem to be running right at the moment.

Firstly when I start it up is sounds like a diesel and then settles down to a more acceptable level of noise. Today i have noticed that it sounds quite a bit louder when driving it and i am not sure if it just me but a little sluggish.

Secondly the temperature is up and down like a whores draws at the moment, and just on short journeys. Did about 5 miles earlier at lunch, got up to normal (around 70) on the temp and then started to go up quickly to just gone 90 then back down to acceptable levels, 70. It did this twice.

What is going on????

I have checked the oil at the weekend and it was fine on the stick. I am going to check again in a mo before filling with fuel.

Any suggestion needed as i am about to do allot of miles this week.

Cheers

D

[pwig]

If it's an 04 Reg, take it to your dealer.

[DamienCBR]

pwig said:

If it's an 04 Reg, take it to your dealer.

I will if it is something major, just wanted to see if anybody had experienced the same.

[pwig]

Sounds like it's knackered.


If in doubt, make sure you aint within half a mile from ya home and give the AA a call.

[DamienCBR]

pwig said:

Sounds like it's knackered.

Hopeful then, it only had a service 3k ago...

[killsta]

Diesel sound is most likely the variator.. first it'll only sound like a diesel 1-2 secs after starting and will get worse.

To change it the cambelt needs to come off so you need a new one of those too as you can't refit an old belt. Probably looking at £500+ dealer prices for new variator and cambelt inc labour.

Temp is unrelated, the normal operating temp for a TS is just under 90C.

Does it sit at 70 when travelling at speed, and go up to 90 when still/slowly? If so sounds like your thermostat is knackered too, about £30 + hours labour to sort. Not critical, just gives you crap fuel economy but needs changing eventually..

But as its 04 reg you shouldn't have to pay a penny


>> Edited by killsta on Monday 6th February 19:09

[Avocet]

Has it lost any water? That would be the first thing to check - look at the level in the expansion bottle (RH front wing) when the engine is cold.

[DamienCBR]

Avocet said:

Has it lost any water? That would be the first thing to check - look at the level in the expansion bottle (RH front wing) when the engine is cold.

water is fine checked that first.

[killsta]

Avocet said:

Has it lost any water? That would be the first thing to check - look at the level in the expansion bottle (RH front wing) when the engine is cold.

If it had lost water it would be going above 90C.

As I said before, 90C is the normal temp and the needle shouldn't vary from it (much).

If it sits at 70C when moving then its most likely a knackered thermostat...

>> Edited by killsta on Tuesday 7th February 11:31

[pdV6]

killsta said:

As I said before, 90C is the normal temp and the needle shouldn't vary from it (much).

Agreed

killsta said:

If it sits at 70C when moving then its most likely a knackered thermostat...

But at this (cold) time of year, I wouldn't be suprised by 70° on the motorway in free-flowing traffic...

[killsta]

Nope, when warm it should sit at 90C, or just below. Fan kicks in at just above 90C and will bring it back to just under.





>> Edited by killsta on Tuesday 7th February 11:51

[pdV6]

...unless driving at speed through cold air cools the engine to below 90°

[DamienCBR]

killsta said:

Nope, when warm it should sit at 90C, or just below. Fan kicks in at just above 90C and will bring it back to just under. >> Edited by killsta on Tuesday 7th February 11:51

Mine had never done that. It always stays around 70-70C only ever gets up to 90Cin traffic.

Well an update: today i have done just under 300 miles and it has been fine, yes the temp went up but then back down, and yes it sounded ruff for a couple of seconds when i first started it but it is still going.

[killsta]

I'd still take it to the stealer and get it sorted, your variator is almost definately on its way out along with the stat

My stat was exactly the same a few months ago, took it off and looked inside, was completely fecked.

[Avocet]

I've heard of a few where the low speed fan resistor (lump just to the top, right hand corner of the fan as you face the front of the car) is cream-crackered. The symptoms there aren't quite the same though. The car runs at normal temp most of the time but in traffic, the temp goes quite high, quite quickly and then drops suddenly. Somtimes, the driver thinks the fan is a bit noisier than usual. What happens is that the fan doesn't come on at just over 90 (or whenever it should) at low speed, so the temp keeps climbing until the temperature gets to whatever the temperature causes it to go on to high speed - at which point, it comes on at high speed and drags the temperature down more quickly than usual.

Wouldn't worry unduly about the variator (depending on just how noisy it is). The wife's 1.8 T'spark has always made a slightly "dieselly" noise on cold mornings ever since we got it for between 3 and 5 seconds and it has never got any worse. It's inaudible from inside the car but you can just hear it standing by the front of the car on startup. Her thermostat's knackered too as the car runs at 70 (or even slightly below) most of the time unless in traffic.

[Buster147]

The variator on my 147 1.6 whent recently (same diesel sound) the most noticable difference is that there is no power surge after 4200 rpm, this is when the variator should kick in to give more power. Effectively my car is no longer the 120bhp version but the 105bhp eco version!! However it has been like this for months now and no problems otherwise. Alfa specialist quoted about £500 so maybe next month!

[DamienCBR]

Well spoke to the dealer and he was very helpful. Living in Maidstone we have got Piper who are not great, but now we use Medway Alfa, it is going in tomorrow for the variator to be done. I also asked about the temp and was told by the technician that anywhere between 70-90 is fine at this time of the year. They are also checking the fuel gauge for me which is up and down all over the place for me.