Dry Bottom Hose on 75 1.8T

David Edmonds · 27th October 2013, 18:32

I am trying to help my brother in law with a overheating problem on his 1.8T. The car has recently had its head gasket and water pump replaced by a mobile mechanic based in Derby.

Although the car drives pretty well, the fan has been coming on whilst on the open road. We thought the problem may have been either a blocked radiator or an air lock. Upon disconnecting the heater return hose a flow of pink coolant, which looked uncontaminated, flowed freely. However when the bottom hose was released it was found to be cold and dry with no liquid present at all. Upon attempting to refill the system we were unable to add more than 3 litres before the expansion tank overflowed.

Can anyone shed any light on where the remaining 3.2 litres is hiding? The top hose is hot which seems to indicate that the thermostat is working.
We cannot find any leaks anywhere on the car and the engine appears to be running normally.

Many thanks

DMGRS · 27th October 2013, 18:56

When you say heater return hose, do you mean from the heater matrix? If so, it could be blocked.
Flushing it out would be where I'd start.

David Edmonds · 27th October 2013, 19:35

The hose in question is located at the rear of the engine next to the timing belt cover. We followed the instructions in the HAYNES manual which says to drain from here before removing the bottom hose. I forgot to mention that the heater only works on the drivers side if this is of any help. Thanks for your reply.

deemo1975 · 29th October 2013, 12:43

I had a mobile mechanic who was based in Derby come over to my head gasket etc and he hadn't a clue what the prt was and he put a thermostat in the thermostat housing when i already had a prt fitted! Totally fried my engine

Do you have a prt fitted? one of these if not sure..... http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-PEM101020 it will be located near the bottom right of your radiator with 3 hoses attached. (It may not be black, but possibly cream in colour)
I'm not saying this is your problem, but effectively this would create a blockage if a second thermostat has mistakenly been installed. I had similar symptoms to what you're experiencing although i had extreme pressurising in the coolant system and the car would blow water out of the expansion tank...
Might be worth asking the mechanic or check your receipt to see if he's charged you for one

27th October 2013, 18:32	#1
David Edmonds Regular poster Rover 75 Diesel Saloon, Rover 75 2.0 Litre Petrol Saloon Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Worcester Posts: 53 Thanks: 45 Thanked 13 Times in 5 Posts	Dry Bottom Hose on 75 1.8T I am trying to help my brother in law with a overheating problem on his 1.8T. The car has recently had its head gasket and water pump replaced by a mobile mechanic based in Derby. Although the car drives pretty well, the fan has been coming on whilst on the open road. We thought the problem may have been either a blocked radiator or an air lock. Upon disconnecting the heater return hose a flow of pink coolant, which looked uncontaminated, flowed freely. However when the bottom hose was released it was found to be cold and dry with no liquid present at all. Upon attempting to refill the system we were unable to add more than 3 litres before the expansion tank overflowed. Can anyone shed any light on where the remaining 3.2 litres is hiding? The top hose is hot which seems to indicate that the thermostat is working. We cannot find any leaks anywhere on the car and the engine appears to be running normally. Many thanks

27th October 2013, 18:56	#2
DMGRS Discount MG Rover Spares Rover 75 CDTi, 2x MG ZS180 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Hythe, Southampton Posts: 11,320 Thanks: 456 Thanked 3,377 Times in 2,027 Posts	When you say heater return hose, do you mean from the heater matrix? If so, it could be blocked. Flushing it out would be where I'd start. __________________ Your trusted MG Rover specialist! Tel: 02380 001133 / Email: [email protected] We now have a 'chat' function on our site for even quicker replies. Give it a try! Remember - discount code FORUM5 for 5% off

27th October 2013, 19:35	#3
David Edmonds Regular poster Rover 75 Diesel Saloon, Rover 75 2.0 Litre Petrol Saloon Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Worcester Posts: 53 Thanks: 45 Thanked 13 Times in 5 Posts	The hose in question is located at the rear of the engine next to the timing belt cover. We followed the instructions in the HAYNES manual which says to drain from here before removing the bottom hose. I forgot to mention that the heater only works on the drivers side if this is of any help. Thanks for your reply.

29th October 2013, 12:43	#4
deemo1975 Avid contributor MG ZT 1.8T Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Droitwich, Worcs Posts: 101 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	I had a mobile mechanic who was based in Derby come over to my head gasket etc and he hadn't a clue what the prt was and he put a thermostat in the thermostat housing when i already had a prt fitted! Totally fried my engine Do you have a prt fitted? one of these if not sure..... http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-PEM101020 it will be located near the bottom right of your radiator with 3 hoses attached. (It may not be black, but possibly cream in colour) I'm not saying this is your problem, but effectively this would create a blockage if a second thermostat has mistakenly been installed. I had similar symptoms to what you're experiencing although i had extreme pressurising in the coolant system and the car would blow water out of the expansion tank... Might be worth asking the mechanic or check your receipt to see if he's charged you for one