HELP ! cooling problem

[ajb1967]

Guys,

My cooling has suddenly gone all haywire.I use the car daily and driving home from the office today the temp suddenly started to rise to well above the redline.Then it dropped again quite rapidly and then rose again very quickly !

Anyway,needless to say i got home but there is a definite problem.

At above 100 degrees the yellow radiator coolant light came on.I believe this is standard.

The coolant levels are fine since i checked those first.

The "fan fail" light did not come on either so will assume fans are working.

Funnily enough at the same time i experienced a brake problem also.Wooden brakes and no power to the brakes.I think this might have been a sticking pad or something but i reckon this is a coincidence.

I think it is either :

1. The thermostat

2. The waterpump.

3.Something else i have not thought of yet ;-)

Which should i look at first and does anyone have any good advice for me ?

Although i do not need the car daily since i have others i hate it when something is broken so want to get it fixed ASAP.

Thanks all in advance

Adrian

[sanj]

Your problem is the belt driving the waterpump and vacuum pump. It is probably loose or worn beyond usefulness. The lack of vacuum causes the poor braking, the lack of water flow causes the overheating.

[lotus4s]

ding ding ding, we have a winner.....

[Vulcan Grey]

I think that's #6 Sanj. As far as I know anyways...

Since this happened all of the sudden...

I'm guessing the bracket that holds the vacuum pump has broken or the bolts fell out, and so the waterpump/vacuum pump belt isn't actually on the engine anymore.

DO NOT drive the car! Fix this before driving it again. Don't even drive it to the shop.

Worse case is your engine overheats.

Worse-er case is your vacuum pump belt gets stuck in your timing belt pulley and breaks the timing belt ruining your engine.

Worse-er-est case is you can't stop because your brakes don't work and you get in an accident.

[ajb1967]

Thanks guys.As usual this forum is the diagnostic heaven ;-)

P.S Vulcangrey : Looks like your car is an almost exact twin of mine regarding colour and choice of wheels ;-)

[Vulcan Grey]

Thanks guys.As usual this forum is the diagnostic heaven ;-)

P.S Vulcangrey : Looks like your car is an almost exact twin of mine regarding colour and choice of wheels ;-)

Oh yea?

You have a Vulcan Grey SE?

Where are you located? Your profile doesn't say.

[fjmuurling]

Travis as far as I know there are 2 (two) vulcan grey esprits in the netherlands as I have seen one at the dealer in Lochem which was not mine. It was a 1990 SE the same one as I have. Maybe Adrian bought the one I saw.

Freek