|
78710.18+ miles - Dr. Bob 02/01
Overheating Problems upon
Prolonged Idling
 For the last year things have been quiet on the service front, there just
hasn't been that much to note. However, things changed.
I went for my bi-annual NJ inspection, expecting possible
problems with emissions. I never got that far! As the car was sitting idling, and I was
standing next to the car, in the Owner's queue, the Inspector asked if I had just topped off my coolant -
pointing to a small puddle behind the car. I hadn't! I glanced at the temperature gauge and it
was headed for the red. I told the Inspector to shut it down, and the inspection terminated
there.
After things cooled a bit, I drove home, with my *FAILED* sticker
on the windshield. The temperature gauge dropped down to the 180° mark just about as soon as
I got moving, indicating that the thermostat was just cracked open a bit, and that that was
enough.
The next day I started to install the "Overheat
Protector" kit that I had recently purchased from DMCjoe (aka De
Lorean Services). This kit is a replacement for the cooling system bleed-valve (on top
of the water pump) and a length of hose and a T-fitting. The hose connects the heater overflow
hose (small hose on my stainless overflow bottle) to the bleed-valve replacement.
Installation was easy, with just two small problems. The hose was a bit too short to follow
DMCjoe's routing suggestion (which may be due to my stainless bottle) and he forgot to include a
replacement hose clamp for the one which fell somewhere, never to be seen again. Pictures
of the installation are here.
I topped off the coolant and then checked all the electrical
connections that might cause the fans to fail to turn on. I removed and refitted the electrical connections to try to clean the contacts. That completed, I went for a test drive, and when I
returned, let the car idle for a (long) while until the fans turned on.
Either the cooling system was airbound (which DMCjoe's kit will
prevent in the future) or the electrical contacts were dirty and the fans never came on at the
inspection station. Other possibilities are a sticky temperature switch, relay, or thermostat.
Time will tell.
 TOP
|
