High water temp k series

[Airhog]

Hello

 

Have just fitted a new water sensor, having had the last one give up on me. Car (1.6KSS) used to run at a solid 80deg, only ever creeping over in heavy traffic or when very hot (30deg+ 1700mile blat through France).

 

Having installed the new sender and fiddling about with the gauge, I took it out for a blat. Temp quickly got to normal, but then went up to 90deg+ and stayed around there getting up to 100deg in traffic.

 

Getting a bit paranoid about it all. Didn't loose any water when taking the old one out the water rail (is this usual?) Do I need to bleed the system? Is it possible that the senders have different outputs?

 

Want to go for a monster blat tomorrow and really want to get it fixed ASAP

 

Cheers All

[Myles]

Hog. It is perfectly possible to remove the sender without losing water - so don't worry about that.

 

I found the standard senders to be hideously unreliable. I went through something stupid like 5 or 6 in the first year and a half of ownership. They all failed in different (and amusing ways). To start with, I'd recheck all of the connections - the details of how the system works are documented by Chris W in his Electrickery articles (printed once in Low Flying - also on my site - search for 'Electrickery'...)

 

Did you use loads of PTFE tape to seal the sender by the way? It might be that you've got no decent connection to earth through the body of the sender. Or it might be that your sender is duff out of the box.

 

Don't give up hope - I used to recommend just seeing what temp each new sender sat at out of the box and using that as your baseline - mine were rarely the same 2-senders running...

 

 

 

Project Scope-Creep is live...

 

Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™

 

Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com

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[Myles]

Having said all that - do make the usual checks - run it up to temp and check the 'stat opening (lower main pipe should rapidly warm when the stat opens). Also check the top of the rad (cooler if there's an air pocket) and try and check when the rad fan kicks in.

 

At a genuine idle, this all takes a surprisingly-long time on most cars.

 

Here's a tip - in your usual parking spot, take the bonnet and nose off and mark the coolant level with an indelible pen. As long as you park in the same place/on the level, you can calm a lot of fears by checking the coolant level against this datum. The level will change a bit depending if you've just come in from a hot run or a pootle, but when cold it should indicate whether you are losing coolant or pressurising the system abnormally.

 

Project Scope-Creep is live...

 

Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™

 

Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com

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Edited by - Myles on 28 Jul 2006 23:07:24

[Airhog]

Myles, you're a gent.

 

Have been and had a play with it, all seems well. Guess i'm just being a little paranoid as it used to run solidly at an indicated 80. Now 90 incresing a little when hot and in traffic. I am assuming it's down to the sender unit either being more or less accurate than before?

 

Out of interest, what is a 1.6k supposed to run at when warm/hot? Will have to save the pennies and invest in a SPA gauge so I know whats really happening.

 

ps. Numpty alert, are you supposed to use PTFE tape on the sender? I havent and it seems OK, assumed that being a brass fitting it wouldn't need it.

 

Cheers

 

[CageyH]

I think it has a tapered thread.

I did not use PTFE and it does not leak.

Just keep an eye on it for a while.