Hi Guys,
I own a March 2000, 306 GTi6 over here in Sunny France. It is a uk car that I have had no problems with....Until now !.
Over the last two days it has started to run very warm. It gets to varying temperatures over the 90 mark, before the fan actually bothers to come in (one point it was nearly on 110). Whilst the fan cools it down, it does not bring it to the 'usual' operating temp I have had before of nearly 90. I appreciate the weather here is 23 degrees, but can't see that being a problem as it did it this morning when I took my kids to school at 8.00am and the temp was only 10 degrees.
I have read the forums and tried to figure it out for myself. I have had the bleed undone, at the heater matrix pipe (is it supposed to trickle out or fly out ?), I have had the bleed open on the stat housing (just trickles out) and I have had the bleed open on the radiator top. Unfortunately all to no avail. It doesn't appear to be losing water the rad is still full and there are no deposits in the oil, on the dipstick or oil filler cap. The car still pulls really well, but I am at a loss as to what to do next.
I refilled the system and disconnected the brown plug so the fans ran on high all the time and then went for a drive. About 10 miles and 15 minutes round the lanes and although it didn't go too high, it still kept creeping up towards the 90 mark and a little bit beyond.
It's a great car, but I am completely lost as to what to do........any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Hi,
The first thing I thought was the stat, so I took it out, put it in a pan of water and raised the temp. It worked fine. I did take the dash out over a week ago, to change a bulb on the airbag light, but didn't think I'd touched anything. What could I have done ?. When I took the kids to school this morning the car had not moved for 14 hours and yet it reached 90 in less than 2 miles, seemed strange to me, but I've never had a prob with the car before so who knows.
Cheers

check the front of your radiator is not full of mud and debris.

Radiator cap might not be sealing correctly. they slowly fail over time and retain less pressure (hence drop in coolant). a new radiator cap allows the coolant to be 2 cm below the cap.

how old is your engine oil? check oil level. oil passed its best will not handle heat so well.

What temp does it get to before the fan kicks in?
There is the low speed which should kick in at 97, then high speed kicks in at 107.

I am having problems with mine where the low speed is not working so my car when in traffic, will get up to 107 then cool off again when the high speed comes in.

Just let it idle till it gets up to temp and see what the fan does and go from there.

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Sounds like the thermostat is faulty then, or is sticking closed and not allowing coolant through to the rad

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PSN ID: MarkSixysix ( DiRT 3 GT5, NFS:Hot pursuit).

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Well try a coolant flush and refill.

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Hi,
No the fan doesn't seem to come on at all. It did come on yesterday, when it reached nearly 110 and nearly 100 (depends what mood it was in). I unplugged the brown plug and ran it with the two fans at full speed, but it still ran hot. Either it has a huge airlock or there is something else wrong with it. I am going to try and re-bleed/flush it tomorrow and I'll see where I go from there, but it really is strange.
Thanks

Hi,
OK.. When things like this happen, you always feel positive, but any feedback before I get excited.
I came to the car this morning, 15 and a half hours after it last ran and the started it. The temp guage is reading 110 ! I have had bled it and had it running for 10 minutes, without the stat in (just to see if it was that) and the guage is on the first tiny red mark. The rad is warm and the top hose is warm. So is the heater in the car.
After 20 minutes, with the guage reading out of the door (over the red), both fans came on at low speed for about 40 seconds. Left it running for a further 5 minutes and the fans came on again for a similar time.
Rad is warm, top hose is warm engine is hot, but not stupidly hot.
Could it be a dodgy guage or sender ? It has been reading hotter and hotter over the past 3 days.
Cheers for all your input.

Hi,
Thanks for all your input. Do you think it could be the switch ? I take it that the fan works off a different system and it should therefore be coming on at the correct temperature, even though the guage is reading wrong ?
Cheers

Hi,
The car has only done 55,000 miles and has always had a good anti-freeze balance. Surely the water must be pumping around the system as the radiator and hoses warm up and the fan does seem to come on at a respectable temperature. Also if I turn on the ignition when the car is dead cold and hasn't run for 15 hours, why would the guage read 110 degrees. I suppose I am just looking for the easiest solution and it may not be so.
I'll try and get a replacement switch and go from there.

Thanks