Is this solvable...? Or shall I scrap it.....

Hi there. New to the forum although have read loads over the months...afraid I too have an overheating hijet which has the ability to not only heat up the water but also make my own blood boil..!!
Having changed the water pump..thermostat-broke the stupid plastic housing..there expensive!-..temperature sensor..flushed and drained radiator a thousand times..added water a thousand different ways...it STILL OVERHEATS...!!!
THIS, HOWEVER, IS NOT THE PROBLEM....although any more advice would be good.
No..I now have the ultimate problem. Having taken it for a test drive after fitting the new thermostat housing..I arrived back at my yard after 10 minutes steaming and bubbling and swearing..the orange light had been flickering away and as I pulled to a halt to open the gate it cut out...NEVER TO START AGAIN...NO DASH LIGHTS..NO TURNING OVER..NO HORN..NO SOUND WHATSOEVER...NOTHING.
I am at my wits end. I have checked and replaced the two wires coming into the battery tray. The battery is good. I can find no broken wires.
My remaining ideas are something to do with an immobiliser...don't know if it's even got one...or I read something about an inertia switch to reset..I don't know what that is...then there's the ignitor.....
Incidently the van in question is an '02 hijet 1.3 16v efi.
I have another identical van that's fine and another that provides spare parts.
Any suggestions for solving this...much appreciated. Microvanman

Well that's certainly given some food for thought and the first time I have heard that an overheating hijet is not an issue! If you don't sort it, it soon will be but I see your point in that if it won't start its a bit immaterial.
If you have followed all the posts about how to fill a hijet well done, if not use the search feature. Now there is over heating and overheating depending on what its doing, water spewing out of expansion bottle, water going low in pipe under seat, cold radiator hose, heater not pushing out any heat, the experts will need more detail on that one, at moment it could be a cracked or warped cylinder hear or a simple as the seat where the rad cap under the seat seals to not being good enough or even is the thermostat I. the correct rotation...yes there is a correct way!
As for the last problem of not starting, again more could be many things but seems to be power related surprisingly enough .... Sherlock is my middle name for some reason! As far as I am aware and I stand to be corrected (usually am) a hijet of that age did not come as standard with an imobiliser unit unless someone fitted it afterwards then its anyone's guess. Don't think they had anything as technological as an inertia switch but that usually only trips the fuel as far as I know in case on an accident.
If the orange light is flashing not sure if this could be the culprit as its the engi e management, experts on here may be able to guide you to where to seek a solution on that. If it was flickering then stops it seems damming evidence but what caused it to flicker...don't know. Working on Hijets are very much like Sherlock Holmes..discount all the probably causes and what's left...the improbable cause will be the fault.
Oh by the way, Welcome to the Mad House, hope you have a sense of humour, you will need it on here...but then again you have more than one hijet... so I suppose having a sense of humour is really taken!

Hi There Raggy..thanks for your reply..glad to cause a head scratcher.!
So I'm still stumped..the flickering orange light is just due to a hot engine I think..I've seen it before and it's gone when cool...
I put the thermostat in with the little hole thing at the highest point..is this correct..?..I have even fitted a little valve in the pipework at the high point to bleed off air...
I do wonder how the fan itself knows to switch on...does the temp sensor expand and create a contact or is there a relay on the fan or something else...
Anyway..all irrelevant as I can't turn the damn things on.!
Any more suggested routes to try...I need power..!!
Thanks again. Hot Head Hijet

It sounds like you have that old Chestnut of broken battery connector wires. Besides the main Starter Motor feed wire there are two wires which go into a round grey plug and then disappear through the hole in the battery box and feed into the loom. Usually 1 of them breaks but sounds like both of yours have. The orange engine shaped light has absolutely nothing to do with the engine temperature. It is a diagnostics fault light. Fortunately yours being a 2002 you will have an OBD2 (On Board Diagnostics) Connector Socket on the bottom of the dashboard to the right of the steering column. It is worth spending out £30 on Ebay getting one for future problems.

