Peugeot 306 1.9 diesel - water level ??
Edward
I've just bought a P-reg 50k 306d. Driving it home, I noticed the
heater didn't heat up, it just blasted out cold air for 20 miles or
so. A bit of investigation led me to suspect a shortage of water. The
level in the radiator was right down, so I topped it up to just below
the overflow outlet near the filler cap. I left the car for a week and
checked it again, the level had dropped about 2-3 inches. I ran the
engine for a few mins and checked again. As soon as I loosened the
filler cap, water began to spurt out of the overflow outlet underneath
it.
There have been a few posts explaining that the radiator filler cap is
below the highest level of the water system, so you need to fill it
using a header tank while the engine is running!! - This scared me a
bit so I just topped it up as described above
Should the level of water have gone down over the week I didn't use
it?
Should the water spurt out (if filler cap released) after the engine
has been running for 5-10mins?
Your advice is appreciated!
Edward.
dojj
he has tried everything and just keeps a lot of water in the boot
something to do with an air lock in the heater matrix possible but that's
the only thing he aint tried
"Edward" <ego...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:587a2724.0211...@posting.google.com...
Steve
of this.
Rog
>
> Edward.
Seems a similar set-up to my 405.
Top up the coolant to the top of the header tank, bleed at the thermostat
housing then the radiator (i needed pliers).
Keep the header tank topped up at all times.
I then leave off the rad cap till the thermostat is open and the coolant is
circulating.
--
Rog
http://www.geocities.com/rogerscyberhome
John Kenyon
>
> I've just bought a P-reg 50k 306d. Driving it home, I noticed the
> heater didn't heat up, it just blasted out cold air for 20 miles or
> so. A bit of investigation led me to suspect a shortage of water. The
> level in the radiator was right down, so I topped it up to just below
> the overflow outlet near the filler cap. I left the car for a week and
> checked it again, the level had dropped about 2-3 inches. I ran the
> engine for a few mins and checked again. As soon as I loosened the
> filler cap, water began to spurt out of the overflow outlet underneath
> it.
>
> There have been a few posts explaining that the radiator filler cap is
> below the highest level of the water system, so you need to fill it
> using a header tank while the engine is running!! - This scared me a
> bit so I just topped it up as described above
>
> Should the level of water have gone down over the week I didn't use
> it?
No.
>
> Should the water spurt out (if filler cap released) after the engine
> has been running for 5-10mins?
No, Not after such a short period.
BTW I assume that you have the "old" 306 - the filler cap mounted
on the radiator, rather than the "new" shape which has a separate
expansion tank, mounted on a bracket on back lefthand side of the rad?
(Not that it makes that much difference)
/john
Carl
>
> I've just bought a P-reg 50k 306d. Driving it home, I noticed the
> heater didn't heat up, it just blasted out cold air for 20 miles or
> so. A bit of investigation led me to suspect a shortage of water. The
> level in the radiator was right down, so I topped it up to just below
> the overflow outlet near the filler cap. I left the car for a week and
> checked it again, the level had dropped about 2-3 inches. I ran the
> engine for a few mins and checked again. As soon as I loosened the
> filler cap, water began to spurt out of the overflow outlet underneath
> it.
>
> There have been a few posts explaining that the radiator filler cap is
> below the highest level of the water system, so you need to fill it
> using a header tank while the engine is running!! - This scared me a
> bit so I just topped it up as described above
_____________________________________________________
The pipes leading to the heater matrix are higher than the rad so you need
to bleed the system which does involve using a makeshift bottle over the the
rad header tank to bring the level of coolant way above these pipes. To do
this you need to run the engine with the header tank cap off and the temp
control set to full hot. Place the makeshift bottle over the header tank
and seal it with tape so it wont leak when you fill it with coolant. Run
the engine and fill the bottle with coolant so its level is higher than the
heater pipes. There are two bleed screws on this engine which you will see
clearly on pipes leading to the matrix. Unscrew the *bottom* one first and
allow all the air to escape then tighten. Then do the same for the next
higher one and re-tighten. All the time you need to make sure the coolant
stays higher than these pipes in your makeshift bottle. Its messy but easy
to do and it works. This the correct way to bleed these engines.
However you need to get the leak sorted first. Even without a leak, you
should get some heat from the heater. So either you have one hell of an
airlock in the system or the thermostat is no longer serviceable and is
stuck open, which would mean cold air all the time. Failing that, its a
leak in conjunction with a big air lock en-route to the heater matrix.
If the drivers or passenger footwells are wet then suspect a leaky matrix.
the next suspect thing is the rad and then the hoses/connections.
Good luck,
Carl