06-07-2017, 03:24 PM
Hi all.
As a new, first-time-ever Multispace owner (2003 1.4 petrol model, very basic, no aircon) and new to the forum too, I'm grateful for all the info I've found here so far.
Less than 10 days into ownership, the car overheated, on one of the hottest days of the year as well. Beep + STOP warning. I stopped as quick as possible. Temp gauge was in the red. Thermostat failed apparently and one of the heater pipes split, loosing all the coolant. Had to get it towed away.
Next day a mechanic by-passed the heater altogether and joined the two heater hoses together. He also removed the thermostat and replaced the housing. He put water in the expansion tank and suggested using it like this for a while, to see if any further damage would show up, like head gasket damage symptoms I reckon. I was assured I wouldn't have an overheating problem anyway.
All was well for a week or so of short-trip local driving only. Got confident then and ventured a bit further onto open road. Hadn't gone far when I heard that beep again and STOP warning – the temperature needle seemed to 'flick' into the red rather than creep up slowly, or quickly. I pulled over, turned off the engine and could hear the fan still working for a while afterwards. After it cooled down a bit, I checked the coolant/water level and it was ok this time. Temperature eventually read normal and I drove it home.
Brought it back to the same guy a day or two later and he checked the water was circulating ok, the pressure on hoses etc. Said he could find nothing amiss. The rad was even in temperature too, from top to bottom, suggesting no sign of a blockage I presume. There was no sign of oil in the coolant either, which was reassuring. So, we decided I should go ahead and buy the hoses and a new thermostat. Feeling relieved to have escaped a head gasket replacement, this didn't seem too bad. But ...
.. later than evening, just after starting up the engine, the engine management light came on, and it stayed on, for a whole 4 mile trip.
Got it read next day and it was giving codes for a faulty temperature sensor and also a lambda sensor.
Jeez! what next?
I'm slowly getting quite depressed with this scenario ... and spending far too many hours reading, because I have very limited knowledge of car stuff, so far. None of these mechanical people I came across mentioned to me that you can actually check the health of a sensor, for example, with a volt metre or multimetre or whatever they are called.
So my questions are: Is it ok driving without a thermostat? Even for a while. Are there any side-effects?
Is there some domino effect going on here?
What about two sensors failing at the same time, is that unusual? Or perhaps they're not faulty at all? Although the temperature sensor fault makes some sense as it could explain the second mystery overheating. Buy why now?
Any help or suggestions very welcome.
Thanks in advance. I want to keep liking this car
As a new, first-time-ever Multispace owner (2003 1.4 petrol model, very basic, no aircon) and new to the forum too, I'm grateful for all the info I've found here so far.
Less than 10 days into ownership, the car overheated, on one of the hottest days of the year as well. Beep + STOP warning. I stopped as quick as possible. Temp gauge was in the red. Thermostat failed apparently and one of the heater pipes split, loosing all the coolant. Had to get it towed away.
Next day a mechanic by-passed the heater altogether and joined the two heater hoses together. He also removed the thermostat and replaced the housing. He put water in the expansion tank and suggested using it like this for a while, to see if any further damage would show up, like head gasket damage symptoms I reckon. I was assured I wouldn't have an overheating problem anyway.
All was well for a week or so of short-trip local driving only. Got confident then and ventured a bit further onto open road. Hadn't gone far when I heard that beep again and STOP warning – the temperature needle seemed to 'flick' into the red rather than creep up slowly, or quickly. I pulled over, turned off the engine and could hear the fan still working for a while afterwards. After it cooled down a bit, I checked the coolant/water level and it was ok this time. Temperature eventually read normal and I drove it home.
Brought it back to the same guy a day or two later and he checked the water was circulating ok, the pressure on hoses etc. Said he could find nothing amiss. The rad was even in temperature too, from top to bottom, suggesting no sign of a blockage I presume. There was no sign of oil in the coolant either, which was reassuring. So, we decided I should go ahead and buy the hoses and a new thermostat. Feeling relieved to have escaped a head gasket replacement, this didn't seem too bad. But ...
.. later than evening, just after starting up the engine, the engine management light came on, and it stayed on, for a whole 4 mile trip.
Got it read next day and it was giving codes for a faulty temperature sensor and also a lambda sensor.
Jeez! what next?
I'm slowly getting quite depressed with this scenario ... and spending far too many hours reading, because I have very limited knowledge of car stuff, so far. None of these mechanical people I came across mentioned to me that you can actually check the health of a sensor, for example, with a volt metre or multimetre or whatever they are called.
So my questions are: Is it ok driving without a thermostat? Even for a while. Are there any side-effects?
Is there some domino effect going on here?
What about two sensors failing at the same time, is that unusual? Or perhaps they're not faulty at all? Although the temperature sensor fault makes some sense as it could explain the second mystery overheating. Buy why now?
Any help or suggestions very welcome.
Thanks in advance. I want to keep liking this car
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