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[mc9]

Started the car this morning and went to the petrol station. Noticed that the engine temperature guage wasn't working and no heating (electronic climate control). Just went out to start the car and the battery is flat (again).

This car has some big problems and an expensive visit to a Vauxhall specialist is going to be needed. Unless anyone out there has any ideas?

We bought the car just before christmas, so not too familiar with it yet.

[Cybertrucker]

If your engine never seems to get to operating temperature (no heat in the car, and nothing showing on the temp gauge) this could be your thermostat stuck open.  What's fuel consumption like?  If your stat is stuck open and your engine's permanently running cold you'll have no performance and you'll be using a lot of fuel.

Re the battery, it's either battery itself which is on the way out and losing its charge, or there's something on the car which is draining the battery overnight.  Try replacing the battery, if you've got another which you know is good, or try disconnecting the battery when you're not using the car and see if the battery stops going down. (Make sure you've got the radio code before you disconnect the battery, and you'll also have to reset the electric windows when you reconnect.)  If the battery still goes down even though it's disconnected then it's the battery itself, if not then something on the car's draining it.

[Welung666]

Started the car this morning and went to the petrol station. Noticed that the engine temperature guage wasn't working and no heating (electronic climate control). Just went out to start the car and the battery is flat (again).

This car has some big problems and an expensive visit to a Vauxhall specialist is going to be needed. Unless anyone out there has any ideas?

We bought the car just before christmas, so not too familiar with it yet.

You could swap it with mine

[TheBoy]

Started the car this morning and went to the petrol station. Noticed that the engine temperature guage wasn't working and no heating (electronic climate control). Just went out to start the car and the battery is flat (again).

This car has some big problems and an expensive visit to a Vauxhall specialist is going to be needed. Unless anyone out there has any ideas?

We bought the car just before christmas, so not too familiar with it yet.

Where are you? Worth filling out your profile

I suspect the 2 problems are unrelated.

[mc9]

Here's the story.

Bought car December last year.

Water pump disintegrated in January -- new pump and thermostat fitted by garage. Water temp was running at a steady 97deg, until yesterday.

Noticed water temp was lower than usual, about 87deg (cold day).

Just taken car for a run after fast charging battery. Warm up now seems slower than normal. Water temp is varying over a range of about 5deg -- runs warmer with climate control on LO, cooler with heating on HI. Average is around 92deg.

Is this a jammed thermostat? It's new but could it be jameed with a piece of the old wter pump?

Not sure if the battery discharge probem is related.

I'm in Luton, Beds

mc9

[Cybertrucker]

Is this a jammed thermostat? It's new but could it be jameed with a piece of the old wter pump?

Not sure if the battery discharge probem is related.

It's possible that something like a bit of old gasket has found its way into your new stat and jammed it open. (Silicone gasket compound is notorious for breaking off and getting into places you'd rather it didn't!   )

I think it's unlikely that the battery problem is related, in fact off the top of my head I can't think of any way it could be.

[TheBoy]

Here's the story.

Bought car December last year.

Water pump disintegrated in January -- new pump and thermostat fitted by garage. Water temp was running at a steady 97deg, until yesterday.

Noticed water temp was lower than usual, about 87deg (cold day).

Just taken car for a run after fast charging battery. Warm up now seems slower than normal. Water temp is varying over a range of about 5deg -- runs warmer with climate control on LO, cooler with heating on HI. Average is around 92deg.

Is this a jammed thermostat? It's new but could it be jameed with a piece of the old wter pump?

Not sure if the battery discharge probem is related.

I'm in Luton, Beds

mc9

ah, sounds like simple stat issue.  Dead easy to replace on 2.5TD.

[Seth]

Cooling problem first:
You say that after the water pump/thermostat were changed, it normally runs at 97 degrees - I reckon that's too hot anyway.
2.5TDs normally seem to run at around the 90 - 92 mark. First, I'd try another thermostat, and while it's out, ensure that there's no foreign matter etc in the recess/housing. You'll also need to add 5 litres of antifreeze, (that's 50% strength). Another common occurrence on these is a silted-up rad, but try the 'stat first.

Battery:
You could try Cybertrucker's idea, but I'd be checking-out the alternator output first to be sure the battery is actually being sufficiently charged. If you don't have access to a multi-meter, any auto-sparky should be able to do this check in a matter of minutes, so shouldn't cost much.

Try updating your profile - a helpful fellow OOF-er may well be close to hand!

[mc9]

Thanks for the help.

How do I change the thermostat? Can't see a guide in the maintenance section.

mc9

[unlucky alf]

i agree with sethsmate regarding your temp quiery, as for the battery situation i would check & clean all connections to the battery, check the aux belt is tight, & another thing you could check is to see if the ign light glows slightly with ign off & key out [best done at night], if it is slightly glowing itll be the alternator at fault

[Seth]

i agree with sethsmate regarding your temp quiery, as for the battery situation i would check & clean all connections to the battery, check the aux belt is tight, & another thing you could check is to see if the ign light glows slightly with ign off & key out [best done at night], if it is slightly glowing itll be the alternator at fault

Cheers Alf ....
As an aside, I had a fellow tractor-owning OOF-er here recently with the same battery/charging problem, who'd had weeks of hassle. Turned out to be an insecure battery earth clamp - simple as ...... !
Moral of the story - check the obvious first!

[Welung666]

I still think MC9 should swop cars with me

[unlucky alf]

when i first got mine it was doing odd things, i found the crimps on the battery although tight had corroded inside the crimp itself causing intermittent problems, so cut them off & re-crimped & protected them with vaseline, had no problems since

[Seth]

when i first got mine it was doing odd things, i found the crimps on the battery although tight had corroded inside the crimp itself causing intermittent problems, so cut them off & re-crimped & protected them with vaseline, had no problems since

Great minds think alike Alf!

[TheBoy]

Cooling problem first:
You say that after the water pump/thermostat were changed, it normally runs at 97 degrees - I reckon that's too hot anyway.
2.5TDs normally seem to run at around the 90 - 92 mark. First, I'd try another thermostat, and while it's out, ensure that there's no foreign matter etc in the recess/housing. You'll also need to add 5 litres of antifreeze, (that's 50% strength). Another common occurrence on these is a silted-up rad, but try the 'stat first.

Battery:
You could try Cybertrucker's idea, but I'd be checking-out the alternator output first to be sure the battery is actually being sufficiently charged. If you don't have access to a multi-meter, any auto-sparky should be able to do this check in a matter of minutes, so shouldn't cost much.

Try updating your profile - a helpful fellow OOF-er may well be close to hand!

Different age cars have different markings on gauge. So rather than suggesting temps, better just to say midpoint on gauge (a good tractor will be midpoint - yours sounds a tad low)