Overheating engine

It appears that the coolant isn't getting to the radiator...so you might have a faulty thermostat,faulty water pump or if you are lucky just air in the system and it needs to be bled out....obviously this is after checking that you have water!!

 

Another option is that you are low on coolant. Could be caused by the expansion tank cap needing replacement - the springs get week, the thing starts tossing out coolant only you don't notice because its happening as you are driving & dropping behind the car.

Wait for it to cool down & check the level. If its low the cap is a very common cause.

You should be able to tell if your water pump is working ppretty easily - when the car is cold start the engine & look in the expansion tank - syou should be able to see water circulating.

Other options (stuck thermostat etc) as above.

 

Sounds like thermostat is not opening, therefor it's not letting the coolant circulate,
not flowing through the radiator.

 

+1 for the thermostat going south.

 

+1 on thermostat- and replace it with a genuine Ferrari part, from Ricambi etc.
Don't use the cheap ones.

 

While you're at it, replace the copper screw on the T-housing with Verells Bleeder screw.

 

Some have reported their cars seem to need bleeding after every outing.

With air in the system the water pump can't do it's job. Check for air in system at the bleed screws before pulling the thermostat out.

 

I second that, don't use a cheap one. The few dollars you will save won't come close to offsetting the expense if you warp the engine heads from overheating the block. Check the usuall places IE: Ricambi, T Rutlands, Dennis McCann for the best prices. I did this 2 years age and T Rutlands had the best price, $135.00 USD. Good Luck

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If you have to bleed air out of a car's cooling system at all between the normal periodic draining/refilling with new antifreeze, there is something wrong with the system. Heck, most car owners NEVER change their coolant and you don't see them having to bleed their VWs, Chevys, Porsches, whatever.

If there's air where there USED to be coolant then the coolant went somewhere. If there are no external coolant leaks then there only two places left - combustion chamber or crankcase.

Head gaskets are the usual suspects for such behavior. Don't be misled that a "good" compression check proves a headgasket is OK. You can have a good static compression and still have a leak to the water jacket. Leakdown testing will usually find it as will tests that can detect combustion products in the coolant. Coolant in the oil is easy to see after running due to the milky look. If your oil level oddly seems to be rising, that's another indicator.

 

Doug, that looks like the Wahler thermostat I just put on my 308. Do you know if it's different?

Thanks.

 

Older 308s don't have bleed screw on the t-stat housing..

Your water pump is free and turning? Maybe an impeller problem, but as said vapor lock can hurt efficiency it'd have to be bad to not circulate ANY water forward....

T-stat not opening maybe, pull it and check it out in boiling water on the stove....

Definately update to the higher PSI cap on your expansion tank, if its' OEM it's wrong, there was a Tech Bulletin.

 

From this Doug:

The Wahler T stat is 1MM smaller in OD, other than that they are the same. Same manufacturer apparently, same construction, same operation, same dimensions other than major OD slightly different price.

T stats are ALL wax motor Stats, all the same operation, all made by a couple manufacturers, and sold to either retail outlets or OEM manufacturers who put it in their box and sell it for whatever they think they can get for it.

Doug

 

BTW, all those thousands VW Golfs you see littering the sides of roads are sitting there because they used cheap $8 Wahler T stats rather than $130 Ferrari ones.

Doug

 

"TW, all those thousands VW Golfs you see littering the sides of roads are sitting there because they used cheap $8 Wahler T stats rather than $130 Ferrari ones."

LOL, Good one!

 

You shouldn't need to remove the rear deck & it will take about 2 minutes to remove the air filter assembly.....

Changing a T'stat on a 308/328 is a lot easier than on a number of cars I've done it on! Whole job (including lowering the coolant level) should take less than an hour.

Words of caution - be very careful with not dropping washers & nuts etc - you are working right on top of the cambelts & similarly try & avoid coating them with coolant as well - drain the system down far enough & pack round the T'stat housing with paper towels before you seperate the two halves to minimise spillage.

 

Talking about expansion tank cap, anybody knows a place to order one? There is rust on mine and the guy at Ferrari service recommended to replace it, to prevent the inner part to fall into the tank. (308 Euro QV)

 

Clif what is the part number for the Wahler stat and what was the opening temp. Thanks

 

Hi
It's Wahler 056121113A (for VW Golf and other VW) with opening temperature 80°C.
Available at Bus Depot.
Paul

 

In fact, 056121113A is the VW ref. for the Wahler thermostat.

 

Hi Steve,

Here you go: http://www.autopartsway.com/AutoParts2/index.cfm?fetch=altPart~ID=W0133-1633589&partnumber=W0133-1633589&a_aid=176b5dca&data1=frugalmechanic

 

Seriously, does anyone believe that the Ferrari thermostat is worth $130? If you do, I have a bridge that I would like to talk to you about......... It's in NYC........

 

Don, to be fair, it looks like the "ferrari" thermostat has a couple of minor differences compared to the Wahler. These differences may, or may not, be important. My personal opinion is that the differences don't warrant another $120 in cost, but that's just my $.02, and I respect the opinions of others that may differ. It is indeed a fairly critical part to have operating correctly and consistently.