Indica V2 DLS - Engine overheating/AC issues

ajaysurfs · 21st March 2007, 19:17

Hi Team,

I own an Indica V2-DLS Aug-2002 model.

During my recent trips (Mumbai-Pune :thrice), i saw the engine temp. gauge needle touching the extreme end of red zone (especially in Khandala/Lonavala ghat section). If i stop my car for some time, the temp. gauge needle drops to normal level in just 2-3 mins.In normal circumstances the needle is just above the 50% mark. The AC was on 100% of time and i was driving in middle of the day, where the outside temp. was generally high.
Usually i drive my car at around 80-120 KMPH on expressway.
Few weeks back i drove from Sangli to Mumbai (in flat 5.5 hrs!), a distance of around 350 kms, and there was no overheating. But this was night time.

1. Is it normal that engines overheat during summer? Because this is the first time i am making this observation.

2. The car AC refused to start thereafter. I guess there is a mechanism which trips the AC off if engine overheats. I also found that the AC shuts off when the engine is revving at high RPM's (at around 120 KMPH). It was like sitting in a oven!
Can anything be done in this regard?

I had changed the coolant 3 months back and the coolant level is ok. Engine oil was also replaced at regular intervals. The radiator fan also works fine. I am also ruling out any engine head gasket leak...

Is there any good quality/brand of coolant available to get by this issue?

Without AC in summer, life is becoming miserable. Although in city driving i am able to use the AC. Its only on highways i face this issue.

Can someone please shed some light on this...

Thanks,
Ajay

GTO · 22nd March 2007, 09:53

Quote:

1. Is it normal that engines overheat during summer? Because this is the first time i am making this observation.

I suggest that you have your entire cooling system checked. Please visit only an authorised service station for the same. In Bombay, I have heard some good things about Shaman...of late.

Quote:

I also found that the AC shuts off when the engine is revving at high RPM's (at around 120 KMPH). It was like sitting in a oven!
Can anything be done in this regard?

Cut-off linked to the accelerator. I dont think it should be too much of an issue to get this removed for a diesel. Again, the service station should be able to do this.

tsk1979 · 22nd March 2007, 11:22

I faced the same issue. It was a faulty thermostat which indicated high temperature. Due to this the AC cuts off.
I have an indica V2 DLS too, and I have driven in city for hours in 40+ temperatures.
So if there is such overheating its 99% due to faulty thermostat.
If you go to an authorized service center they will point to Fan/Coolant etc., etc., just politely tell them to check the thermostat too.

As for Cut off linked to accelerator, there is no such thing. Atleast my V2 DLS does not have this. I have driven at 130+ speeds with AC cooling just fine.
For actual overheating quick analysis
If your car is really over heating in reality do this
Switch of engine when temp needle goes high. Then try to start engine within 10 seconds of switching off.
your self will not crank if engine is too hot.
Moreover you will see that if engine is actually overheating your engine itself would shut down and you will feel loss of power which will be very noticeable, missing from engine and misfiring.

pradkumar · 22nd March 2007, 14:53

Hi,

We you driving uphill on the ghat with the AC on with a 53 bhp car?

Once, while on the Khandala/Lonavala ghat when going uphill, I was low on fuel and I tried to drive on a higher gear to conserve some fuel. My Indica started heating up and finally the engine stalled. I had to wait half an hour for the engine to cool down before it would start.

Another time, in an akward parking lot, I had to rev up my car a lot to reverse on a steep incline. Maybe, because I wasn't good at it, my engine kept stalling and the car got heated up. I managed to reverse and 3-4 minutes later, I had a tough time on a steep incline near a busy 4 road junction. The car wouldn't budge and I had to shut down the engine and let it cool for 5 minutes before I could finally move on.

I'd say be a little sensitive to be in the appropriate gears, especially when driving an underpowered car such as the Indica-D.

Regards,

Pradeep

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajaysurfs

Hi Team,

During my recent trips (Mumbai-Pune :thrice), i saw the engine temp. gauge needle touching the extreme end of red zone (especially in Khandala/Lonavala ghat section). If i stop my car for some time, the temp. gauge needle drops to normal level in just 2-3 mins.In normal circumstances the needle is just above the 50% mark. The AC was on 100% of time and i was driving in middle of the day, where the outside temp. was generally high.
Usually i drive my car at around 80-120 KMPH on expressway.
Few weeks back i drove from Sangli to Mumbai (in flat 5.5 hrs!), a distance of around 350 kms, and there was no overheating. But this was night time.

