Coolant light flashing & no hot air coming from vents

[Bayview2020]

Alright

I bought a 2012 Seat Ibiza FR on Monday. Test drove it no problems, checked over everything and seemed ok.This morning I heard 3 beeps and then saw the coolant light flashing. Tried to blow the hot air out of vent but only cold air coming through. Will check the coolant levels when I finish work tonight but 99.9% sure that coolant levels were a few days ago. Any ideas what might of caused this, could it be a leak or weather related?

Cheers

 

[RUM4MO]

One thing that SEAT seem to miss fitting to some of their cars is a engine coolant temperature gauge, if your car had had one of them, you might have noticed that something was going wrong before the warning light came on, I'd think that your car's engine cooling system has sprung a leak - I would not be driving it in that condition as major engine damage will occur.

Really do make sure that you check the coolant level before driving it and take some water to keep it topped up if it is low, but get this sorted quickly as it is not smart to dilute the engine coolant with water especially in winter as the block could freeze and then that could be further complete wreck of that engine.

 

[Crossthreaded]

One thing that SEAT seem to miss fitting to some of their cars is a engine coolant temperature gauge, if your car had had one of them, you might have noticed that something was going wrong before the warning light came on, I'd think that your car's engine cooling system has sprung a leak - I would not be driving it in that condition as major engine damage will occur.

Really do make sure that you check the coolant level before driving it and take some water to keep it topped up if it is low, but get this sorted quickly as it is not smart to dilute the engine coolant with water especially in winter as the block could freeze and then that could be further complete wreck of that engine.

Absolutely RUM4MO. When the coolant level drops it often allows an airlock to form in the heater circuit which stops hot water being able to circulate through the heater matrix and so you get no hot air from the heater. If you continue to run the car with this symptom a blown head gasket is very likely to result and there is a substantial risk of even more serious engine damage. I would not be starting the engine till I'd at least checked coolant level and looked for the reason why.

Some way to monitor "real time" coolant temperature (water temp guage) and oil pressure (at the very least a traditional oil light) are basic essentials in my view. My 2016 Ibiza ST does have a coolant temp gauge and you can even bring this temp reading up on the centre screen between the dials - which I rather like. You can also monitor oil temp in this way which I find very useful - but I don't have a traditional oil pressure light. I presume that if oil pressure falls something will light up on the dash to warn me but I don't like the thought that I don't have a light I can watch go out when i start the engine or after doing an oil change to reassure me the oil pressure is present. I'm thinking of fitting an oil pressure gauge and, maybe a turbo boost gauge so I can monitor when boost starts to kick in and moderate my throttle application when I'm trying to drive economically.

 

[RUM4MO]

I think that the way the oil pressure lost system works is this, as soon as you start cranking the engine, a timer starts and that timer inhibits any oil pressure lost warnings for so many seconds, this allows the engine to get started and build up oil pressure - that is assuming that all is well. One way to prove this is, disable the ignition firing and crank the engine, after some fixed time, if you keep cranking the engine, a warning sound will be given and hopefully a message to tell you about low oil pressure, that is normal and not a fault as such.

I've had that happen when replacing a petrol filter and worked out that it is normal, others have had this happen due to any engine start failure and have got confused and thought that the "oil pressure warning" was due to a failure and that failure was also not allowing the engine to start - that is not true, if the cranking is halted then restarted, no low oil pressure warning will be given out until that time has once again passed.

 

[Crossthreaded]

I think that the way the oil pressure lost system works is this, as soon as you start cranking the engine, a timer starts and that timer inhibits any oil pressure lost warnings for so many seconds, this allows the engine to get started and build up oil pressure - that is assuming that all is well. One way to prove this is, disable the ignition firing and crank the engine, after some fixed time, if you keep cranking the engine, a warning sound will be given and hopefully a message to tell you about low oil pressure, that is normal and not a fault as such.

I've had that happen when replacing a petrol filter and worked out that it is normal, others have had this happen due to any engine start failure and have got confused and thought that the "oil pressure warning" was due to a failure and that failure was also not allowing the engine to start - that is not true, if the cranking is halted then restarted, no low oil pressure warning will be given out until that time has once again passed.

I discovered, when I first read through the manual, that there is a "hidden" oil can symbol in the wee central display between the two main dials. I've never seen it displayed, even whilst the other lights are doing their "self check" function. So thanks very much indeed for explaining how this oil pressure warning system works - I feel just a little more reassured now. I still don't like the idea of it being on a timed basis. I don't like that it, and the other warning lights on that central display, are not included in the start up display check, and I don't like not having a light to reassure me every time I start up or do an oil change. Why do these "smart Alec" modern design engineers think it's a good idea to replace a system which has worked so well for so many years? Ah well, at least I've got a water temp gauge, The earlier versions didn't even have that!

