Technical Overheating help!

[Manddr1]

Hi there. Only had my 500 pop star for a couple of months. 2017 plate with 15k miles. No coolant leak that I can see. Fan is kicking in. High temp warning started coming on. Any ideas, common faults would be really appreciated. Thanks. Meant to say that putting heater on full blast lowered the temp a bit.

 

[Jockstrap]

Hi there. Only had my 500 pop star for a couple of months. 2017 plate with 15k miles. No coolant leak that I can see. Fan is kicking in. High temp warning started coming on. Any ideas, common faults would be really appreciated. Thanks. Meant to say that putting heater on full blast lowered the temp a bit.

Service history? When was coolant changed?
How have you been driving?
Check expansion tank level. Blockage or water pump failure?
If you have no history, or cannot speak to previous owner? Flush the system and change the fluid.
While you're at it do oil and filter for starters.
Enjoy your car .

 

[Manddr1]

Service history? When was coolant changed?
How have you been driving?
Check expansion tank level. Blockage or water pump failure?
If you have no history, or cannot speak to previous owner? Flush the system and change the fluid.
While you're at it do oil and filter for starters.
Enjoy your car .

Hi there. Thanks. Has full service history. Has been driven very little over year before we bought it. Fluid level is okay. Will try flushing out, could also be the thermostat? Thanks for your response

 

[John202020]

Pull the lower hose off and drain, replace with new coolant, you can buy ready mixed from Halfords pink bleed the air from the heater hose, check the thermostat area for leaks a well known issue where a plastic pipe cracks and leaks, don't keep driving the car until fixed, overheating is the cars achilles heel.
Does your car have ac?

 

[Manddr1]

Pull the lower hose off and drain, replace with new coolant, you can buy ready mixed from Halfords pink bleed the air from the heater hose, check the thermostat area for leaks a well known issue where a plastic pipe cracks and leaks, don't keep driving the car until fixed, overheating is the cars achilles heel.
Does your car have ac?

Thanks for this. No doesnt have ac. I’ll give the above a go. Got a feeling that as the car has barely moved in over a year it may be sludged up. I hope so anyway! Sounds like the easiest and cheapest fix!

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi there. Only had my 500 pop star for a couple of months. 2017 plate with 15k miles. No coolant leak that I can see. Fan is kicking in. High temp warning started coming on. Any ideas, common faults would be really appreciated. Thanks. Meant to say that putting heater on full blast lowered the temp a bit.

At that age and mileage.., (and only just starting to use it)
My suspicion would be it's been overheated before and you are dealing with resultant issues..

So, are you using a torch to see the coolant level.. Or a dipstick?

Low coolant is the prime concern..

What does the oil filler cap look like inside? Got mayonnaise like white/yellow gunk in there..?

 

[Manddr1]

Thanks. We’ll have a look at these. All help appreciated!

 

[Manddr1]

Thanks. We’ll have a look at these. All help appreciated

 

[John202020]

So, pull the steel "clip" from the bottom hose pull the plastic fitting out of the rad, skinning your hand in the process, drain, ' place' back on, brim with plain water, pull off gush out, repeat several times then fully replace with clip, use a screwdriver to remove the bleed screw, not fingers, slowly fill the system until apparently full, start and bleed any air from the heater hose, replace screw don't over tighten warm up checking hot from heater, allow to cool refill, check every day for a week, topping up as required took 4.5l when I replaced the rad, use a good light to check the thermostat and pipes going to it for leaks.
You can buy sniff test kits to check the coolant for head gasket failure but do this before trying the above if you want

 

[steveras57]

The plastic pipe from the thermostat to the heater matrix cracks flush with the thermostat can leak from there without being obvious remove the air box and battery find the hose that runs from the thermostat to the matrix!- grip it right where it joints the thermostat( black plastic looking nut thats actually part of the body!) push pull and try to wiggle from side to side if its cracked it WILL SNAP OFF! drain coolant down, remove the thermostat then remove the remains of the plastic stub from the rubber pipe!.'
Go online and find a new thermostat that has a METAL pipe once fitted it should never happen again! follow procedures to top up and blead the cooling system and you should be good!

 

[varesecrazy]

The plastic pipe from the thermostat to the heater matrix cracks flush with the thermostat can leak from there without being obvious

Go online and find a new thermostat that has a METAL pipe once fitted it should never happen again! follow procedures to top up and blead the cooling system and you should be good!

At 2017 it may well be Broken..

Or.. All Metal (my 2018 is all metal from the factory)

 

[varesecrazy]

@Manddr1
Trying to figure out quite what parts are on YOUR 500,

You say 2017, does it have Solid Red taiklights.., or Body colour in the centre?

There always a few older cars registered a while after the updated range is launched..

 

[Manddr1]

@Manddr1
Trying to figure out quite what parts are on YOUR 500,

You say 2017, does it have Solid Red taiklights.., or Body colour in the centre?

There always a few older cars registered a while after the updated range is launched..

 

[Manddr1]

Hi there. Yes tail lights are body coloured in the centre. Thanks

 

[Manddr1]

The plastic pipe from the thermostat to the heater matrix cracks flush with the thermostat can leak from there without being obvious remove the air box and battery find the hose that runs from the thermostat to the matrix!- grip it right where it joints the thermostat( black plastic looking nut thats actually part of the body!) push pull and try to wiggle from side to side if its cracked it WILL SNAP OFF! drain coolant down, remove the thermostat then remove the remains of the plastic stub from the rubber pipe!.'
Go online and find a new thermostat that has a METAL pipe once fitted it should never happen again! follow procedures to top up and blead the cooling system and you should be good!

 

[varesecrazy]

Have a good look down between the battery and the end of the engine, that is where the Thermostat is

 

[Manddr1]

Thanks for your help. Much appreciated!

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Hi there. Thanks. Has full service history. Has been driven very little over year before we bought it. Fluid level is okay. Will try flushing out, could also be the thermostat? Thanks for your response

People above have covered the points that occur to me but just thought I'd chip in that the thermostats usually fail open, The one's I've dealt with anyway, so it's more usual to find an engine running cold on one of these if it's the thermostat.

 

[steveras57]

People above have covered the points that occur to me but just thought I'd chip in that the thermostats usually fail open, The one's I've dealt with anyway, so it's more usual to find an engine running cold on one of these if it's the thermostat.

Agreed when the plastic heater matrix feed stub on the thermostat cracks its nigh near impossible to see! usually you get a mystery coolant loss you cant trace and then one day BOOM the pipe fails and catastrophic coolant loss results that why i advise everyone to check them!.

 

[John202020]

People above have covered the points that occur to me but just thought I'd chip in that the thermostats usually fail open,

Apart from mine that was new and stuck shut, that was expensive on the Mazda