Thanks,
Ajay

tsk1979 · 22nd March 2007, 16:23

I have driven up the 36 hairpin bend road to ooty with 4 adults in car with AC on full blast. No issues with overheating.
I have made many trips to high altitude regions also in summers and during initial stretches the temperature is in 40s. Never faced an issue.
If your car has such issues then there is something wrong with your car.

My indica has completed 75K now and is a june 2002 model, same as the OP

deep_bang · 22nd March 2007, 17:31

My Indica's temp guage goes upto a little more than half way mark. So, if the guage goes more than half way, either the temperature guage is faulty, Or the temp guage is correct, but the thermostat which should switch on at a particular temperature has gone bad.

Have you seen if the fan was working while the temperature guage was in the red zone? If that is the case, I am just wondering: Could it be the coolant pump which is mis behaving.... So the fan would be cooling the radiator, but the coolant would not be circulated into the engine and hence engine continutes to get hotter.

ajaysurfs · 22nd March 2007, 20:37

@GTO: Yes, i am planning for a full checkup of cooling system

@TSK: Thanks for the hint on thermostat. I will get it checked. Regarding your suggestion on analysis, i will do it next time i hit expressway.
PS: I did not experience any missing/misfiring (when the needle went in red zone), nor any power loss.

@Prad: I know i am pushing it a bit too hard, given the limitations!

@Deep: Yes, the fan works perfectly when the needle touches red zone.

Thanks a lot guys for your inputs. Will update this thread soon!

IndigoXLGrandDi · 18th June 2012, 19:59

We own an Indigo LS May 2004 which has covered 2,35,000+kms.
The car overheats on highways if driven at speeds >85kph even with AC OFF. If driven at speeds <80kph, the temp needle remains at Half Mark. I have driven for 90-100kms on highway at speeds <80kph in one attempt but no problem.

In city, I have not driven for >5-6kms in one attempt. Once I drove with AC On for 5-6 kms in a Hot afternoon. The temp needle reached 70-75% of its range. Hence I am not using AC.

The Radiator Fan is working and turns On when the temp needle tries to cross half mark.
I have got the Thermostat replaced around 7-8KKms ago.

Yesterday, I stretched 3rd Gear upto 70 kph, and the temp. needle reached 85% of its range and coolant spilled from the Aux. Tank's Cap.

Today when I took the car to TASC and told them about it. The SA prepared JC and I left the car and went to my office. At 5:30 pm, the SA called me and said "Sir we checked the car and the car does not overheat". I asked him for how many kms did he drove and at what speeds. He replied 30 kms at speeds of 60-70kph.
I had informed him while preparing JC that the car overheats only at speeds >90kph (@2200 rpm). But that Fool checked at 60-70kph (@1250-1500rpm).

What could be the problem?

DeepakMenon · 18th June 2012, 20:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndigoXLGrandDi

Yesterday, I stretched 3rd Gear upto 70 kph, and the temp. needle reached 85% of its range and coolant spilled from the Aux. Tank's Cap.

What could be the problem?

Okay i dont have a indica but have chased my tail on my liquid cooled bike overheating to maybe point you to the right direction

If increase in RPM leads to coolant boiling or popping out of the resoiver probable there is a a very small head gasket leak or a coolant system leak [Pipe, Raditor; joint]

Case One : Head Gasket Leak...
What actually is happening is as the rpm is increasing so is the pressure of gas in the combustion chamber.. and this is leaking into the coolant system and overboiling it..

Check your coolant for any oil drips.. Rev the engine with the filler cap open.. [Please not when it is hot; cold would do] YOu should see the coolant circulating.. if not [Then Pump].. if yes and you see some oil.. head gasket

Case Two: Coolant system leak..
The coolant system is pressurized; any leak leads to boiling..

Case THree: Stuck / Bad ThermoStat
This should not be problem for you.. as you changed it

The above is assuming that your fan; thermo switch etc is working as intended to

21st March 2007, 19:17	#1
ajaysurfs BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 52 Thanked: Once	Indica V2 DLS - Engine overheating/AC issues Hi Team, I own an Indica V2-DLS Aug-2002 model. During my recent trips (Mumbai-Pune :thrice), i saw the engine temp. gauge needle touching the extreme end of red zone (especially in Khandala/Lonavala ghat section). If i stop my car for some time, the temp. gauge needle drops to normal level in just 2-3 mins.In normal circumstances the needle is just above the 50% mark. The AC was on 100% of time and i was driving in middle of the day, where the outside temp. was generally high. Usually i drive my car at around 80-120 KMPH on expressway. Few weeks back i drove from Sangli to Mumbai (in flat 5.5 hrs!), a distance of around 350 kms, and there was no overheating. But this was night time. 1. Is it normal that engines overheat during summer? Because this is the first time i am making this observation. 2. The car AC refused to start thereafter. I guess there is a mechanism which trips the AC off if engine overheats. I also found that the AC shuts off when the engine is revving at high RPM's (at around 120 KMPH). It was like sitting in a oven! Can anything be done in this regard? I had changed the coolant 3 months back and the coolant level is ok. Engine oil was also replaced at regular intervals. The radiator fan also works fine. I am also ruling out any engine head gasket leak... Is there any good quality/brand of coolant available to get by this issue? Without AC in summer, life is becoming miserable. Although in city driving i am able to use the AC. Its only on highways i face this issue. Can someone please shed some light on this... Thanks, Ajay
	() Thanks

