VT temperature
Hi guys
Been having some trouble wth my VT getting hot. Temp gauge sits at almost half and will go up to about 3/4 sitting at lights. The digital temp got up to 107 degrees after driving only 4ks this morning (cold day). Every time I turn the car off I can hear a 'hissing' sound coming from the radiator area (drivers side) but can't see anything spraying out and nothing in the area looks wet. On a hot day there will be a bit of coolant on the ground after driving.
Coolant was topped up 2 weeks ago, but we didn't flush or bleed the system. Coolant in the overflow is at the right level and is clean & bright. Heater tap was replaced about a year ago. The fans appear to be working fine, but I haven't checked what temp the car is at before each fan kicks in.
Has a quick search through the forums and it appears I should be bleeding the system after topping up the radiator - is that right? Could the hissing sound be air? Any other suggestions?
try checking ur thermostat, and try bleeding the air out from the screw on the cover for the thermostat, some people say it is not necesary but it doesnt hurt
Thanks, will do.
After a longer drive today, checked the radiator again. It had lost a fair amount of coolant, but the overflow still had the same amount.
Managed to find where it's leaking too (pic attached). There were bubbles coming out of the area I circled. Any idea what that is and how to fix it?
Donating member
either the plastic tank has cracked, which is common on the hot side of radiator, or the 'o' ring between tank and core is leaking. Either way, you will have to take radiator to a repair shop to have tank replaced, or fit a new complete radiator. Happened to me a coupla years ago, (split tank) so I had the tank replaced. Pricks charged me $130, I removed & R the radiator myself, and then afterwards I found I could have bought a new unit for less than $200.
Bugger. I was hoping it would be just a split hose or something. Can't afford to get a new radiator till after xmas - if I keep topping up the coolant, do you think it'll be fine to drive on short trips?
If you can't get it repaired/replaced right now just clean the surface around the leak with some metho and a brush and cover the area with one of those epoxy repair kits something like Selley's Knead it. It shoudl fix the leak for a while. The only problem you have is if the leak gets worse and dumps the coolant you will might need a tow which will cost about as much as a new radiator. If I didn't have the money right now I'd use a credit card and save up for when it is due and wouldn't be doing any "long trips".Originally Posted by Melissa
Donating member
For a short term 'fix' put some radiator sealer in the coolant.
Ebay has 123 listings for VT commodore radiator. I purchased one a few months ago and just came back from a Queensland trip, no problems at all. The first 2 in the list I am giving you are $124 with free delivery. One of these is the one I bought. Took me 3/4 hour to fit. Might save your motor. When you refill with coolant, use Nulon Long Life and put 6 litres in un mixed ie straight as it is almost immpossible to completely drain the old coolant out of your engine without removing the knock sensors. It is a tough job without a hoist.
vt commodore radiator, Car, Truck Parts items at low prices on eBay.com.au
Thanks guys. I'll have a look for the radiator sealer stuff.
Graham, I had a look on ebay a bit earlier and was suprised to see how cheap they are. For some reason I was thinking they'd be at least a few hundred. Still have to wait till after xmas though!
Melissa, so did I until I looked. Also, not to throw a wet blanket on your sealer idea but your leak is in a bad position to work well, due to flexing in that area/part of the radiator where the top hose joins it. give it a go anyway as you don't want to cook your motor.
What do you think about the epoxy stuff that wortus mentioned?
Wortus is right, any two part epoxy will do the job. You should clean the area thoroughly and roughen it a little bit (steelo, not soapy) so the stuff you use can grab securely. also, if the crack is near the join between the plastic tank and the aluminium part of the radiator, you should work it right into the area to ensure a good seal. The epoxy you can work with your hands like plasticine is better than the liquid type as getting the liquid to stay in the area is nearly impossible unless the radiator is out of the car. By liquid I mean stuff like Araldite. I used that on a ford (sorry) plastic header tank and it was still holding ie not leaking when I sold it months later. Most spare part places carry the two part epoxy plastic repair stuff you rub (work) together. Try to push the mixed epoxy right into the crack. Get a new radiator asap
Thanks Graham. I'll give the epoxy a go. Might just ask Santa for a radiator
lol you are right, and some people haven't seen what a steam spot can do to a cylinder wall!!!
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