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Buy or sell parts etc. Please put 'Wanted' in the title if it is a request for parts.
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thanuttiscotsman
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Post by thanuttiscotsman »

hi folks,
im in need of a bx diesel cooling thermostat switch thing, thae part that tells the fans to come on at the designated temp. the part thet screws into the bottom of the rad. ie i need a 88 degrees one i think it is. dont remember the name of the part. :roll: my 16v has a high idle so tends to overheat a little on tickover so a diesel one should keep it cool 8)

cheers rossco
1989 BX 16v ph1 Chipped, k+N, full scorpion, weber throttle body, NOS 1990 BX 16v ph2
1996 transit 2.5di 80 swb
2006 Suzuki GSR 600cc Fast as F**K!
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DavidRutherford
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Post by DavidRutherford »

Are you sure about that? The diesel sender is a two-stage unit that has two seperate cut-in and cut-out temperatures, and hence is designed to drive twin-fans. The lower temperature is fans-in-series for low speed, and the higher temperature is fans-in-paralell for high-speed. Because of this, it's rather large (about the diameter of a 50p piece.) and screws into the side tank of the radiator.

Have you checked your current switch is cutting in and out at the correct temperatures? These things often go out-of-spec over the years, so a new correct unit for your car may fix the problem.

Either that, or if you're really worried about it overheating at idle, a manual fan switch to allow the fan to run all the time mens you don't get the cycle of hot-on cool-off all the time.
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docchevron
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Post by docchevron »

A diesel rad switch will screw straight in. It's a common mod on valvers. I've changed mine to a diesel switch. It's a straight swop.

If your valver doesn't already have twin fans it's worth fitting them!
When the fans some in on mine they suck street furniture off the pavement! even on the hottest day of the year they keep things nice and cool.

Alas though my spare switch is "on a promise" to a fellow valver owner, but they are cheap as chips from any decent auto factors or Lucas..

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Chris G
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Post by DavidRutherford »

docchevron1472 wrote:A diesel rad switch will screw straight in. It's a common mod on valvers.
I stand (or in this case, sit!) corrected.

Do I take it from that then that the valver's rad switch is different from standard petrol models then? Certainly the 19GT rad I have has a much smaller switch, and would not be interchangeable with a diesel one.

in which case, check 405 diesels and 306 diesels in breakers yards, as these are the same switch as a BX Diesel.
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Post by tim leech »

There less than a tenner new so I would just buy one new.
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Post by Vanny »

DavidRutherford wrote: [ Certainly the 19GT rad I have has a much smaller switch, and would not be interchangeable with a diesel one.
Maybe thats a thing about it being a Mk1? All the early 90's citorens have the same switch unit as well (ZX, Xantia etc) but they have a different connector (same as the later 405's and very last 309's) so you'll need to make sure its the earlier one.

The fans on the bx are either single with a resistor for low speed or twin rads which work in series or parallel, the switch reamins the same. I only have the later 405 type switch!
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thanuttiscotsman
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Post by thanuttiscotsman »

hi folks,
the one i have in works fine, but cos my car idles at 1200 it does start to get worryingly hot, it often hits 95 before the fan cuts in. but when its driven the temp sits around 60-70 even when bouncing off 8k rpm. :twisted: but anyhow i do have a second cooling fan and relay but havent installed it yet as i want to put the diesel switch in at the same time, as when its on idle for any length of time and it does eventually get the fan on it stays on for ages till it cools again and is then on every 2 mins after cos 1 fan aint enough to cool it back down when it idles at that speed. but i think i will buy a new 1 as i didnt know they were that cheap.

cheers rossco
1989 BX 16v ph1 Chipped, k+N, full scorpion, weber throttle body, NOS 1990 BX 16v ph2
1996 transit 2.5di 80 swb
2006 Suzuki GSR 600cc Fast as F**K!
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Post by DavidRutherford »

95 degrees for the fan to cut in seems fine to me. if it were getting to 105 then I'd be worried. Anything under 100degrees is fine.

