Cold heater and winter parking up

[pug7]

Couple of tech questions for the experts. I had a standard sigma 125 sv which had the original small plastic top radiator in it last winter which seemed to pump out a good supply of hot air as in hold your hand by the vent and it felt hot. Said rad split and so replaced by midlands Caterham with the bigger all aluminium type from the 140( part of the upgrade project bit by bit until it is 140!). Out yes,ternary heater on full just didn't seem to be as good as last winter it's only 2'c out there and the legs wernt warm at all....either I'm getting old or something's adrift. Temp Guage reads around 80 which is what it's always done, so is the bigger rad keeping the water cooler (Ali blank plate springs to mind) or is it something else? Airlock somewhere ? Any suggestions?

 

Also as it's a fair weather 7 3 times now I've gone out to drive it and flat battery. What's people's recommendations for this? This time I've dropped the neg lead off the battery, is it worth buying a conditioner/and recommendations on them?

 

And now it's prob going to be longer between drives due salt, is it work sticking on axle stands or just keep tyres pumped up and give it a roll back and forth every couple of weeks?

 

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Could well be an airlock in the heater unit. Was the valve open when the system was refilled.

 

Disconnect the battery or fit a battery isolator switch .... the immobiliser will drain the battery in 2-3 weeks if left connected.

[pug7]

No idea how or what they did when changing the rad over, I do know after half hour driving I can hold my hand right on the vent outlet with fan on full no problem at all, have to try playing with pipes tomorrow. Was done by midlands which doesn't fill me with confidence if I'm honest....dread to think what happens when the 7 goes for the dif carrier and brake pipe (and 140hp mod maybe)

[AdrianC]

I have gone though a similar issue having replaced a Caterham plastiky thing with a quality Radtec unit on a Sigma 150.

 

Having checked the gauge, top hose and bottom hose I am convinced the engine, thermostat and fan are all working correctly.

 

The Radtec unit looks to have both a larger area and the finning is smaller. I have put the issue of "less heat" down to the more effective cooling the radiator now achieves. I have blanked the bottom third of the rad with some ali sheet and heater works fine.

 

Fit a battery cut off switch through the bulkhead on the passenger side (you can fit it in the negative side) - no more flat batteries

[DJ.]

My Sigma 125 has a Radtec radiator, and the water temperature is the same as it used to be and the heater is still just as hot even in very cold weather.

 

Try opening the heater valve and taking the top heater hose off. If no water comes out, pour some into the hose until it starts coming out of the heater pipe.

 

To stop the immobilser draining the battery, I fitted a power socket direct from the battery and use a CTEK conditioner.

 

Duncan

 

Edited by - DJ. on 24 Nov 2013 17:45:58