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Red water jug with fan light illuminated - cooling issue? 

 

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 Post subject: Red water jug with fan light illuminated - cooling issue?
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:45 am 
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Hi guys, I have an EF XR8.

I think I may have a cooling problem.

When my car is turned off, the temperature gauge needle is quite a bit below the bottom line. When I run the car, under normal driving conditions the needle barely goes into the normal area.

If I give the car a big go, it rises up to probably about 2/3

After a while mid rpm driving (such as on the freeway and giving it the gun around town), I get this light pop up of what looks like a water container, with a squiggly water line and a fan in it, it's in red.

The temperature gauge seems fine.

Sometimes I think I can smell it overheating but I cant be sure.

I pull over into the servo, undo the reservoir cap (which is always highly pressurised) and steam will come out, because of the pressure it usually will go all over the servo forecourt.

So I pour new water in (which is usually only about 1L) then drive off, the light has gone.

So all the symptoms point to an overheating problem, but the gauge seems fine, and I dont think I am giving the car a hard time.

I am thinking I might have a problem somewhere and the gauge isnt working properly?

What is the normal operation for the gauge?

Thanks for all your input

 

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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:04 pm 
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that light is the low coolant sensor. it might be a bit dodgy lol

 

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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:34 pm 
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try your dash in diagnostic mode and see what the temp says in there

 

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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:46 pm 
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Hi mate, how do I go about doing that?

Cheers

 

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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:13 pm 
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By the sounds of it, that light your seeing is the low level coolant light, these things have been known to get s**t stuck on hem and give faulty readings, or you may actually have low coolant level.
Check out the senor, if its f**k replace it, they arent that expensive to replace.

 

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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:18 pm 
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SECTION25 wrote:
Hi mate, how do I go about doing that?

Cheers

http://www.fordmods.com/forums/documents.php?doc=12

 

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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:52 am 
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Im thinking it could possibly be head gasket problem, any idea how much it would cost to replace these?

Cheers

 

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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:42 am 
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Check to see if the bleed hoses aren't blocked. they are the ones that run from the header tank to the top radiator hose and to the top of the radiator.

 

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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:43 am 
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Could also be a dodgy thermostat.
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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:59 pm 
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Could be a pin-hole in one of your hoses that's slowly leaking onto your motor, causing the smell. Or a slow leak from the timing cover gasket which was running down the motor causing the smell which happened to mine...

It doesn't sound like the sensor's cactus if you have to top the reservoir up. I'd put my money on a slow leak somewhere...

 

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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:09 pm 
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i was just about to say that scaffy, if you are putting 1L of water in when you go to the servo there must be a leak somewhere, which is what is causeing the smell (coolant dripping on engine) and also why your low coolant light is coming on (low coolant level)

Have a look around and see if you can see a leak anywhere out of the hoses, if not put some newspaper underneath the car over night and see if there is anything dripping down. if all else fails and you cant located it take it to the mechanics unless you are capable of doing some work yourself.

 

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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:32 pm 
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Got a service done on the auto and the engine, doesnt seem to do it anymore, however, nothing was actually replaced in the cooling system.

A mystery?

 

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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:28 pm 
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Give it time...

Hahaha... nah mate, hopefully it will bother you no more!

 

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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 12:26 am 
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Just check that the thermos are coming on too. If not then it might be a relay, the relay box is behind the passenger headlight.

 

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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:11 pm 
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I've had two of those bloody relays break this year....how coincidental.

 

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