Fast, rich and hot
Discussion
Nope, not the title of a porn movie, but an annoying condition my Chimaera 500 appears to be in.
I've had a fast idle for a while as a result of having the idle speed adjusted due to stalling at idle. Can't win, eh?
Today however, the car seemed to be idling faster than normal (ie. about 2000rpm) and started to run much hotter than normal as well. I have a low temperature Otter and thermostat so generally run at around 80 degC but today it crept up to 100 degC even with the fans on.
Some of it was due to a fast run this morning but I couldn't lose the heat even in normal driving with the fans overriden to permanently on. When I got home and switched off I heard the worrying sound of coffee percolating - so I appear to have a problem with my cooling system again after 2 years absence.
Also, Don noticed that my car appears to be running rich from the smell and smoke when I overtook him.
So, I'm running fast, rich and hot. Any suggestions on what I should do about it?
I've had a fast idle for a while as a result of having the idle speed adjusted due to stalling at idle. Can't win, eh?
Today however, the car seemed to be idling faster than normal (ie. about 2000rpm) and started to run much hotter than normal as well. I have a low temperature Otter and thermostat so generally run at around 80 degC but today it crept up to 100 degC even with the fans on.
Some of it was due to a fast run this morning but I couldn't lose the heat even in normal driving with the fans overriden to permanently on. When I got home and switched off I heard the worrying sound of coffee percolating - so I appear to have a problem with my cooling system again after 2 years absence.
Also, Don noticed that my car appears to be running rich from the smell and smoke when I overtook him.
So, I'm running fast, rich and hot. Any suggestions on what I should do about it?
JonRB said:
I've had a fast idle for a while as a result of having the idle speed adjusted due to stalling at idle.
When mine was stalling at idle the problem was lambda sensors. Of course the garage tried to fudge it by raising the idle speed, but that wasn't the real problem. Sorry but I can't help you on the overheating front - especially at this time of year when they often run at 75 deg.
Corin Denton said:Yep. First thing I checked. Could hear fan noise so knew I had at least one running, and when I could I pulled over and checked that both were running and indeed they were.
Also are you sure the fans were physically running?
Don saw the smoke. He'd be able to comment if it looked like it had steam in it. I'm sure he'd have said if it did. He said that it was definitely not blue though, so no oil in there.
Update
I checked the coolant this morning by taking the top off the expansion tank and looking in. Seemed to have some fluid in it, but I thought I had better double-check so got a torch and had a proper look. Not sure if I should admit to this, but it was totally empty.
I suspect that when I been checking the coolant level in the past I have been equally fooled so it could well have been going down gradually over a period of time due to normal use rather than implying a coolant leak as such.
I haven't been able to get the swirl tank cap off as it seems to be seized on and I have mislaid my WD-40, so I can't go through the complete refill procedure in the Bible.
I need to go out later this afternoon so I'll take the TVR and see how it fares on when up to temperature. Hopefully the overheating I experienced yesterday was simply due to low coolant levels. Fingers crossed, eh?
I checked the coolant this morning by taking the top off the expansion tank and looking in. Seemed to have some fluid in it, but I thought I had better double-check so got a torch and had a proper look. Not sure if I should admit to this, but it was totally empty.
I suspect that when I been checking the coolant level in the past I have been equally fooled so it could well have been going down gradually over a period of time due to normal use rather than implying a coolant leak as such.
I haven't been able to get the swirl tank cap off as it seems to be seized on and I have mislaid my WD-40, so I can't go through the complete refill procedure in the Bible.
I need to go out later this afternoon so I'll take the TVR and see how it fares on when up to temperature. Hopefully the overheating I experienced yesterday was simply due to low coolant levels. Fingers crossed, eh?
