P38A Overheating...or not?

domino · Jul 19, 2016

So, drove down to Cardiff from Edinburgh yesterday. All was fine until about a mile before Keele services when I noticed the temp gauge was sitting at 1pm, just off the furthest white marker but not in the red. Pulled in to services and checked coolant - seemed fine by level on the bottle. Left it for half an hour and carried on at 50-60mph. It seemed fine unless I was driving up hill then the needle would bump on over to the far white marker again, or anywhere in between. Same happened when I ended up in a queue of standing traffic on the m4. It would then go back to normal again when on the flats and cruising.

It was a very hot day yesterday..and today...and I'm due to head back tomorrow.

Is this normal given the long drive and quite hot temperatures we had...or should I be worried about getting home? It didn't at any point hit the red - my arse was going like a rabbits nose so I paid a lot of attention to the needle after the first time!

Dopey · Jul 19, 2016

First change your thermostat, cheapest option, but could be your water pump

Dopey · Jul 19, 2016

Also check the fan is working (rolled up paper test)

biketeacherdave · Jul 19, 2016

Yeah I'd be checking the viscous fan think its the most likely going on your symptoms

Bandit127 · Jul 19, 2016

I am with Dave on the fan.

I also think you aren't likely to see more than 24 deg on the way home tomorrow and you may well have some additional water cooling to the rad thrown in along the way. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/...&zoom=5&lon=-3.50&lat=55.50&fcTime=1468882800

Dopey · Jul 19, 2016

If you start to overheat on the way back home one way to cool the engine down, is to put the heat on to full with a full blower to get the heat out and away from the engine, uncomfortable but it gets you home

Saint.V8 · Jul 19, 2016

I'd say fan.....

Our Defender runs without a fan or an electric cooling fan.....just good old ram air....and yesterday coming back from Woburn Safari Park and also whilst pootling around the safari park, the temp gauge (which is normally bang on 12 o'clock) moved to around the 1o'clock mark but not past it until there was sufficient ram air again....

pete1987RRC · Jul 19, 2016

I guess once you get back to the northern cold wastelands it will be fine.....

But sitting on the M6 in traffic (past time of mine at the moment) on a hot day is a very testing and likely to find the faults.
Check there are no leaks.
Thermostat
Fan test and pump check ( bet it's either of these )
Rad flush

Doo · Jul 19, 2016

Mine sits bang on 12 o clock, no matter what the temp.

If the viscous fan is in any way faulty, it won't pull the air through.

However, my car was overheating with the last owner and it was because the AC condenser was choked and the cooling fins bent, stopping the flow of cooling air to the radiator.

Check for blockages and bent fins before writing off the fan...

Gmacz · Jul 19, 2016

Very hot day and hot air going through radiator means temp will go up.
Should be back to normal when usual scottish summer comes back.
We have had our hot day now.

oakey · Jul 19, 2016

domino · Jul 20, 2016

So, check the fan yeah? Limited tools (I.e.none) being here on business.

Thanks btw

Also, did I read somewhere at some point that having the AC working helps with keeling the engine cool too?

domino · Jul 20, 2016

...if it is the fan, is there anything I can do to get myself home safely?

wammers · Jul 20, 2016

domino said:
So, check the fan yeah? Limited tools (I.e.none) being here on business.

Thanks btw

Also, did I read somewhere at some point that having the AC working helps with keeling the engine cool too?

No quite the reverse.

wammers · Jul 20, 2016

domino said:
...if it is the fan, is there anything I can do to get myself home safely?

Wait for a cooler day.

More than likely is fan you could also check that aircon condenser is free from debris restricting air flow. Don't use aircon. On your model if it is overheating aircon fans may run to cool engine off even after switching ignition off.

dubbleRR · Jul 20, 2016

Faulty sender or a following wind when slowing down,so viscous is slow to react ....

domino · Jul 20, 2016

Decided to leave after my last post...to try and catch the cooler weather further north. Got about an hour in before the needle started dancing...so I'm now driving with all the windows open, sunroof open and heaters on high heat, full blast.

Not exactly comfortable.

wammers · Jul 20, 2016

domino said:
Decided to leave after my last post...to try and catch the cooler weather further north. Got about an hour in before the needle started dancing...so I'm now driving with all the windows open, sunroof open and heaters on high heat, full blast.

Not exactly comfortable.

Just get home safe and then have a good look at things. Not overheating as such just getting over warm. Could be a few things. If it overheats properly you will know about it.

domino · Jul 20, 2016

Yeah that's my plan. Pulled over at services just now to cool off (me, not the car).

Forgot the rear heater vents go through the transmission tunnel/console. Wondered why my leg was burning hot then remembered!

Gonna be a long day!

domino · Jul 20, 2016

Just arrived home. Took a detour off the M6 to avoid the standing traffic...and ended up in more standing traffic on country roads. Luckily, I had the heaters on full blast so the car was fine and I lost about 14 stone.

Couldn't hear the fan at all when I stopped in services or started again so I'm sure ita that. Will check it out tomorrow at some point when I've recovered from this heat stroke.

Thanks all

P38A Overheating...or not?

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