Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 19:38:43 -0000 From: "Mike P" <stickitnopsamranus.com> Subject: Re: Hot Running 900 T16 - blocked radiator?
"Tom" <saabtechnopsamnnect.com> wrote in message news:brjs9m$l5f$1nopsamules.btinternet.com... > > "Mike P" <stickitnopsamranus.com> wrote in message > news:brht9k$26che$1nopsam63316.news.uni-berlin.de... > > Hi, > > > > Got a problem with my 1987 T16. I've just driven 500 miles up and down the > > country over the last couple of days. When I'm in town traffic, the > > temperature gauge stays dead in the centre and the fan comes in as it > > should. However, when I get up to speeds around 85-90mph on the motorway, > > the temperature slowly climbs - it never quite gets to the red, but the > car > > does get hot. If I turn the heater on full heat, the temperature will drop > > pretty quickly back to normal and stay there, no matter how hard I drive > the > > car. If I turn the heater knob back to "halfway", the temperature will > start > > climbing again. Turn it back up to max again, temp falls to normal. > > > > This behaviour only even happens on the motorway at high speed - around > town > > the car is perfect. No steam/smoke, no loss of power. > > > > So, could this be a blocked radiator - same symptoms as my Capri 2.8 when > > the rad was silted up on that. Not sure if the C900 suffers from that > > problem as much though. Or is it the head gasket? Or did I not bleed it > > correctly when I flushed the cooling system a month or so back? > > > > Car DOES use some coolant - around a litre a month. It doesn't appear to > be > > contaminating the oil, and there's no oil in the coolant. Water pump is a > > bit squeaky and it sometimes looks as though it might be leaking from > > beneath. I'll change the pump when I get back from holidays in a month.. > > Could this be also causing my hot running? Or is that more likely to be a > > blocked rad? > > > > Help!! > > > > Cheers > > Mike > > > > > A classic example of a tired radiator, more horsepower = more heat, putting > on the heater brings down the temp thus helping out the rad. If you have the > copper radiator, look at the fins and you will probably find that they have > turned to dust. Ovbiously the water loss may be a seperate issue, but change > the rad first. I have done lots of rads to cure motorway overheating abd it > worked every time. Make sure the rad is for a t16 as they are cored thicker > than the others, HTH, Tom. > > Thanks for all your advice chaps! I'll get hold of a s/h rad from the local SAAB specialist and fit it at the weekend. Won't cost a lot and then I'll see where we go from there. I was pissed off yesterday, and was going to sell it but I drove it again today and it's just too much fun :-) Mike
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