I would not drive it at all until I've got the top off the swirl pot
If the level has gone down significantly, topping up the expansion bottle is not going to get any more water into the engine
If you can't get the top off the swirl pot at least check that there's water in the radiator (there's a bolt at the top of the rad on the same side as the expansion bottle (14mm IIRC)) undo that and make sure water comes out, if it doesn't DO NOT drive the car until you've filled up
If the level has gone down significantly, topping up the expansion bottle is not going to get any more water into the engine
If you can't get the top off the swirl pot at least check that there's water in the radiator (there's a bolt at the top of the rad on the same side as the expansion bottle (14mm IIRC)) undo that and make sure water comes out, if it doesn't DO NOT drive the car until you've filled up
JonRB said:
Don saw the smoke. He'd be able to comment if it looked like it had steam in it. I'm sure he'd have said if it did. He said that it was definitely not blue though, so no oil in there.
It looked dark to me - almost like a diesel! And only when you obviously had the throttle wide open! I'd have thought steam would have been whiter. It didn't appear to have any blue in it that I could see.
Oops. I didn't see the new posts on this thread and took it out for a small trip, just round the village to get up to temperature.
I timed it just right so that I was not far from home when it hit working temperature and good job I did as the needle just kept going and as I turned into the driveway I had a full overheat with steam pouring out of the engine and some very worrying gurgling sounds.
Fortunately the temperature had only just hit 100 degC as I entered the driveway and I killed the engine immediately and coasted to a halt, so hopefully no damage was done.
Hmm
, guess I should have got that swirl tank cap off, shouldn't I? 
I timed it just right so that I was not far from home when it hit working temperature and good job I did as the needle just kept going and as I turned into the driveway I had a full overheat with steam pouring out of the engine and some very worrying gurgling sounds.
Fortunately the temperature had only just hit 100 degC as I entered the driveway and I killed the engine immediately and coasted to a halt, so hopefully no damage was done.
Hmm
, guess I should have got that swirl tank cap off, shouldn't I? Trefor said:That's funny, I had much the same thought cross my mind. However, I wasn't brave enough to give it a go just in case I spewed hot coolant all over myself.
Warm the engine, then the brass screw on the cap will undo easily (only loosen a smidge until cooled down of course) - brass/ally expand at different rates etc.
Perhaps I will take some brave pills tomorrow and have a go.
it!Just a quick update.
I tried 3-in-1 Penetrating Oil (leave it, Podie
) to no avail.
I tried a kettle of boiling water, but no joy.
I tried running it up to about 50 degC, but still no joy.
Phoned Dave Batty for advise, mentioned I'd tried everything apart from a crowbar to which he replied that if the end of the crowbar fitted in the groove of the cap then use it.
It did, and bugger me backwards with a fishfork (as they say), it worked.
So once the car had completely cooled I went through the complete coolant refill proceedure of filling via the swirl tank as detailed in the bible, fired up the car and let it idle up to temperature and it seems to be running fine. Took it out for a very short run round the block and it was still fine - perhaps running a little hotter than normal at 85-90 degC when I would expect 80 degC as I have a low temperature otter & thermostat, and the heater is a little cool suggesting an airlock, but a good run and a refill / bleed should clear that.
Thanks for the help and suggestions from everyone. Just shows that the Gassing Station is still one of the best sources of info for TVR owners.
(Note to self: Make coolant checks less cursory and more thorough in future.
)
I tried 3-in-1 Penetrating Oil (leave it, Podie
) to no avail. I tried a kettle of boiling water, but no joy.
I tried running it up to about 50 degC, but still no joy.
Phoned Dave Batty for advise, mentioned I'd tried everything apart from a crowbar to which he replied that if the end of the crowbar fitted in the groove of the cap then use it.
It did, and bugger me backwards with a fishfork (as they say), it worked.
So once the car had completely cooled I went through the complete coolant refill proceedure of filling via the swirl tank as detailed in the bible, fired up the car and let it idle up to temperature and it seems to be running fine. Took it out for a very short run round the block and it was still fine - perhaps running a little hotter than normal at 85-90 degC when I would expect 80 degC as I have a low temperature otter & thermostat, and the heater is a little cool suggesting an airlock, but a good run and a refill / bleed should clear that.
Thanks for the help and suggestions from everyone. Just shows that the Gassing Station is still one of the best sources of info for TVR owners.
(Note to self: Make coolant checks less cursory and more thorough in future.
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