Engine Light, No Start, 95c Engine Temp?

[joeleo87]

Hey guys,

weirdest thing Happened today!

I was driving for more than an hour and needed to fill up, so i stopped into the servo topped up and went to start the car and *doh*

checked my PFC and it said my engine temp was 95C???? (Normal temp is 80C, ignition switched to "on", the car was not started).

that was the only thing that i could see on my HC that was out of the ordinary?

i left it for 5 mins and tried again and it started! so i nursed her home, keeping an eye on the temp which didnt go over 83 but even that is weird as its never gone over 80?

when i got home is was gurgling like crazy? and i could feel air bubbles passing through the top radiator hose?

Would my car not start because of its temp? any ideas guys?

cheers

[The Dan]

Radiator could be slightly low. The 95 is normal if the car is turned off as the water does not cycle so you get what's called heat soak. The temps will rise around 10 deg and then stabilise. The gurgling in the top hose is due to the water boiling in the top section of the system.

Start by topping up the system, bleed it via the bleeder and replace the radiator cap as they are usually fubar and it's the last thing people replace on their car as most people don't have the equipment to test them.

[The Dan]

Also, top up the expansion tank on the side. slightly overfill it so if the system needs to recover any more fluid, it can grab it from here. If the radiator is low but the expansion tank is full then it is likely the cap is stuffed. If the radiator is low but the expansion tank is empty then it could be a leak somewhere or headgasket etc.

You don;t have to use coolant for topping up, water works better but it does not have any corrosion inhibitor so the system will rust and wear if you dilute it too much.

I always advise using the heavy duty Tectaloy Radiator flush in the black bottle, completely drain the system and refill with plain or distilled water. Use Redline Water Wetter as a corrosion inhibitor. Water Wetter lowers the surface tension of water by reducing the amount of cavitation, thus creating a greater surface area for the water to absorb heat. This means you will also reduce engine temps.

[joeleo87]

thanks alot man,

i checked my over flow tank and it was empty so i topped it up. my actual radiator was a level though? its pretty dirtty though it well needs a flush.

where is the bleed valve the rid the air though?

Could my coolant problem be related to why my car didnt start?

[R31Nismoid]

Totally normal to see 95 after sitting there.

Think about it, all of a sudden you turn the motor off, that then turns all the fans off... where does the heat go? Into the water

[joeleo87]

ok so, obviously my car stil should have started even if water temp was high.

ohh god.... another mysterious "my car wont start because its ghey" problem.... here i come.