22nd March 2007, 11:22	#3
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	I faced the same issue. It was a faulty thermostat which indicated high temperature. Due to this the AC cuts off. I have an indica V2 DLS too, and I have driven in city for hours in 40+ temperatures. So if there is such overheating its 99% due to faulty thermostat. If you go to an authorized service center they will point to Fan/Coolant etc., etc., just politely tell them to check the thermostat too. As for Cut off linked to accelerator, there is no such thing. Atleast my V2 DLS does not have this. I have driven at 130+ speeds with AC cooling just fine. For actual overheating quick analysis If your car is really over heating in reality do this Switch of engine when temp needle goes high. Then try to start engine within 10 seconds of switching off. your self will not crank if engine is too hot. Moreover you will see that if engine is actually overheating your engine itself would shut down and you will feel loss of power which will be very noticeable, missing from engine and misfiring. Last edited by tsk1979 : 22nd March 2007 at 11:25.
	() Thanks

22nd March 2007, 16:23	#5
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	I have driven up the 36 hairpin bend road to ooty with 4 adults in car with AC on full blast. No issues with overheating. I have made many trips to high altitude regions also in summers and during initial stretches the temperature is in 40s. Never faced an issue. If your car has such issues then there is something wrong with your car. My indica has completed 75K now and is a june 2002 model, same as the OP
	() Thanks

22nd March 2007, 17:31	#6
deep_bang BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore / Boise Posts: 888 Thanked: 1,271 Times	My Indica's temp guage goes upto a little more than half way mark. So, if the guage goes more than half way, either the temperature guage is faulty, Or the temp guage is correct, but the thermostat which should switch on at a particular temperature has gone bad. Have you seen if the fan was working while the temperature guage was in the red zone? If that is the case, I am just wondering: Could it be the coolant pump which is mis behaving.... So the fan would be cooling the radiator, but the coolant would not be circulated into the engine and hence engine continutes to get hotter.
	() Thanks

22nd March 2007, 20:37	#7
ajaysurfs BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 52 Thanked: Once	@GTO: Yes, i am planning for a full checkup of cooling system @TSK: Thanks for the hint on thermostat. I will get it checked. Regarding your suggestion on analysis, i will do it next time i hit expressway. PS: I did not experience any missing/misfiring (when the needle went in red zone), nor any power loss. @Prad: I know i am pushing it a bit too hard, given the limitations! @Deep: Yes, the fan works perfectly when the needle touches red zone. Thanks a lot guys for your inputs. Will update this thread soon!
	() Thanks

18th June 2012, 19:59	#8
IndigoXLGrandDi Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Solapur (MH-13) Posts: 1,784 Thanked: 569 Times	Indigo LS - Engine overheating/AC issues. We own an Indigo LS May 2004 which has covered 2,35,000+kms. The car overheats on highways if driven at speeds >85kph even with AC OFF. If driven at speeds <80kph, the temp needle remains at Half Mark. I have driven for 90-100kms on highway at speeds <80kph in one attempt but no problem. In city, I have not driven for >5-6kms in one attempt. Once I drove with AC On for 5-6 kms in a Hot afternoon. The temp needle reached 70-75% of its range. Hence I am not using AC. The Radiator Fan is working and turns On when the temp needle tries to cross half mark. I have got the Thermostat replaced around 7-8KKms ago. Yesterday, I stretched 3rd Gear upto 70 kph, and the temp. needle reached 85% of its range and coolant spilled from the Aux. Tank's Cap. Today when I took the car to TASC and told them about it. The SA prepared JC and I left the car and went to my office. At 5:30 pm, the SA called me and said "Sir we checked the car and the car does not overheat". I asked him for how many kms did he drove and at what speeds. He replied 30 kms at speeds of 60-70kph. I had informed him while preparing JC that the car overheats only at speeds >90kph (@2200 rpm). But that Fool checked at 60-70kph (@1250-1500rpm). What could be the problem?
	() Thanks