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EP3 Overheating and blowing cold air

wanna_be_dj

wanna_be_dj

Messages
62
Hi All

After doing roughly 40 miles yesterday I noticed my car was overheating and the blower was continously blowing cold. I managed to get it home ok but as it was late didn't really look at it till this morning. I'm no mechanic so I did the norm and topped up the radiator. 2.5ltrs of water went in the radiator and 2ltrs went in the reserve. I also topped up the oil as that was low. Drove to work this morning, car started to over heat again, got to 3/4 full, then went back to normal temp. Then as I was pulling up to my work car park it went up again. Through out the journey the blower was set to warm but blew cold all the way.
Distance to my work is roughly 4mile.

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
The heater matrix works from the hot coolant from the engine cooling system running through it. If it's cold, then the coolant isn't getting to it.

4.5l is a lot of water to put into the coolant system, so you didn't just top it up you pretty much refilled it.

I'm also guessing that most of it will have disappeared again since the heater still isn't working? Any air in the system should have worked its way out enough to let the heaters get warm, but that isn't happening.

Take the oil cap off and look for any mayo type substance in the bottom of the cap or inside the rocker cover. If you do have it, coolant is getting into the oil either from the cylinder head (gasket or warped head), cracked block or one of these fabled bungs in the cylinders.

If you don't, and your coolant level has dropped again you've got a nice leak somewhere. Radiator, water pump and heater matrix would be good places to look.

Oh, and don't drive it while it's like this. Overheating will knacker the engine.
 
Thanks Loxy
I checked the oil and I couldn't see any mayo. But will check again when I'm on my break.
Last time I had the same problem to this was in my Saxo VTR. And that was the head and it looked like someone had cooked eggs in it
 
***UPDATE***

No Mayo in the head. Took it for a quick drive to the petrol station (less than a mile away). Can stayed at normal temp there. But on the way back went to 3/4 and stayed there
 
Garage before it does any damage.

It could now be a faulty thermostat, but since you put in 4.5l something has gone wrong. What's the coolant level like now?
 
Sorry, can't see the level of water. But I'll check by putting some in later.
I've got next week off so will book it in the garage for Monday. Thanks for your help
 
I had a very similar sounding problem with my old WRX before I got my Civic, it drank many many litres of coolant and ran hot, heaters blowing cold etc.
It turned out to be the head gasket even though I couldn't find any mayo/sludge under the cap. I was quoted well over a grand for new gaskets fitted, not a small job on any motor!

Not trying to be a negative Nancy, but I really hope you've got it sorted and it wasn't a gasket or warping issue!
 
Have a compression test done, hopefully that will tell you. When the head gasket went in the ATR there was no mayonnaise, just depends on where its leaking.
 
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