Temperature Gubbins

[Sarah]

....I drove home yesterday and there was a slightly weird smell coming from my car after I'd parked up; kinda sweet, but odd.

Then, I've just pulled up at home right now and the temperature gauge was on the red and whilst driving, I put the heater on 'cos it was fuggin cold and just got cold air - no hot.

Advice appreciated!

Cheers

 

[red]

Sarah; in my opinion the heater control valve is stuck, it could explain both symptoms and the fail regularly!!

 

[Dal]

Yup - HCV

 

[VorTeX]

Indeed the HCV ^^

 

[DradusContact]

My coolant smells like dirt 'orrible fish when it leaks, its not nice! Got to be HCV, im going to do a guide when i change the fiesta's one next month.

 

[Sarah]

Ah, I remember that these are quite cheap to sort....if I was to have a friend round to have a look, what would we have to do to sort it out?

Cheers

 

[red]

New HCV like £25 inc VAT from Ford parts counter.

There's some instruction on here somewhere I think but the general gist is to disconnect the old one with the new one close at hand. Swap them over connecting pipes etc and top up coolant if necessary.

I seem to remember running the heaters on full for one reason or another.

Dradus has done it so im sure he'll give you a less vague explanation!

 

[DradusContact]

The engine has to be stone cold to do it, and its worth getting some new jubilee clips to replace those weird little ford clips, which are a bugger to swap. Other than that, easy peasy, streaight swap. Ford let themselves down so much with the HCV, its so cheap, its gone on 3 of the 4 fords ive owned.

 

[Sarah]

My friend came and looked at it and the right hand hose going into the HCV had broken off completely. It was in place but when he touched it to illustrate what it did, it just fell away.

'Ah,' he said, 'that's your HCV that needs replacing then!'

They're a bugger to source though, aren't they? Currently having to ring round Ford dealerships.

Ta for your help!

 

[Dal]

Just make sure you get one with the last two letter being AC on the part number. The AB ones tended to fail early.

Ford will have them.

 

[DradusContact]

If you walk into any dealer they normally have stacks of hcv's. If its the hose going into it thats gone, thats another £27 iirc, mine went a few months ago. You have to buy both hoses together as its a double set.

 

[Sarah]

Can't you just reconnect the hose? Does it need a total replacement?

 

[red]

You can reuse the existing hoses if they aren't damaged.

Which is sounds like yours may not be.

 

[Sarah]

The left one's fine. The right one came out, but my friend said you could reconnect it and there doesn't seem to be any damage.

I'm worried about my head gasket, though! When I noticed the temperature gauge was in the red, I'd been driving for about a mile and only had a mile to go. Drove very carefully and there's no scum visible, so I hope it's alright....

 

[DradusContact]

You said the hose had broken? I assumed it had corroded?

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that was mine, it goes into the side of the engine and was leaking into the gearbox.

 

[Sarah]

No, hadn't corroded....just fallen out

 

[DradusContact]

Oh right well just replace the hcv, though depending on the age of the car it might be worth doing the hose while your there as they go brittle with age and dont like being disturbed. You can get HCV's on ebay pretty cheap if you dont mind waiting for delivery. Dont try driving it without the hcv.

 

[Sarah]

OK. He's just installed the new HCV, put water into the system and then some coolant. But the air con still isn't blowing out hot air, and he's said that we have to bleed the heater matrix...any idea of what that is, how we'd do it or if the fact that hot air still isn't forthcoming is 'owt to be overly concerned with?

Cheers

 

[DradusContact]

Hmm. There could be a leak in the system perhaps? If you have disturbed an old pipe and its leaking, it may not allow the system to work under pressure. TBH your getting beyond my experience! I had a problem with mine overheating on the way back from dal's as the system requires pressure to cool efficiently, and if its not under pressure i dont think it works properly.

 

[red]

New one from Fords?

You shouldn't have to drain the system unless you have reason to believe there to be an air lock.....

Is it still over heating or have you not taken it for a drive yet?

Have you left the engine running a while ?