overheating

[john170277]

i have a 96 td which when stuck in traffic gets very hot the cooling fans don`t kick in until above 100 is this normal

[teamster1975]

Have you checked your coolant level?

[john170277]

yes cooolant fine check it once a week seems strange for thermostat to open at such high temp

[teamster1975]

'stat may be faulty, the one on my '96 tubby was opening at 100 odd (consigned to the bin that one!)

[swiss]

Idd, my first thought was "new thermostat, stat!"

See, what I did there was called a pun, or play on words... I'll get me coat

[john170277]

where is the thermostat situated and is it easy for a DIY`er to do

[swiss]

1.9, it's on the port end of the head. 2.1, I can't recall but can look it up if needed.

[teamster1975]

where is the thermostat situated and is it easy for a DIY`er to do

Dead easy job.
Drain the coolant, unbolt the 'stat cover and remove stat!
You will need a new thermostat o-ring & sometimes the 'stat can get stuck in the housing (luckily not in my case!!)

[swiss]

Actually, maybe the trickiest part is refilling the coolant ^_^

The 406 coolant line is carefully designed to be tricksy to bleed. You need to open up the bleed screws and either a) make a header tank with something like half a plastic bottle or b) jack up your driver's side (IIRC) front corner.

Remember, coolant will take the paint off your bodywork (and potentially the skin of yer fingers, yay).

[Pob]

Coolant taking your paint off? I've never heard that one before.... You sure your not confusing that with brake fluid? But then that doesn't affect skin

Dan

[jasper5]

Anti freeze can damage paintwork, it's also toxic, you don't want it on your skin too long or breathe it in much, it can cause health problems.

Brake fluid is highly corrosive and can damage the skin.

[john170277]

changed the thermostat temp guage will not go below 90 bled the system put summer coolant in but still the same
any ideas

[swiss]

Water pump on its way out?

On the wife's Omega the fans don't fire up until the high 90s, whereas the stat opens at the low 90s.