The fuel filter is another that's troubling me. As I've mentioned elsewhere, the car is now just coming up on 4 years old so I'll now be looking after her myself from here on in and I will shortly be doing my first service on her - oil and inspection so I'm just going to go over her from back to front, cleaning up and lubing brakes and other wee "extras" that the MD doesn't do. (Previous services having been done by the Main Dealer). I found the fuel filter and it looks original. I asked the garage when it should be changed and was told it's not part of the schedule (I don't see it listed anywhere and even the Haynes manual says nothing about it!) I then asked our local Indy who said "they don't really give any problem, If it's not leaking just leave it alone". Of course I'm aware, being quite into my Fiats, that some cars have their fuel filters incorporated into the in tank pump and go out to "starship" mileages before requiring any attention. Maybe this is in the same camp? At approaching 20,000 miles I probably can just leave it alone for some time yet but I will want to change it, probably next year. I also feel a little nervous as the pipe fixings are plastic and there are dire warnings about breaking them as you have to renew the entire pipe if you do so - the clip ends are not individually available. Am I cynical, or could this be why no one seems to want to change them?

 

[RUM4MO]

Plastic fittings on these "push to fit" petrol filters, I worried about that and then I discovered that at least VW sell a repair kit, so I bought a couple of them to have if/when I was going to replace that filter on my wife's 2002 Polo 1.4 16V 75PS, maybe that was because I was being negative or wise - having the Polo going VOR when my wife was working would mean that she would need to use my car.

I just wonder if this change in strategy wrt petrol fuel filters is coming from the fact that there is no longer a high pressure pump near the tank, only a low pressure lift pump feeding the camshaft operated very high pressure fuel rail supply pump - these Bosch etc old high pressure fuel pumps that were located in or near the petrol tank probably were the main reason for these filters, ie to catch the alloy grains as these pumped died slowly!

On the oil pressure front, when the engine starts and very quickly the warning inhibit timer runs down, as soon as there was a drop in oil pressure which is below what the engine requires, the oil pressure warning will get switched on.

Other developments, the newer versions of at least VW Group engines, have essentially controlled low oil pressure systems, once the engine warms up, the oil pressure is reduced to save energy and so lower emissions though maybe allowed to increase back up at higher engine revs/load.

 

[Bayview2020]

Nice one boys! I checked the coolant level on my break and it was near completely empty so I filled it. By the end of my shift it was completely empty again. Must be some kind of leak. Seems as if some is coming through the radiator and all. Had the AA pick my car up and take it back to the garage it was bought and told them to sort it as since I have one month warranty on engine & gearbox.

Hopefully no further damage occured whilst driving it on empty. Car seems fine apart from the leak & no warm air coming through, and few naggy bits like the blowers only work on full power (4) . Should of paid more attention to the blowers when I bought it so thats another lesson for next time!

I agree it seems so stupid that the car doesnt have a temperature gauge, I was there for hours looking for one but seems like you cant get up at all?

 

[camelspyyder]

The water temp gauge on our MK 5 was on the satnav (SEAT portable system) screen.

 

[RUM4MO]

The water temp gauge on our MK 5 was on the satnav (SEAT portable system) screen.

Lucky you, many MK5 Ibizas don't have any engine coolant temperature information available to the driver!

 

[Crossthreaded]

Aye RUM, demand controlled oil pumps. I believe mine has one. More moving parts and control circuitry to go wrong. More for me to worry about!

Here's some "stuff" about the VAG pump and how it works:
https://www.audi-technology-portal....iency-technologies/demand-controlled-oil-pump

BV 2020. I hope all that's needed is to sort your leak and refill with coolant. Got my fingers, toes and other appendages crossed for you!

 

[RUM4MO]

Crossthreaded, aye, and the same for the "funky" multi circuit and pump, cooling system!

 

[Crossthreaded]

Crossthreaded, aye, and the same for the "funky" multi circuit and pump, cooling system!

Yup. You can only wonder "why, oh why"? - Well actually I do know some of the why, but I'd rather sacrifice the miniscule advantages conferred for simplicity and reliability - and before someone says it's going to save the planet for us, Well no, it's going to take an awful lot more than that folks!