QuestionQUESTION: my car keeps over heating not losing any water top part of engine very hot but bottom cold could it be the thermostat
ANSWER: it could be a jammed closed thermostat, or it could be a worn out water pump - could even be just an airlock in the system -
ensure water gets pumped round, ensure the water is full and all pipes are firm and full of water* (should be 40% coolant or thereabouts)
Maybe a blocked radiator.
I'm guessing waterpump, it's 10 years old.. about the right time to fail.
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QUESTION: NEW WATER PUMP ABOUT A YEAR AGO SO COULD IT STILL BE THERMOSTAT OR BLOCKED RADIATOR
AnswerIt could be thermostat or radiator that is causing the overheating..
Or it could be that the head gasket blew of its own accord and this is why the temp gauge has been reading high.
Luckily it's a vauxhall and fairly easy to do the headgasket.
When the headgasket needs to be changed (specially under these circumstances) the whole cooling system should be checked out, flushed of the engine oil that has gotten in there and should be fitted with a new thermostat as a matter of course.
Sounds like the headgasket has been blown since you're first question. Check the oil level on the dipstick, I guess it should be way past full with 5 litres of coolant in there... maybe 5 inches up the scale.
This car needs a new head-gasket.
Someone pulled over to me with a V-Registered vectra last year - a few of them do just "let go" like this - the headgasket job is around £400.. Personally I'd try to find a garage that will do it for as little as possible with some sort of guarantee - If I charged £200 I would make £100 profit... it's not a hard job and it doesn't need many parts.
Good garage can do this in 3 hours from opening the bonnet including tea breaks.
