vz sv6 overheating

[vn50L]

Hey guys.

We've got a completely stock sv6 auto. 70,000k's on the clock only 2000 of which are ours (picked it up 2nd hand a few months ago) noticed while trickling along hoddle st at peak hour last week that the temp gauge got within one bar of the red zone, but it was a pretty hot day, and we were in traffic for around an hour, and after reading the manual which said this was fairly normal, and checking the fluid levels which were fine, i ignored it. Yesterday arvo got stuck in traffic again, but not for long, and had already been driving around the city for about an hour, turned the aircon on and within 2-3 minutes high temp warning came up. a few days prior the "service engine oil" reminder started popping up as well (naturally pulled straight over and turned car off). So combining the two warnings, im a bit concerned about head gasket etc.

So, whats your verdict? Is this car too young to have had a thermostat shit itself?? If it wasn't such a prick of a thing to replace i'd just replace it and see how it goes. Could it be an airlock?? and should i be concerned about head/head gasket?? and whats the easiest way to diagnose a head leak in this car??

Any help would be greatly appreciated as i know FA about this car.

Cheers

[Trevor 062]

Go to a decent mechanic & get her pressure tested..it may have a slight leak or radiator cap is stuffed, Just don't hope a new thermostat or water pump is needed...

[Sparkmaker]

well I had the same problem like u. happened to me 2 times but I didn't get the service engine oil message so what I did was cleaned the radiator with an air blower then I noticed some grass and plastic bags in front of the radiator removed them then opened the coolant recovery black cap and I heard a
( PSSSSS ) sound like it was releasing some pressure after that the coolant level dropped and I added some coolant and I also ( like in the manual ) changed the car oil and filter because it gets affected by the overheat and becomes a bit useless and I think thats why u got service engine oil message the second time ( well the manual says so ) also cleaned the air filter just to make sure.

after that the car was fine well that helped me I hope it helps u too.

changing the oil was the expensive part other than that it was mostly cleaning .

NOTE : the air con was on when I had the problem and it wasn't cooling perfectly almost like hot air.

PLZ replay sir if the problem is fixed and let us know how u fixed it . u will be helping us all sir

[ruffiano]

I got all the old service records for my SV6, looks like the radiator cap was replaced at about 60,000Km, so maybe there's a general fault there?

[PaulSV6]

I got all the old service records for my SV6, looks like the radiator cap was replaced at about 60,000Km, so maybe there's a general fault there?

Yeah, i did mine around 60k, the rubber on the underside of the cap had perished. I havent had any overheating issues.

[vn50L]

thanks for all your replies people.

Had an RACV check when i got the car, and they said the radiator cap was stuffed, so yeh, i replaced it about a month ago. I cant believe the price to change a friggin thermostat on this car. $450-$650 is just.....insane! cost $5 on my vn and took like 15 minutes, but anyway.

called the mechanic and , sight unseen, they're thinking either leak at water pump, air blockage (which would suggest some sort of leak) or, thermostat, but they said thermostat is unlikely on this car given the milage.

oh and i saw somewhere in this forum, that the whole "sevice engine oil message" is a glitch?? i dunno what to think about that though, given im having problems.

will keep you guys posted.

[Trevor 062]

On the VZ a bitch of a job changing thermostat & water pump, because it's fitted to the back of the motor up against the firewall..Actually I have been told it's easier to pull out the motor rather than trying to dick around with it. So I gather the $450-$650 is for supply & fit.

[Sparkmaker]

. I cant believe the price to change a friggin thermostat on this car. $450-$650 is just.....insane!.

O M G what were they thinking when the made that thermostat

[andyman]

the service engine oil is a programming fault, some cars got the export cars software flashed into them, a firmware upgrade at holden fixes that,

if it warms up like that, check the radiator cap, has the rubber on the underside cap swelled out andn split? if you give the spring a quick tug does it seperate from the cap?

if yes, replace the cap,

what sort of condition is the coolent in?

is there any leak marks from the water pump? the water pump is the big black pulley thats pretty well underneath the intake pipe on the throttle body, look down the front of the motor and se if there is any white ish stains, there

remove the radiator cap, and the the shroud over the top of the radiator, on the drivers side of the radiator there is a plastic screw, undo that plastic screw and verify that coolent runs out of it, (thats the radiator bleeder)

id suspect is most likely the coolant cap, if it was a thermostat it would over heat probably within 5-10mins of the car being started from cold, generally once a thermostat is open from being heated, it wont jamm shut again later when the car is running,

let us know how you go

[VesperZ]

I got my car serviced last week and apparently my radiator cap and O-Rings needed replacing. Apparently this is a common issue with the VZ's. Although in saying that I've never had an overheating issue.

[andyman]

I got my car serviced last week and apparently my radiator cap and O-Rings needed replacing. Apparently this is a common issue with the VZ's. Although in saying that I've never had an overheating issue.

they wont over heat to start with, but itll gradually get worse, like when i replaced mine, the thermo fans were cutting in real early to what they used to, and sitting at the lights it would go between 1/4 and half when normally it sits on 1/4

[Sparkmaker]

if it warms up like that, check the radiator cap, has the rubber on the underside cap swelled out andn split? if you give the spring a quick tug does it seperate from the cap?
if yes, replace the cap,

ur right my friend has the same problem his car overheats sometimes because the cap spring split he changed it and he is good to go.

[vn50L]

Thanks again for all ur help people. Problem solved. when i finally got around to pulling out the cap to have a look, i looked down and the bottom of the old radiator cap was still jammed in the hole! turns out when my gf's dad "did her a favour" and went out and picked up the new cap for her a couple weeks back, and replaced it for her, through a complete act of stupidity, he managed to make life much worse. I should be glad it was something so simple, just sucks when you take other peoples word for things, and it turns out they're complete 'tards.

thanks again guys.

[andyman]

Thanks again for all ur help people. Problem solved. when i finally got around to pulling out the cap to have a look, i looked down and the bottom of the old radiator cap was still jammed in the hole! turns out when my gf's dad "did her a favour" and went out and picked up the new cap for her a couple weeks back, and replaced it for her, through a complete act of stupidity, he managed to make life much worse. I should be glad it was something so simple, just sucks when you take other peoples word for things, and it turns out they're complete 'tards.

thanks again guys.

lol good to see you sorted it, that cap must have been tight as a mofo though haha

[j-mo]

Sounds familiar

My VE Lasted 75,000kms