Engine Failure

[MattyP]

Hi everyone

Please can someone help me!!!!!??

Whilst driving home tonight from work my engine management light came on and my trac off light and my temperature guage stopped working, all happened in the same moment. being cold out side the heating was on but as soon as the light came on so the heat stopped and all i can now get is cold air. The car drove fine home and nothing out of the ordinary seemed to occur. BUT just as i was driving down my road i smelt what i knew was my engine over heating, as the revs dropped down to idle, the engine could not hold its self almost like it was missing a coule of cylinders and then cut out.

I left it to cool down and went back out to it a while later, there was no watrer showing in the water bottle but i know this doesnt mean there isnt water in the system, (i only filled her up 3 days ago with correct anti freeze etc), theyre are no signs of leaking or cracked pipes (as it is currrently -1) from what i can see. I have now topped up water again in bottle so full, i then tried starting the engine but now it wont even start, it will turn over and fires up but instantly chokes and cuts out. The original lights i explained came on also still come up on the display but the temp guage now works......i am really stuck for ideas all i can think is possibly sticky thermostat, broken water pump or maybe i do have a leak in the rad?? I'd love to know why it wont start theough and what could have stopped hot air blowing through

All ideas and suggestiuons welcome im trying to deal with myself as xmas is close and pay day aint!!! lol thankyou to all that have given time to read

matt

[DimitrisTS]

It would help a lot if you can read from the OBD port what are the problem codes.

It seems to me like an electrical problem more than anything else.

Hope you figure it out soon and wont cost much...

[Monster-Mat]

fill it back up with coolant again first.... then try again,

pull out the spark plugs and check the ends, ....see if they are wet

[MattyP]

Thanks alot for ur suggetions

Went out and tried to start it and it did, runs smooth as anything no weird noises, all dash lights are now off etc etc.......BUT lol :) It only runs ok up untill the temp get to hot then cuts out and need a good hour or so to cool down, so only reallly getting couple mins orf driving time before it dies, no good.... I gues it wont be the enginge temp sensor as the temp guage in car works fine going from cold to hot also regiresting when it over heats, so i gues thats ok? so im guna wittle it down to thermostat or water pump, which is more likey of the two? being thick how does the water pump work is it powered through the pully??

[Asi]

coolant level fine?

[Steve ( West Mids )]

Have you been putting anti-freeze as well as water into the cooling system? Have you looked at the all the plugs after it stops running? You need to get diagnostics done to find the cause, it could be lambda sensor ( but normally a fault like that would put it in limp home mode not stall it and refuse to start ).

[phil2009]

You say you topped up the bottle, just a thought, you are removing the metal radiator cap and refilling it through there, or are you only topping up plastic tank???

[MattyP]

You say you topped up the bottle, just a thought, you are removing the metal radiator cap and refilling it through there, or are you only topping up plastic tank???

Hi Ive been filling up through the plastic bottle, from this im presuming that maybe i should be filling up through the rad cap.....??? i never realised that i should be filling up from there. would this make a diffference and caue water to stop circulating.

I have been filling up with water/anti-freezze mix. waiting for the car to go into garage tomorrow now, just got to wait for recovery to ome pick up.

[Asi]

hmmm strange problem there.

[phil2009]

You say you topped up the bottle, just a thought, you are removing the metal radiator cap and refilling it through there, or are you only topping up plastic tank???

Hi Ive been filling up through the plastic bottle, from this im presuming that maybe i should be filling up through the rad cap.....??? i never realised that i should be filling up from there. would this make a diffference and caue water to stop circulating.

I have been filling up with water/anti-freezze mix. waiting for the car to go into garage tomorrow now, just got to wait for recovery to ome pick up.

You must must must fill the main radiator up first 2-3 litre then fill plastic tank

Wot part of kent you from, phone me 07917 596896 may be able to save you a big garage bill b4 recovery truck gets to you

Phil, i,m from dartford may get round to you later to help

[IZZZY]

You say you topped up the bottle, just a thought, you are removing the metal radiator cap and refilling it through there, or are you only topping up plastic tank???

Hi Ive been filling up through the plastic bottle, from this im presuming that maybe i should be filling up through the rad cap.....??? i never realised that i should be filling up from there. would this make a diffference and caue water to stop circulating.

I have been filling up with water/anti-freezze mix. waiting for the car to go into garage tomorrow now, just got to wait for recovery to ome pick up.

You must must must fill the main radiator up first 2-3 litre then fill plastic tank

Wot part of kent you from, phone me 07917 596896 may be able to save you a big garage bill b4 recovery truck gets to you

Phil, i,m from dartford may get round to you later to help

Thats nice of you Phil - good man...

always good to see people prepared to help others.... good Kama mate :winky:

[MattyP]

You say you topped up the bottle, just a thought, you are removing the metal radiator cap and refilling it through there, or are you only topping up plastic tank???

Hi Ive been filling up through the plastic bottle, from this im presuming that maybe i should be filling up through the rad cap.....??? i never realised that i should be filling up from there. would this make a diffference and caue water to stop circulating.

I have been filling up with water/anti-freezze mix. waiting for the car to go into garage tomorrow now, just got to wait for recovery to ome pick up.

You must must must fill the main radiator up first 2-3 litre then fill plastic tank

Wot part of kent you from, phone me 07917 596896 may be able to save you a big garage bill b4 recovery truck gets to you

Phil, i,m from dartford may get round to you later to help

Hi phill i do apologies for not replying sooner i have been with out access to the net, untill now, thankyou very much for your kind offer, deffinately would have taken you up on the offer, but i managed to sort the problem in the end, i bleed the system completely, looked like there was a air block, she runs smooth as now no heating problems at all.

Thanks again phill for the very kind offer and to all with there suggstions, luckily this time round a quick cheap fix, im touching ood as i say this lol

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

matt