Vitara Overheat [ang dami atang overheat threads =D ]

[OTEP]

Little update.

I had the thermostat replaced early this morning. There is still overheating.

However, since the a/c compressor is also making the worst shrieking noise I've ever heard, I had the car 'limp' to Mang Mario's shop (it's not that far from Monumento).

The old Denso a/c compressor is busted beyond repair. Mang Mario replaces it with a surplus of similar model (looks like it came off a Mitsubishi) and replaced the drier with a big-a$$ drier intended for a dual a/c Toyota Hi-Ace (don't worry, the fittings were the same and the OEM drier is also made by Denso).

I relate to him my overheating problem. He checks the fan clutch and says it's short on oil. He offers to repair it (either by removing the freewheel effect or refilling with oil). So he takes the fan out and busts open the clutch. According to him, the inside is still good. But it seems no one has refilled it for quite a while (the vehicle is a 1995 model). We buy three tubes of Denso Silicon Oil (Php285 total).

He charged Php6400 for the surplus compressor, new drier, labor and materials. He doesn't charge anymore for the fan clutch. I went back to Q.C. The driver took the Vitara to Caloocan. Hindi naman daw nagbawas ng tubig or nag-overheat for the duration of the trip.

I hope this is the end of this.

[niky]

Hmmm... sounds familiar... happened on my pick-up... got very good at disconnecting/reconnecting the air-con accessory belt (pain in the ass to have to lie on the ground... I need my own gurney!)

Hope that was your whole problem... but it's best to check everything else anyway, at your engine's age, the overheating may have damaged something else besides.

[OTEP]

Yup. I'm still observing. Hindi ko muna nilagyan ng coolant baka masayang lang. Siguro kung hindi na mag-overheat for a week.

I don't really relish the idea of tearing the engine down and replacing everything 'just to be sure'. Casa lang ang may ganyang style [na bulok]. Step by step lang muna ako.

[CVT]

Hi OTEP,- does your Vitara overheat after running for about 15 minutes, idle or rolling about 2-3Km from a cold start? Just comparing the overheat problem I am currently experiencing with my '98 Vanette. This just happened when I left it idling to pick up some stuffs, after continuously running it for about an hour.....TIA.

My suspects are: clogged radiator or fan clutch or thermostat.... All have not been replaced nor repaired. Water pump is not yet a suspect since I can see the water flowing when I rev the engine.

:starwars:

[OTEP]

I think it happens in traffic and when running at supra legal expressway speeds. Weekends ko lang kasi ginagamit yung Vitara. Mga driver or kuya ni commander ang gumagamit during the weekday.

[4JGtootsie]

Sir CVT,

A better way to check if the water pump is the culprit. Before going to sleep put a piece of newspaper directly underneath the water pump location. Be sure its not the aircon drip hose area. In the morning, check if the newspaper is soaking wet if it is your water pump is due for replacement. Water pump doesn't drip even at high revs because of the circulating push and pull pressure of the pump.

[OTEP]

Update again:

Ginamit ko yung Vitara today. From Caloocan to Quezon City. Hindi naman nag-overheat. Hindi ko pinatay yung engine while waiting sa parking area and naka-hataw naman ng konti sa EDSA papuntang Monumento. Hindi na nagbawas ng tubig. I hope Mang Mario's fix worked. Still observing.

[mbeige]

Isn't there a visco fan clutch that's sealed? I hope your rig is finally fixed.

[OTEP]

Isn't there a visco fan clutch that's sealed? I hope your rig is finally fixed.

Yes. I think the fan clutch on our MB100 is of the sealed variety.

Initially, I had just wanted to cancel out the freewheel effect of the fan clutch (not that hard to do). But when we saw that the clutch still looked good, we opted to refill with silicon oil.