NA6, so hot right now!

[specmiata]

Thanks everyone, i'll have to wait for a OEM relay from Mazda and see what happens.

TSM

[93_Clubman]

Google the number on the side of the relay - it will bring up some options like ebay, but you may not be able to get it any quicker than Mazda can supply it. Apart from that, you could try some wreckers around Melb.

[specmiata]

OK, so while waiting for the relay to arrive over the weekend thought i would just try and establish what was going on....

Ran the car for 15 -20mins to bring up to temp. guage still only in the middle, plugged thermo fans back in and they stayed off.

Top hose nice and hot, bottom hose cool, hose from block to metal tube before bottom hose hot..... and there is still plenty of coolant.


So my questions are:

Are the temp gauges prone to mis-reading? the gauge is still not going above middle temp. yet is feels hotter than normal

If the top hose and top of radiator is hot this means the thermostat is OK? Correct?

Is there a way i can test water pump operation? i seem to remember in another car being able to leave the radiator cap off and see if the coolant is flowing from left to right?? (well it was a few years ago!)

Am i being paranoid??? i just don't want to replace stuff for the wrong reason...

Thanks....TSM

[manga_blue]

When it's cool take off the radiator cap and siphon out some coolant so that there's only a cm or two showing above the radiator cores.

Leave the cap off, start the car and let it idle in a well ventilated area.

Watch the water in the radiator and feel the top radiator hose as the engine warms up. After a few minutes the thermostat should open. At that point you should feel the top hose quickly become hotter as the water starts to flow through it from the engine (thermostat OK) and you should be able to see water flowing in the radiator from driver's side to passenger side over the tops of the cores (water pump OK).

[Mr Morlock]

if it is overheating it is likely to be radiator related and replacing the relay is in the pipeline. Fans running is usually a sign of need for more cooling and I have heard many cars with fans running after switch off- was the radiator obviously hot? Very unlikely to be a water pump which either works or leaks- ie a spinning impellor- manga's method is the go. Replacing the w/pump is quite a lot of work so it not something to do without a proper diagnosis. Radiator repairers are in every suburb.

[93_Clubman]

On my NA8 the relay is an Imasen LA10, which the headlights & rear demister (if fitted) also use. The relay for the headlights is under the black plastic cover near the wiper motor, so near the passenger side rear corner of the engine bay.

[jerrah]

I have heard many cars with fans running after switch off.

How many of them were NA6's? NA6 wiring (unless it has been modified) should shut off the fan with the ignition regardless of temp.

NA6 temp gauge will sit in the middle until it gets crazy hot. I can read my temps through my laptop and the needle reads 'normal' from about 70c till past 100c. I have my fans kicking in at 89c but I think stock operation is in the high 90's range.

The temp gauge is more to tell you of a critical event rather than an accurate current temperature reading.

[manga_blue]

if it is overheating it is likely to be radiator related and replacing the relay is in the pipeline. Fans running is usually a sign of need for more cooling and I have heard many cars with fans running after switch off- was the radiator obviously hot? Very unlikely to be a water pump which either works or leaks- ie a spinning impellor- manga's method is the go. Replacing the w/pump is quite a lot of work so it not something to do without a proper diagnosis. Radiator repairers are in every suburb.

What you said is still mostly wrong but at least it might be more understandable like this ....

ako je pregrijavanja je vjerojatno da će biti radijator odnose i zamjene releja u cjevovod. Obožavatelji trčanje je obično znak potreba za hlađenje i sam čuo mnogo automobila s navijačima trči isključite-je radijator očito vruće? Vrlo vjerojatno da će se voda pumpa koja radi bilo ili curenja tj. predenje impellor-manga metoda je ići. Zamjena W / pumpa je prilično puno posla tako da nije nešto raditi bez pravilnu dijagnozu. Radijator serviserima u svakom naselju. šupak

[specmiata]

Once again, thanks to everyone, As i thought replacing the water pump is the last thing i want to tackle until i diognose correctly.

I will follow the advised diagnosis steps on the weekend and see what happens....

Thanks again...

TSM