I'm no mechanic as I said before but I would imagine this is a thermostat problem.

 

The car has been running cool for a while, takes a while for the temp guage to move and it only goes about 1/4" way up at best and the heaters are working but not so hot as you would think

 

Anyway last night I took the car for her first proper run since i got her back on the road. On the open road I was only getting the temp guage up to about 1/8th but the car was running fine and we were getting some warmth from the heaters.

 

Leaving our friends house the car eventually warmed up a bit and the heaters started blowing warmish, but coming back up the M6 very late last night outdoors was minus several degrees once out of the built up areas and once I got up to 80 or so the heaters got cooler until they were just tepid and the temp guage dropped to the bottom and wouldn't move.

 

The car was running fine though

 

Just checked everything this morning , I have a radiator full of water and I know there is sufficient antifreeze in

 

 

So is that a thermostat problem?

 

If so is it something I can easily change myself?

 

Will it do any damage if the engine is cooler than it should be?

 

cheers

dicky

How hot does the radiator feel ?

 

could be the stats jammed open, so the engine has to heat up the full coolent system.

 

i had the same issue on my zed and never even knew about it until two years ago Jeff told me at JAE.

I didnt actually stop last night on the M6 to find out!

 

Will take the car for a bit of a run today or tomorrow and then check

 

Rich

If you feel the two water pipes as you will be able to tell with the heat transfer if water is flowing through them.

 

although saying that if it was jammed shut you would be having over heating issues, so your lucky its jammed open

rather than been closed.

Pasted from an old tech thread of mine in 2009

 

 

Tech tip 2

 

The humble engine thermostat is often overlooked when performance issues arise and can have dramatic effect in particular the twin turbo and a lesser but just as important level on the non turbo zeds

 

The thermostat is very commonly misunderstood in how it functions and this can in turn lead to ignoring the running issues that it can directly cause.

 

The unit works from cold by restricting the flow of water around the engine block with the exception of a small by pass hole which prevents the water pump been overloaded. A simple but effective temperature sensitive action moves the valve either open or closed according to water temperature.

The restriction mentioned earlier in the water flow is designed to get the engine up to temperature quickly and efficiently and also assists the heater matrix warm up time.

 

Once the designed engine temperature approaches the stat begins to open, this allows extra water to now flow into the block and onwards. Now this is where the story ends for many remember the common misconception that I mentioned earlier? the stat is more than just an open and shut valve it is a modulating stat which in essence the stat will close again slightly after the initial opening due to the extra movement of water through it. As this now restricts the flow again the temperature rises slightly and the stat responds by opening again, this action or “modulation” is what “regulates” the engine temperature at a mean average of around 80 deg c

 

Now take a look at the two stats below, a used and faulty one to the left of the pic`s and a new Nissan item to the right of the pic`s.

 

Clearly the faulty one is open and as it is at room temperature it should be closed like the new one, and what effect would this have on a zed engine?

 

Surprisingly a LOT!

 

The twin turbo model had built in safe guards to prevent hard boosting when the engine is cold by acting on the boost solenoid valves, now this is different to safety boost as the ignition is not effected so does not feel so obvious the temperature needs to be above 68 deg c approx. to give full boost.

 

Now typically a stat jammed open will have the effect of reducing the engine running temp by 15 to 20 deg c which clearly will mean the engine never gets out of the cold running restriction, add to this the ecu will be fuelling accordingly to the lower temperature which is not good for mpg!

 

Sometimes a stat although jammed will be only slightly open this then means the engine will actually hover around 70deg c, so full boost is available, until you give it some beans and the extra cooling air and water volume increase reduces the temp by a small amount that is below the full boost temperature, this can end up been a cycle of good boost ...bad boost....good boost ...bad boost.....

The non turbo will of course be less effected, however an engine not running at full temperature is not running efficiently and will suffer accordingly too.

 

So what's to do? simple change the thermostat, an easy and quick job and full stat “modulation” and engine temperature “regulating” returns and so does the happy engine performance we all crave.

