Exhaust 'bobbins' and Water Temp Sensor

[Paul Narramore]

With the weather warming up a touch, it was nice to spend some time on the car. I now have a tow bar for her, kindly donated by an Irish enthusiast although the high postage was probably down to the hefty weight. I am slowly discovering that although the chassis is by and large pretty rust free, the fasteners aren't. The rear bumper irons are attached to the rear of the chassis legs (along with the towing eyes) with four M8x100mm bolts, two each side. Unfortunately the nuts on two had really corroded so the bolts had to be cut off using a disc cutter. I also had to cut through the larger rear bobbin and all was freed. I then found that the two smaller bobbins has separated from the rubbers. Where to buy Renault 4 exhaust bobbins in Maidstone and on a Sunday? Halfords (what a shadow of it's former self) had two Mini bobbins where weren't quite the same size being a bit thinner but would do, even if it mean't opening out the holes in the exhaust brackets to allow for the larger imperial threads. With absolutely no chance of getting a single and larger rear bobbin, I superglued the halves of the rubber together (I needed to drive to Twickenham the next day), cleaned up the threads, painted the rusty exhaust bracket and finally it all went together. Started the engine, nothing was knocking against each other.

Next day I needed to visit our daughter's new home in Twickenham for some much needed pruning of their man-eating clematis which was taking over the garden fence and well into their neighbour's garden, as well as plants salvaged from their previous home as well as some of my own. 65 to 70mph all the way along the M25, the little car purred along like a turbine (once I'd removed my hearing aids) but traffic was held up outside Twickers as two lanes on the dual carriageway turned into one. Creeping forwards the water temp light came on. After five minutes and through the cones, I picked up speed and arrived at the daughter's house. The light had gone out.

Now when I bought the car last summer, the water temp light came on so I removed and cleaned it. It made no difference. During the winter I fitted a new radiator, flushed the system through and used fresh antifreeze and water. Held the expansion bottle as high as it would go, squeezed the hoses and got rid of air bubbles. Even the heater began to work a bit. After a run down to Boulogne and back a few weeks ago, the heater is now rather good. So good in fact that I had to turn the heat down yesterday. Did the fan come on? I think it did. I heard a very feint noise and it has worked in the past. The engine didn't appear to be hot & bothered so I am presuming I simply just need a new sensor?

Oh and the superglue bodge worked too ;-)

 

[jjad]

Our GTL's 'overheating' light came on a couple of times in traffic when driving in France once. It turned out that the engine was running a little hot due to retarded timing.

(It's fairly easy to tell when our electric engine fan comes on when idling, as the engine note changes.)

 

[JonathanT]

You could wire up a secondary indicator light to show when the fan is running?

 

[Paul Narramore]

You could wire up a secondary indicator light to show when the fan is running?

I chatted with Mr Reno this morning so went out to the car and pulled both wires off the radiator sensor, joined the wires together then turned the ignition on. The fan came on. I reconnected the wires and left the car on tick over for fifteen minutes. The fan failed to come on. I shall get another radiator sensor.

 

[JonathanT]

Mr Auto have good ones at best price (I bought one too)

 

[Paul Narramore]

Mr Auto have good ones at best price (I bought one too)

Not this morning, or they might have been talking about the cylinder head coolant sensor. My head was spinning this morning phoning round to locate one but one is now in the post.