More worrying is running at 60-70 during normal driving. That's way too cool. Not only will the engine be running with excessive fuel enrichment all the time, but the oil will never get to it's optimum operating temperature, and hence you'll have accelerated wear. You also won't be able to develop maximum power with the engine running cold as it is.

I'd be getting a new thermostat in that ASAP. It should be running at 90-95 all the time once it's warmed up.
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docchevron
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Post by docchevron »

hhmm, 95Deg C for the fans coming in seems about right to me.

normal running it should be about 80Deg C, or at least every valver I've driven sits about there, are you sure the gauge is accurate, cit gauges are notoriousley awful.
I would change the stat though, better to be safe yadda yadda yadda.

I'd also lower the idle to 850RPM, 1200 at idle is excessive!

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Chris G
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Post by tim leech »

Agreed, my valver seems to read high, as soon as i switch the ignition on it goes up slightly, and within a minute or so its reading nearly half way, I do bottle it though and switch the fan override switch on when it gets to just over 95%

Maybe a new temp sensor would be a good idea?
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Post by docchevron »

They all rise slightley on igntion on Tim, it's down to the cold resistence of the sensor, perfectley normal and nothing to worry about.
The gauge reading half way after one minute is worrying though!!!

Maybe it would be worth getting the gauge as good as you can get any Cit gauge then, since if your kicking the fans in and the engine isn't really hot then it'll do more harm than good as David said above.

Do remember though that valvers do get hot very quickley.

Cheers
Chris G
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Far too many BX's, a bus, an ambulance a few trucks, not enough time and never enough cash...
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thanuttiscotsman
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Post by thanuttiscotsman »

DavidRutherford wrote: I'd be getting a new thermostat in that ASAP. It should be running at 90-95 all the time once it's warmed up.
hi there,
these cars are supposed to run at abnout 80 as the doc says, mine normally heats up to about 90 then i get someone to take her out and mainly cos she is often being driven hard in little bursts all the cool air rushing through is what keeps it down, but it does run hot enough as the oil temp is at least at 65 -70 and she pulls like a biscuit tin with a jet engine :twisted: so she does perform well. it always gets hot on tickover but comes right down with the farmer john welly processes. :twisted: also my gauges are fine they all work except the oil pressure fluctuates a fair bit but thats not too important, it can wait to be soldered or whatever. and tim these cars do heat up rather quickly! you should be at about 80 degrees after about 10-15 mins maximum i think is about right.

cheers rossco
1989 BX 16v ph1 Chipped, k+N, full scorpion, weber throttle body, NOS 1990 BX 16v ph2
1996 transit 2.5di 80 swb
2006 Suzuki GSR 600cc Fast as F**K!
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thanuttiscotsman
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Post by thanuttiscotsman »

hi there,
i forgot to mention i have been trying to solve the high idle problem for 1 and half years and cant find the problem, i have changed shitloads of parts and adjusted everything in there and basically sometimes it randomly drops down and idles properly and purrs like a new born kitten i might ad but it doesnt do it for long and it jumps back up. its almost like its stuck on choke all the time. but i have tried unplugging the sensors and it goes nuts when i do so they must be working so im baffled with that one. thats why im going for twin fans and lower cut in now to save it that way.

cheers rossco
1989 BX 16v ph1 Chipped, k+N, full scorpion, weber throttle body, NOS 1990 BX 16v ph2
1996 transit 2.5di 80 swb
2006 Suzuki GSR 600cc Fast as F**K!
tim leech

Post by tim leech »

Ive never heard the fans cut in automatically as I normally bottle it before its gets too hot, I have flushed the cooling system and theres no leaks or airlocks.
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DavidRutherford
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Post by DavidRutherford »

thanuttiscotsman wrote: but it does run hot enough as the oil temp is at least at 65 -70
That's definitely running cold. Usually oil temperature should be around 100-110 degrees, usually 10-15 degrees above coolant.

Granted, the D6C engine is designed to run cooler than many other performance petrol engines, as the thermostat spec is 82degrees, but this should still mean that in normal driving the coolant temp should be around 85degrees and the oil temp should be 95-100
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