 

 

Jeff TT

 

 

 

You could try using the left hand temperature control pod in diagnostic mode,

you can then page through to read actual coolant temp.

When fully warm I think you should be seeing around 80 degrees.

Depends on what type of pod it is mind, IE series 1 or series 2.

Your temp gauge is poor but should reach almost halfway and stay there.

You should get all toastie inside no matter what the outside temp is.

Your thermostat is old and as done a lot of work, change it for a new one bud :cool3:.

The twin turbo model had built in safe guards to prevent hard boosting when the engine is cold by acting on the boost solenoid valves, now this is different to safety boost as the ignition is not effected so does not feel so obvious the temperature needs to be above 68 deg c approx. to give full boost.

 

Would that still affect my car Jeff, as I have an EVC boost controller on it.

 

 

Now typically a stat jammed open will have the effect of reducing the engine running temp by 15 to 20 deg c which clearly will mean the engine never gets out of the cold running restriction, add to this the ecu will be fuelling accordingly to the lower temperature which is not good for mpg!

 

 

Hmm actually this Zed does seem to drink fuel even compared to my old blue one. I hadn't thought about it before as the cost of fuel is higher than back in 2009 when I had my first Z - but it does seem to get through a lot of it, rather than it just costing more for the same amount...

 

Funnily enough I do have another problem I noticed since the car was sprayed white. I was gonna post about this separately but it may be to do with what Jeff just posted? Have a look at pics below. Yesterday the car was washed and polished

 

After a 150 mile round trip I have a sooty deposit above the exhausts.

 

Its always the same once it is washed it just soots up again and is worse if I just run around town a bit rather than on poen roads.

 

And always seems worse on the offside, as it is now. Would that be due to running rich as the engine does not get up to temperature?

 

OK so I must have a stuck thermostat. How easy is it to change?

 

After I get the car cleaned again that is lol

 

dicky

Edited January 13, 201312 yr by dicky96

Did a forum search - but is there a novices guide to changing the thermostat anywhere?

 

Seems like a lot of you guys already did this at some point or other

Did a forum search - but is there a novices guide to changing the thermostat anywhere?

 

Seems like a lot of you guys already did this at some point or other

 

Most people have it changed (or change it themselves) when doing the cambelt mate - from what I have seen you have to remove the radiator, fan and belt covers to get at it!! So basically it is almost as much work as doing a cam belt, but without actually taking the belt off; which is probably why there is no "novices guide" to doing it.....

 

Richard:nuke:

this happened to mine last year ,,changing it not too bad to do

It's behind the water pump mate, so you'll need to drain the coolant and remove stuff until you can get at it. Putting it back is just a case of bolting everything back up again and adding new coolant. Don't forget to seal the pump with silicon gasket as well..

Hmmm sounds a bit complex

 

But perhaps though it's really is time I ought to pluck up courage and have a go at something like this with a bit of advice from here

 

So what is it then - take the front bumper off, the air filter and stuff thats behind the headlight panel, then the radiator. The fan? (is that attached to the radiator - its behind a big plastic housing)

 

Then there is the plastic cover over the timing belt / fan belt

 

What after that? The water pump must be behind on one of those pulleys I assume

 

Or is it easier than that?

 

I can get access to a garage (full facilities, ramps etc) at the weekend when he is not working as he let me have a key so it would be a shame not to have a go I guess

 

Actually I also have a pulley or something that makes an odd squeaking noice (like someone repeatedly trod on an inflatable duck) sometimes when the car is ticking over esp when cold - and also occasionally I get a squealing belt noise when the car starts (goes away after a few secs or a minute if you hit the accelerator, or just on it's own) sometimes this also happens a couple of mins after the car is started, and very badly when i tried to jump start my van!!

 

 

 

Possibly I can get all that sorted while I am at it then?

 

dicky

Edited January 13, 201312 yr by dicky96

I did mine last year on my driveway when the water pump needed replacing.

 

It takes some time just to get to it, but its fairly obvious and simple. Bumper stays on. Rad and fan out. Water pipes off. And I think I used a small pulley (£15 on ebay) to remove a wheel.

