thestraycat

Hi guys, first post... Trying to get to the bottom of this overheating issue.

We we're gifted this little ford ka 1.3L run-a-round for the missus's first car by a family member and we're trying to get to the bottom of why it's overheating.

The car's in good condition 30k on the clock 2005 duratec 1.3L, we're still on the first tank of petrol and it's overheated twice in the last two back to back journeys. All no more than a 4-5 mile round trip.

Took the car to the garage worried that the head gasket had gone, asked the machanic to do a check and he's done a check and says it's fine. Noticed the coolant expansion tank had a few pinholes in it near the cap and was slightly misformed so had him replace it. He mentioned they just go over time and it's probably effecting the running temp of the car and hence why it's overheating. I asked him whether the thermostat was bad, and he gave me a detailed reason why it couldnt be bad and mentioned fans coming on and heating working etc.. He said he'd run the car after doing the work and left it sitting with the engine on idling and it hadn't overheated. Unforuntately when we got it back, first journey, it's overheating again.

One thing i've noticed since we've had it is that it's always blowing hot air. Even when we set the blower to cold it's still blowing hot air.

I'm starting to wonder after looking round the forum whether the heater control valve is bad? It makes sense to me that this part may have gone bad which is why the heating has stuck on HOT also the issue happens quickly within a few miles but ONLY under load of driving.

What would you guys suggest?
If it is the valve, what valve should i buy in the future to stop this happening?

Any info would be great.

GVK.

If you replace the heater valve make sure its genuine Ford, the aftermarket ones are pants

Louis3016

Very likely to be the Heater Control Valve - as stated above! I bought a genuine Ford one and has been fine since, it’s so nice to have cold air when it’s so hot!
plus - as a side note - this fault will cause the temperature gauge to read hot! So deffo the issue…

thestraycat

@GVK - Thanks, it's weird i actually saw a few references to buying the third party ones as the original OEM ones were the faulty ones in the first place.Is there a model number or certain years of this part that you have to avoid?

@Louis3016 - Good to hear your orginal part is workig out for you.. Where did you buy it and how much was the OEM part do you remember?

GVK.

No idea on part numbrrs sorry

thestraycat

Anyone know where i ccan get an OEM heater control valve? 2 places i spoke too said it's on back order from Ford... ??

Louis3016

You need to buy it direct from Fords mate, they sell them off the website. I paid 60 quid..
il find the link and post it

thestraycat

@GVK @Louis3016

Hey everyone, thanks for the help. I'm really pissed off today after getting off the phone to the mechanic.

Took the KA down to a place where i get my BMW MOT's done a few weeks back... Asked them to perform a head gasket test and replace the coolant expansion bottle that has pin hole holes in it near the cap. They told me the head gasket is fine.

Take it back drive it for 5 miles and the car over heats again.

Take it back to the gargage to get the heater control valve replaced (as car is always blowing hot air) and ask them to diagnose the issue as there saying it could be a few things (thermostat, water pump etc0 that they need to test. So i leave it with them.

I call them up today and now it's a head gasket failure. The kit has changed colour that they are using from blue to green, although theres no water in the oil or anything.

I mean... How did it not show up the last time you did the test. There's a chance i suppose that the last overheat through it over the edge (although no steam or smoke was present and as soon as it came on, i pulled it on the curb and left it over night to to cool down before collecting it)

But it just feels like it's happened since its been there - Pissed because one test had been done already, pissed because now there saying it has failed and can happen at any time blah blah.

GVK.

I blame you tubers such as calvinscardiary and car throttle saying for a head gasket to be gone you must have a milky oil cap or whatever!!

Head gasket failure can be many different things depends where abouts on the gasket it has failed., combustion gases in the cylinder, oilway mixing with coolant etc.