there is going to be a lot of overheating issues when summer comes.so please make sure you have checked the car over

 

correct coolant levels vital on these engines as they run so hot even worse in hotter weather,make sure you have enough coolant otherwise the inevitble will happen

 

viscous fan,yes they do fail! so make sure yours is working fully,otherwise in long traffic with high temps,will also cause problems

 

rad caps,again dont buy cheap imitation caps,these do not use the correct rating,and may also cause water to pressurise out the rad,OEM ones are best or speak to chris for a decent aftermarket one.

 

radiators,koyo is by far best ;) and holds more water/coolant,if your using your stock radiator,which is off course sufficant,then makes sure you check the lower hose,for kinks/splits,and the jubilee clips are tight and are not of poor quailty the OEM wire clips are best,another failure over time can be the rad top where the cap screws on,over the years this can wear down and cause a poor seal,resulting in coolant to expel out of the radiator

 

thermostatif it takes a while for your car to come up to temp,this could be due to clogged water channels,or a slow operating thermostat,if your z is due for a cambelt service,get the front stripped out and vital cooling items replaced inc...

waterpump

2small hoses

thermostat

etc

 

temp gaugethis is the most important gauge to buy,the stock one will start to rise at around 110 oc this is not good enough,by which time your engine is on its way to an early death,iv seen where people have not noticed there car overheating,and have melted all there coilpacks in the heads so be warned,get a decent set of gauges FFS

 

 

any leaks you have put off!! get them fixed ;)

i dont want to sound daft but it happens all to often,these engines dont like high temps and you dont need to visit the z hospital :o to many are as you can see

 

all very good advice apart from the rad!! my PWR is much better than the koyo :rofl: then again its much more expensive :D only messing koyos/other uprated rad are a must upgrade for a zed for a matter of a few hundred quid!!

 

Mike

OE rad cap deffo the best ive had, problem with aftermarket ones it they raise the pressure in the system and any semi weak water hose goes shortly after, from my experience though .

good advice, on the coolant level, whats the best way to check the coolant level?

 

I have heard of running the car, then taking off the rad cap and then toping up the rad level? Or is it just a case of the car being cool and making sure the rad is full plus the overflow res?

Would also recommend

 

1. a coolant flush to get rid of any crap thats in the system

 

2. Adding some water wetter to the coolant

 

3. Dont skimp on coolant - make sure you buy the recommended stuff!!!! plain water wont cut it lol

 

4, Check over all the hoses and pipes for any signs of damage or deterioration, if in doubt - replace them

good advice, on the coolant level, whats the best way to check the coolant level?

 

I have heard of running the car, then taking off the rad cap and then toping up the rad level? Or is it just a case of the car being cool and making sure the rad is full plus the overflow res?

dont do it when hot otherwise you risk scalding yourself,do it when cool,top up with required amount,if your water is looking rusty and not very clean,you may benefit dropping it all out and repalacing with new,making sure you remove the bleed screw and keep topping up until air is removed,and the heating is blowing hot air,then check daily through out the summer ;) if you just drain the rad out you will only require around 3-4litres use a 50-50 ratio of coolant and water

And a Slam Panel ..... And a vented bonnet helps :D ....

 

Even in todays scorching temperatures the gauge was visibly lower than normal.

What is involved in fitting a aftermarket water temp gauge ?? will new gauge come with all necessery bits ??

you may need an adaptor to plug the sender into the water pipe nad

I've got the Nissan coolant in mine. I can't remember if it's a specific type or if it's just general stuff that the main dealers use.

The best ive found is 'Toyota For life' coolant, and it means what it says, you should never have to change it. I use it on WRX's, EVO's, Supra's etc etc. The coolant turns yellow with traces of combustion (BHG) so its also good for that. Always use it with the redline water wetter. Im not a fan of additives, but its the only one id swear by!

cooling problems are also often caused by "dirty" condensors (radiator type thing in front of the main radiator) ... clogged fins of the condensor or other debris/paper in front of the condensor will have a MAJOR effect on airflow and efficiency of the engine coolant radiator.

Often it helps to clean the condensor by removing the main radiator and using a air compressor to blow out the dirt from the inside out...or, if your aircon is not working anymore and you have no plans on repairing/refilling the aircon in the near future, get rid of the condensor all together. (unfortunately you have to remove the front bumper to be able to do this)

 

Installing vented bonnets help cooling very well, but as a cheap/simple alternative you can remove the rubber bonnet seals at the back of the bonnet and top of the firewall area, so you actually have some airflow under the bonnet.

Putting a few rings under the bonnet hinges,so the bonnet is slightly lifted at the back improves "under bonnet" airflow even more.

 

as a cheap/simple alternative to an aftermarket temp gauge, you can wire a 12V LED to pin 6 of the ECU (connect other pin of the led to earth). the LED will turn on as soon as the acc. fan kicks in and the engine is overheating.

I have a stock rad and my water temp is normally between 70c and 80c on my aftermarket gauge. I was driving to work today in very hot weather keeping a steady 90mph, and i noticed it was reading about 82c which is hotter then normal. I then slowed down as I got into town and it dropped back down to its normal 75c

 

what are the normal operating temps of a Z?

good advice there greg, of course you do need to have your car on the road in the first place, looks like diesel bmw driving for me for a while yet lol

good advice there greg, of course you do need to have your car on the road in the first place, looks like diesel bmw driving for me for a while yet lol

 

 

It must be all white zeds that have that problem lol

correct coolant levels vital on these engines as they run so hot even worse in hotter weather,make sure you have enough coolant otherwise the inevitble will happen

 

I know this too well travelling along the motorway most days with work. During the start of the summer months, cars are sprawled in the laybys with the engine bay open with a atmosphere full of steam.

 

Checking over any car doesnt take long anyway. Saves on huge garage bills at the end of it.

 

Dave G

It must be all white zeds that have that problem lol

:slap: only when the body is being cut about :headvswal

;)

:slap: only when the body is being cut about :headvswal

 

Kev you should have a red cross on your car so it looks like an england flag !

Also if you take the glass panels of your roof and put the windows down make sure your car interior is not cluttered with litter. First time i drove my zed with the top off 2 weeks ago lots of crap was flying around and i had a carrier bag stick on the front of my face - not good!

;)

 

Kev you should have a red cross on your car so it looks like an england flag !

at least mine is all one colour :x:

Greg

Good thread, and just the problems that I am worried about in these temperatures. My Jap TT gets hot as soon as there is any excitment. No reason to doubt the coolant, but I do wonder about the cut in temperatures on the fan. What is normal running for the stock radiator?

Dave

One other thing,just to be safe against high temps in hot weather,try not to use aircon at very low speed or when idle in traffic,as engine working harder and temp increases,trust me overheating can result!

 

Tony