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Apr 23
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Apr 23
6d ago

Hi,
I bought a Suzuki Cultus 2014. 4 months back, driven almost 2000 KM after that, having no issue, driven upto Lahore from Rawalpindi. In Winter's heating gauge remains at the half position, I have Auto Fan but no thermostat valve, so it takes some time to get warm in Winters. Now, as the summer starts, I did radiator service and filled the coolant, replacing the normal water. I filled Guard 2 Liter coolant and 0.5 liter mineral water. I did the coolant testing by putting it in the fridge for 15 hours but it does not freeze, so I just did Antifreeze test and Coolant performed up to Mark, I am using Guard coolant, it was sealed packed, is it good to use because after filling it I haven't seen any decrease in temperature even when I go to mechanic to change the coolant, Mechanic while changing when touched the pipes, he said your car is getting OVERHEATED. Initially, after filling the coolant, there were many bubbles, but later on, I tested just fewer less when it starts, and then they die when the coolant gets heated up and tries to move outside of the radiator mouth. My Mechanic said the car is getting OVERHEATED, your head tapped needs to get tightened up. My needle remains in the middle, I counted it is at the 10th Line, I am confused, my car is getting OVERHEATING, I need to use the AC in a few days, so it would be an issue for me?

is your mechanic a complete novice?

overheated condition can be tested by a scan tool - if your engine is going beyond 100C with no control you have an issue.

According to your posts you were using tap water in the engine and later used mineral water to add with coolant and have no thermostat valve for some reason. If you have used tap water for any time your water pump intake metal pipe/tube is probably clogged with rust. Change it out.

Do not try to feel and touch the "overheat and presharr" - the cooling system runs under pressure and the pipes are supposed to be hard, thats why you have a radiator cap that has a pressure rating (the whole setup runs like a pressure cooker)

please dont hire morons to work on your car, it will cost you an arm and leg.

As I mentioned, I bought this car 4 months back, so no idea of an authentic Mechanic. Just randomly checked near Dhoke Syedian, Rawalpindi. Yes, I am going to buy a cheap Car scanner for this temperature analysis. You mean the Pump intake metal Pipe/Tube needs to be replaced? My car was using the tap water and was not reducing water, even though I travelled from LHR to RWP, and it has not reduced water, but now, after changing it to coolant, it is reducing coolant, not very much, but a few drops, which is worrying me.

Secondly, I want to ask if Guard coolants are reliable?

For coolants, I would buy the havoline concentrate as its best value for your cost. One liter concentrate when mixed with a liter distilled water will yield 2 liters ready to use coolant.

For leak checks, use a tissue paper under all hose clamps and and touch to see if they are wet when system is fully hot, make sure the hose clamps are genuine spring style along with suzuki genuine rubber pipes too. Aftermarket are a hit or miss. (Mostly miss)

Do not keep opening the radiator cap to check for coolant level, let the system run for a week, it will expunge all air pockets and stabilise itself. Only check in the expansion tank for level, if it doesnt move or gets overfilled or is completely empty or not changing at all, then you have an issue to work on.

But proactively change the waterpump intake metal pipe. (waterbaady wala paep” it will be choked, if the waterpump (waterbaady) has signs of coolant leak or if there is a lot of rust in the system then simply change it too. Install a brand new thermostat valve and refill coolant mixture.

Do a couple of integrity checks and send it.

The heat gauge is installed for a reason.
The mechanic is trying to rip you off probably. Ive never seen anybody guessing overheating issue by touching or pressing the cooling system hoses.

If the temp gauge is not crossing the middle mark no need to worry and perform precautionary steps as mentioned above.

Guard coolant is okay to use. Run it until you sort out any leaks/issues and then replace it with Havoline concentrate. Cant go wrong with it.
Also dont use mineral water. The name is self explanatory. You dont want minerals in the cooling system. Use distilled water for dilution.

I read on many forums that don't believe in the Cultus Heat gauge because when it just crosses the middle, the car gets overheated without reaching the max area in most cases. I saw mostly desi people like Mechanics check the heating of a car by pressing the radiator upper Pipe, if it is hard, they say the car is overheated. Idk whether it is correct or not. Thanks for advising not to use mineral water, I will follow it. Can I use distilled water for the Batteries in the radiator?

How much heat gauge should move while turning AC on, tell me in terms of gauge as well as temperature?

Thanks for guidance, i will follow it. Is it okay to install thermostat valve in summers because thermostat valve purpose is to heat up the engine in minimum time by making value closed and make it open when desired engine temperature attained. In summer that temperature get attained in 3-4 mins, why not install it in Sep/Oct? what do you say?

Yes, as per my knowledge, what I read from this forum or others, when the engine is non-faulty and everything is working in perfect condition, so thermostat does its purpose by not allowing engine coolant to circulate to the radiator and attain the engine's optimum temperature at earliest. However, in my case, my temperature gauge always remains at 45% after the initial 3-4 minutes with no AC, so I feel that the temperature is already attained. Why introduce a thermostat valve when its purpose is being attained by running the vehicle idling for a few minutes? This is my analysis due to limited knowledge, you can better guide me.

The thermostat in your engine is positive bypass type, running without it may cause overheat as liquid will take path of least resistance. And will overcool on long runs which will cause the engine to use more fuel as ecu will go into warmup cycle again.

So

Please dont try to outsmart the engine designer with basic layman logic.

Bhai I have kept Cultus for 10 years atleast I believed its heat gauge and it never let me down.
Find a mechanic who is well versed with stuff otherwise you will be stuck in lunacy for long.

And those hard radiator pipes which mechanic palpate like they are decoding Einstein is exactly how a normal cooling system works under pressure.

AC/No AC ideally has no effect on heat gauge. it stays slightly below half mark.
If yours rises get the system checked but only by a professional. Removing T valve is not the solution instead you are wasting fuel by running rich for longer times.

Your alternator is shot, its not charging the battery. Your engine may warm up itself, but will not be regulated without the thermostat valve.

Google how a positive bypass thermostat works, and you will understand

We've kept Cultus EFI for over 10 years, it's heat guage stays right in the middle. it's its normal position. Don't worry, your car is not heating up. it's normal position for needle to stay in the middle (winter or summer - AC or no AC)

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Yes, I already researched it and concluded what you told me, now I understand how efficient and impactful having a thermostat valve is. Now I can understand having a thermostat valve help in running the cooling system efficiently, instead of the myth that the car gets overheated.

If there is thermostat valve installed, we have multiple benefits, first required engine temperature will be attained quickly, secondly when temperature of the engine rises we will have 2 cooling systems, first it will cool down by opening the thermostat valve and transfer the heat energy of the coolant by circulating it in the radiator and till this point fan has not turned on so cooling system works here even without operating radiator fan. After that, if still temperature is still not controlled or is rising, it will turn on the radiator fan, and that is the second cooling system.

This is brilliant and enhances the engine life and fuel efficiency. I have a few things to do. Recently, I found that my AC is not working, so I need to work on the AC I will do the thermostat valve work and the water Pump inlet Pipe changing work immediately after that.

My AC turns on, the Compressor runs, but it just makes the warm air as normal air, not cooling it. Secondly, my AC fan's highest speed is also not working.