Discussion
My car (06 VXR) has taken to overheating when in traffic. It started a couple of weeks ago.
After a while in a queue the gauge shoots rapidly to the max and the alarm on the computer screams at me. Then almost as quickly the needle drops back to normal again and stays there. It may happen again five minutes later or so.
I took it to a local VX dealer a couple of weeks ago (Monaro one) and they said that my coolant level was low - topped it up and pressure tested it for me. All ok. They rechecked it for me a week later - no water loss and passed the pressure check.
But now it is doing it again. Still got lots of water, but in traffic the temp will quickly go to max, stay there for a minute (perhaps less), and then rapidly drop back down again.
The speed at which it rises and falls has me wondering if it might just be the sender or something. I can't imagine that water can really heat up and cool down that quickly.
Anyone got any thoughts? Seen it before?
Cheers
Steve
After a while in a queue the gauge shoots rapidly to the max and the alarm on the computer screams at me. Then almost as quickly the needle drops back to normal again and stays there. It may happen again five minutes later or so.
I took it to a local VX dealer a couple of weeks ago (Monaro one) and they said that my coolant level was low - topped it up and pressure tested it for me. All ok. They rechecked it for me a week later - no water loss and passed the pressure check.
But now it is doing it again. Still got lots of water, but in traffic the temp will quickly go to max, stay there for a minute (perhaps less), and then rapidly drop back down again.
The speed at which it rises and falls has me wondering if it might just be the sender or something. I can't imagine that water can really heat up and cool down that quickly.
Anyone got any thoughts? Seen it before?
Cheers
Steve
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 9th October 19:37
Are the fans actually staying on the whole time? Is the air coming off them hot? If both answers are yes then it's unlikely that you have a major problem so get a thermometer and see what's actually happening to the top hose temperature. Turning the cabin heater on is a good quick way to confirm you've got coolant circulating. If the heater goes cold then all bets are off and you need to get it shut down in a hurry.
p13rka said:
Have you got the aircon switched on??
Thanks for all your replies. I'm going to do some investigating today and see what I can find. It is still under warranty, so will be at the doctors next week - I'd just like to see if I can find out what I think it wrong so that I can point them in the right direction.
p13rka - why do you ask about the Aircon? It is on - what are you thinking?
Nobody as said temp sensor yet 
theres 1 for the temp gauge in the car and the other one that tells the ECU what the temps are and if im right its the ECU that turns the fans on.
Id just replace the cheap temp sensor first. As you stay water can heat up or cool that quick.
This is the same for most cars and no doubt the same on a Ro etc
theres 1 for the temp gauge in the car and the other one that tells the ECU what the temps are and if im right its the ECU that turns the fans on. Id just replace the cheap temp sensor first. As you stay water can heat up or cool that quick.
This is the same for most cars and no doubt the same on a Ro etc
The aircon system can throw up problems of heat rising in the engine.. I was just thinking along the process of elimination, my thoughts rise from the fact that you say ... it gets hot and then cools down just as quickly shortly after... ie.. aircon pump / clutch engage - disengage.
Just some thing to cross off, ie see if temp goes up whilst ticking over with the aircon off.
Good luck.
Just some thing to cross off, ie see if temp goes up whilst ticking over with the aircon off.
Good luck.
Thought you all might like to know the answer to this - a regular issue with higher mileage Monaro's apparently.
The issue is the radiator cap. After a while the seal gives a little and allows some leakage leading to a loss of water. I'd had the system pressure tested, etc. and was still losing water and overheating a week or so after topping it back up.
New cap - problem solved.
You can tell if you have this problem when you look at the radiator by the cap - on mine you could see some water tracks where the water had leaked from the cap, and of course my water level was regularly low.
All sorted under warranty (just, since my car has just turned three years old).
According to the dealer this is a known problem.
The issue is the radiator cap. After a while the seal gives a little and allows some leakage leading to a loss of water. I'd had the system pressure tested, etc. and was still losing water and overheating a week or so after topping it back up.
New cap - problem solved.
You can tell if you have this problem when you look at the radiator by the cap - on mine you could see some water tracks where the water had leaked from the cap, and of course my water level was regularly low.
All sorted under warranty (just, since my car has just turned three years old).
According to the dealer this is a known problem.
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