 

I think I found a guide on here. Just get the parts and allocate a day to do it, then theres no worries.

 

Better that than letting an untrustworthy garage loose on it.....

If you aren't up for doing it yourself mate, Stoke is not a million miles from Zedworld.....

 

.....but good on you for giving it a go!!

 

Richard:cool3:

 

Would that still affect my car Jeff, as I have an EVC boost controller on it.

 

I have a sooty deposit above the exhausts.

 

Would that be due to running rich as the engine does not get up to temperature?

 

OK so I must have a stuck thermostat. How easy is it to change?

 

dicky

 

 

Ok Dicky, you have completed the full picture now, the low running temp, fuel use and soot on the rear bumper is all indictaive of a thermostat stuck open, how easy to change? see below...

 

 

If you aren't up for doing it yourself mate, Stoke is not a million miles from Zedworld.....

Richard:cool3:

 

 

Mmm.. so true Richard, 49 miles according to Google maps, and dicky its not a bad job DIY but if you want it doing its a while you wait job and would include a full ConZult set up, the fuel saving after it been change will soon recoup the travel cost to Zedworld, oh and it includes tea / coffee supplied by Lynda.

 

 

Cheers

 

Jeff TT

Edited January 13, 201312 yr by JeffTT

Jeff I'll give you a call tomorrow

 

I really wouldn't mind trying myself as I gotta learn more about working on this car sooner rather than later... but if you can figure out the squeeky thing that sounds like someone treading on a rubber duck once per second and also the occasional squeeling belt while you are at it then I may just as well give it a miss on this occasion (coward) lol

 

dicky

Edited January 13, 201312 yr by dicky96

Mmm.. so true Richard, 49 miles according to Google maps, and dicky its not a bad job DIY but if you want it doing its a while you wait job and would include a full ConZult set up, the fuel saving after it been change will soon recoup the travel cost to Zedworld, oh and it includes tea / coffee supplied by Lynda.

 

 

Cheers

 

Jeff TT

 

....Not to mention toast and/or biccies as well......

 

.....and I'm not on commission BTW....:whistling:

 

Richard:cool3:

Here you go :)

 

http://www.pexcom.com.au/z32cms/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.233

its a seriously easy job it shouldn't take you even an hour. remove the rad and the fan makes life easier, then unbolt the two ali hard pipes, some hex head sockets make life easier. the lower one holds the thermostat. change the little steel hats behind the top front pipe, and the two short pipes connecting it all.

Here you go :)

 

http://www.pexcom.com.au/z32cms/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.233

 

Nice link!

Nice one guys (esp rolandas)

 

Given the pics I probably would have given it a go

 

However Jeff already made me a damn good offer and also said he would look at what is causng the occasionally squeeling belt and the 'dancing on a rubber duck' noise so this time she goes down to Zedworld

 

But seriously with the great help of this forum i'm gonna do some jobs on this car for sure!

 

 

dicky

I took the Zed down to Zedworld today where Jeff changed the thermostat - it was indeed stuck wide open!

 

I haven't driven the car far enough yet to comment on fuel economy, but one thing is certain. I told Jeff that I had not noticed any difference in the car performance when the stat was faulty - but I think it must have been broken for some time and I forgot how the car ran before. It's certainly running better now, it feels more responsive. And it's nice and warm inside!!

 

So cheers Jeff and all who advised, I'm well happy

 

Rich

Glad to hear you got it sorted mate. enjoy!

Glad you found the heater warmer and the engine running better, not often to see thermostats to fails open so much as yours to be fair.

 

On another note the bodywork and lighting on your zed looks really creative and one off...nice.

 

 

Jeff TT

 

 

 

 

On another note the bodywork and lighting on your zed looks really creative and one off...nice.

 

 

Jeff TT

 

 

Jeff you must have seen hundreds of Zeds in your time so your comments re what I have been doing to style my car are so much appreciated

 

Shame it was so grubby and full of ice today but Cheers :D