Overheating GTL

[sshermand]

Another fault in quick succession - when it rains it pours , I suppose.
Anyhow, I had to call out the AA to my GTL which had overheated. On arrival, the patrolman's first words were "ain't seen one of these for years" !- however,he soon pinpointed the fault to the thermostat in the top hose, which he had tested, assuring me that was the problem and advised me to change it.

So that is my question,(forgive my ignorance) but how exactly do I change it and how do I drain, refill, and bleed the system ? I would appreciate any kind of step by step run down.
Apologies for such simple questions that I always post on this forum,hope that's okay ! Thanks.

 

[The4seeker]

You do not need to drain the cooling system, the replace the thermostat, it is located in the top house off the radiator, located at the water pump end. It is fitted inside the house and held on with a jubilee clip

 

[Mike from Spain]

Hi, remove the (approx) 2" diameter hose that goes into the top of the water pump after removing its jubilee clip. You will see the thermostat inside, usually held in place by another jubilee clip. Before you take it out make a note of it's position so when you fit the new one it will be in its correct position! Some water will spill out when you remove the hose but not much as you are at the highest point of the engine. Make sure you don't do this over your nice clean driveway because the water may be a bit dirty! Replacement is the same as removal but obviously in reverse. At the back of the engine, sticking out of the body shell, in the middle and just below the windscreen wipers you will see a little pipe with a bung at the end, this is the bleed pipe; remove the bung. Undo the clip that holds the expansion bottle in place and lift the bottle up higher than the engine. Water will flow out of the bleed pipe and also the air that you let in. when you get a contiuous flow with no air the system is bled; letting the water flow for about 30 seconds should do it. Replace the bung then replace the expansion bottle and top up to the max mark and you're done!

 

[sshermand]

I think I will be able to undertake the job with those straightforward instructions - and save a few quid in the meantime from not going to a garage.
Many thanks for that.

 

[Mike from Spain]

No sweat! Another source for overheating is the radiator fan not coming on. This is most often due to a faulty switch. If you look down the left hand side of the radiator (viewed from the engine side) about half way down you will see the switch with two wires clipped to it. Remove the wires and connect them together; a paper clip is useful for this, then switch on the ignition. If the fan comes on then everything is ok up to the switch. To check the switch, leave the car ticking over. If the red warning light comes on and the fan isn't on then of course the switch is faulty. It's quite a common fault and one which I've just had! I've also just had a faulty thermostat too! That lead to the radiator bursting! I've not replaced the thermostat yet because the weather is so hot here!