Engine Problems

[royalrush]

Hi
Having a problem with my Nissan Micra Vibe (51 Plate). I topped up the radiator with coolant (as id not done it for a while) - about 50/50 water to coolant. I took the car out for a 10 min drive and when i came back i heard some spurting and it sounded like the engine fan was going (more so than normal). The engine itself felt very warm to the touch (is that normal for a short drive!?)

I may have some technical terms above wrong as i'm not that knowledgeable!

Prior mail for reference:
http://www.micra.org.uk/threads/39658-Nissan-Micra-Engine-bay-picture

The other minor problem i have is that after filling the washer reservoir it appeared to mostly leak out - whilst i was stood there - yet you look in the reservoir and you can see a certain amount of fluid in the bottom. Might this mean there is a hole in the reservoir, but half way up!!!??

Advice very much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[royalrush]

Took it out again today and the engine is over heating (radiator gauge was heading to 3/4) - can anyone advise!?

 

[Vitus992]

Il have a go but im no expert.
Is it loosing water - have you had to top up the coolant?
If you take off the oil filler cap does it look like mayonase in there (head gasket gone?)
If you are not loosing water it could be the water pump gone, or the drive belt snapped.

Im sure some of our more knowledgeable members will be along shortly.
Good luck.

 

[royalrush]

thanks.
i topped up the coolant simply because id not done so for a while - i wasnt having problems prior to that!
last year the drive belt had snapped and it was over heating, so i dont think it is that again (steering is OK).

 

[SYKO]

Overheating could be the thermostat, have you bled the heater pipe?

 

[royalrush]

lol, erm no, i dont know how to do that. maybe i should get a pro took look at it!

 

[SYKO]

There should be a plastic screw on one of those start the engine and remove the screw until water comes out of the hole then replace the cap

 

[royalrush]

on one of....? what? lol - the heater pipe?
so i drain the water/coolant and then refill it......?!? (why would that be as its full now and not working)

 

[frank]

i,ve never seen a bleed screw on a k11, how is the coolant level now royalrush ?

 

[royalrush]

hi frank, well it took loads of coolant/water when i filled it, probably say 2 pints worth, i simply used all that i had - assuming it to be a 'healthy top up'. and now its overheating, whereas it wasnt before!?!! cant work it out.

 

[pollyp]

lol, erm no, i dont know how to do that. maybe i should get a pro took look at it!

when the engines cold turn the heater dial to hot, take off the rad cap. it should be full, if not fill to brim. start the engine and periodically squeeze the upper coolant pipe from the thermostat to the rad top to encourage the bubbles to move up till the engines warm and no more bubbles appear.
if the coolant level is gonna slowly overflow as it heats up, just place ur palm over the opening, squeeze the upper coolant pipe to push the excess coolant into the expansion tank, release the hand covering the rad opening then release the upper rad pipe.

if its constantly bubbling when warm and expecially when you rev it, the headgaskets failed

 

[frank]

hi frank, well it took loads of coolant/water when i filled it, probably say 2 pints worth, i simply used all that i had - assuming it to be a 'healthy top up'. and now its overheating, whereas it wasnt before!?!! cant work it out.

2 pints would indicate a problem mate best get it checked out eh

 

[royalrush]

when the engines cold turn the heater dial to hot, take off the rad cap. it should be full, if not fill to brim. start the engine and periodically squeeze the upper coolant pipe from the thermostat to the rad top to encourage the bubbles to move up till the engines warm and no more bubbles appear.
if the coolant level is gonna slowly overflow as it heats up, just place ur palm over the opening, squeeze the upper coolant pipe to push the excess coolant into the expansion tank, release the hand covering the rad opening then release the upper rad pipe.
if its constantly bubbling when warm and expecially when you rev it, the headgaskets failed

so, the heater dial inside the car yeh...
that rings a bell about squeezing it... think my friend did that last time
so i place hand over the opening as its warming (wont this be getting hot?) which will then make the liquid go to the expansion tank...

 

[pollyp]

so, the heater dial inside the car yeh...
that rings a bell about squeezing it... think my friend did that last time
so i place hand over the opening as its warming (wont this be getting hot?) which will then make the liquid go to the expansion tank...

yeh set the heater dial to hot allows coolant to flow through the heater matrix therefore purge out the trapped air.

pumping that upper rad pipe helps to move the bubbles along the cooling system till they exit at the radiator opening.

ur only briefly covering the rad top with ur palm when you see its gonna overflow and wanna push the coolant into the tank. and only doing this while the engines warming i.e. stone cold till it gets too warm - bout upto 5mins and by that time all the bubbles should be fully bled if you were constantly pumping the upper pipe away

if you want, a safer longer way is to turn the heater to hot, fill up the radiator & expansion tank, fit the rad cap, start engine and squeeze away at the upper rad pipe till it gets warm to move the bubbles up, run the engine 5mins more to heat things up till the fan turns on. turn off till its cooled down, open the rad cap and fill up if needed.

 

[will930]

putting the hot air on doesnt make a difference on these carsas the hot water flows through the matrix all the time and then when hot is selected it changes the flow of the air surely!

old jags i know doe it where it turns to flow to the matrix off

correct me if im wrong on this car but most modern cars ive seen are like this

 

[pollyp]

putting the hot air on doesnt make a difference on these carsas the hot water flows through the matrix all the time and then when hot is selected it changes the flow of the air surely!

old jags i know doe it where it turns to flow to the matrix off

correct me if im wrong on this car but most modern cars ive seen are like this

no, on my 93 and 98 slx the heater matrix has a coolant butterfly valve connected to the heater dial, prob to prevent the matrix from just getting wayy too hot when the air is diverted away after setting the dial to cold.

 

[r-reg-sr]

yep shut off valve on matrix