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[Markie]

getting exasparated by this.. :-/

top radiator hose heats and can i feel fluid on idle.
Bottom radiator a little fluid on idle.
Coolant tank topped up to brim.

Coolant level low warning  

ran water into radiator top inlet and it runs nicely out bottom inlet
ran water from coolant tank and it runs nicely out bottom hose when disconnected.

Disconnecting bottom hose after allowing system to heat lets water run from bottom hose too.....

Anything that runs out is clear...

I still dont get any heat from heaters and radiator still doesnt get hot..but i cant see how rad could be blocked when water is running top to bottom quite freely...even though poking my finger into radiator lets me feel lots of gunk stuck to the internal walls...

This is the post oil cooler car and wondering if theres any benefit of getting the garden hose out....

Any thoughts anyone? Could there still be a more sinister issue - car ticks over nicley but scared to run it too long due to the obvious circulation issues....

[Markjay]

The coolant level low warning is the easy bit - it is triggered by the float in the header tank, so if you can visually see that the tank is up to the mark then the warning has nothing to do with your other cooling system probelms - it is probably simply down to a faulty float sender unit or to wiring/connectors along the way, something to look into later perhaps...

As you know the cooling system is self bleeding, if you let the engine run with the header tank cap off it should get any air out of the system, so if you still have trapped air it may down to something else...

You could have internal blockages from the gunk left behind following the oil cooler breech, did you give the cooling system a proper flush with some cleaning agent etc? It will probably take more then one flush to get it cleaned, and this is an understatement....

I am not sure why exactly you have these problems with the rad and the heater etc, maybe someone else can help on this, but I would start with a good flush...

[Markie]

The coolant level low warning is the easy bit - it is triggered by the float in the header tank, so if you can visually see that the tank is up to the mark then the warning has nothing to do with your other cooling system probelms - it is probably simply down to a faulty float sender unit or to wiring/connectors along the way, something to look into later perhaps...

As you know the cooling system is self bleeding, if you let the engine run with the header tank cap off it should get any air out of the system, so if you still have trapped air it may down to something else...

You could have internal blockages from the gunk left behind following the oil cooler breech, did you give the cooling system a proper flush with some cleaning agent etc? It will probably take more then one flush to get it cleaned, and this is an understatement....

I am not sure why exactly you have these problems with the rad and the heater etc, maybe someone else can help on this, but I would start with a good flush...

header tank back off, top hose off, bottom hose off and we shall leave it a while before refilling again......im pretty sure the rad is gunked as i bet when i refill it takes about 2 litres  

[Markie]

in fact its garden hose time to see what comes back out.... :-/

[Markie]

ok trickling water into top inlet of radiator sees it trickle out bottom radiator inlet.....

any form of pressure ( garden hose in top rad pipe) sees the water shoot straight back out same top pipe...

thats a seriously gunked radiator :-/

[Markjay]

ok trickling water into top inlet of radiator sees it trickle out bottom radiator inlet.....

any form of pressure ( garden hose in top rad pipe) sees the water shoot straight back out same top pipe...

thats a seriously gunked radiator :-/

...try reverse flushing?

[Markie]

hose into bottom inlet to flush out top ?

[TheBoy]

Try a little degreaser through it (weak mixture!)

[Markie]

Try a little degreaser through it (weak mixture!)

father - reckons bio carbonate ??  of soda and hot water into radiator only and left over night........ :-/

[TheBoy]

Try a little degreaser through it (weak mixture!)

father - reckons bio carbonate ??  of soda and hot water into radiator only and left over night........ :-/

Caustic soda would shift it, but would probably be the end of the rad.  Try a little Gunk or similar...

[Markjay]

hose into bottom inlet to flush out top ?

Yes - though it works better if the rad is out and turned upside down as you have gravity on your side

[Markie]

right end of subject.

Radiator is going to have to come out. Dont know how or when. Cant be bothered today.

Its a real pain of a job - its bad enough inthe v6 omega but between the radiator/fan and the main bulk of the vectra v6 engine thers about 6 inches to work with so lots of stripping to get it out. It actually loks like it would be easier taking slam panel/grill and headlights off but i aint going there  

And i hate working with radiators on aircon cars