First thing you have got to do is check out the Grey Connector plug on the battery at the rear of the van. Turn the ignition on and get someone to look at the dashboard while you move the plug and wires about to see if you can make a circuit and get the dashboard lights illuminated or if you are on your own turn the wipers on with the ignition on and if you hear them start up you have found your problem.

Although much less unlikely, it could be the main 60 amp fuse in a yellow connector in the loom under the driver's seat at the front of the seat bulkhead. It is very difficult to see and even more difficult to get at. The pull out PAL Fuse has a clear top to it so you can see if it has blown or intact.
But my money for the moment is on the Grey Connector Plug.

Yeah, renew the wires, leaving out the pointless grey connection, most likely cause as Woody says.
And once that's done you can moan about the fucked head gasket

And hello ;/

Right..repaired the wires..removed the grey thing..not that. Took out the yellow fuse..no advantage having big gorilla hands....the fuse is shot.!!!..so could be onto a winner here..or back to anormal overheating hijet with fuxxxed head gasket...are these easy to buy..no numbers on it..??
Thanks again for your help everyone....how do you post a picture.??

Hurray...went to take the fuse out my spares hijet but it was gone.!! There was a bypass in place so quickly fitted that...dash lights..power..sounds..and it started..!!
Back to square one now...overheating...but will have to wait until tomorrow..school run now...boooo!!

I suppose a question I should ask is what would blow such a big fuse....??

short circuit by the small wires and Greg connector? Get a fuse and replace the bypass, fuse there for a reason. As for over he at I g more description of symptoms required.

Hi there..I hear you..just did the bypass to see...fuse tomorrow..then back on the overheat issues...thanks again...really good forum. One problem solved in under 24 hours....

You should be able to pick up a couple  PAL 60Amp fuses from a good car accessories shop or Motor Factors or worse, Halfords. If you have problems I keep them in stocks. 

Hot head hijet wrote:...really good forum. One problem solved in under 24 hours....

No problem - the invoice is in the post!

Mmm..what are all those other goodies.? Things I'll need in the future..

Sorry!! Should have said. The fuses are the Yellow items in the top left but one, compartment.
Black ones on the left are 100amp, Blue ones 80amp.
Top right are Covered Blade Fuse Holders, boxes with 05-012 Lights Left On Buzzers and other odds and ends.

I have got six or seven of these boxes full of almost every conceivable electrical connection or gadget you can think of - - or rather I can't think of. Memory is terrible since the Strokes last Easter Monday. Old age also plays a part of losing one's Marbles or in my mechanical case - - Ball Bearings. LOGI!! Don't you dare.

Thought that didn't sound right, so I have been out into the Garage and double checked. Black are 80amp and Blue are 100amp. These fuses do have a value marked on the Clear Cover. 

Thanks for that Woodie..always good to know...
The Strokes eh..? Takes time to recover nowadays..!
Thanks again...Hot head hijet

Did you manage to get a fuse today and if so, what did you have to pay for one? Interested to know.

Jesus..!! Why is nothing easy...?. No fuse as yet..Halfords..no..Euro car parts.. no. Might have to take you up on your suggestion woodie.
Regarding overheating..still happening...although hovers right at the top with the fan kicking in to bring it down a fraction then back up.
The water in the expansion tank bubbles a bit. No hot air coming out as well. One pipe hot and one cold at the bottom of the radiator.
Has someone got a really easy solution..!!..Don't say scrap it...!!....brilliant van otherwise..

Ahh...good old EBay. £5.00 though..took a bit of looking to find the exact one....lots of yellow 60a fuses...just got to wait now and ponder the overheat....

You can have 2 for that including postage. If you haven't ordered one already send me a PM of your address and phone number.

To me and I admit am am no expert, water bubbling and one pipe cold seems like air in the system. Now how that air is getting in is another matter. Could be a corroded clip not securing a pipe, as said before the rad caps not seating correctly (replace them anyway), blown head gasket/cracked head. Now dont jump to the last option before checking out the first two then getting the cyclinders pressure tested. If its a new van to you then could be previous owner used just water and has then allowed the overheats to corrode the gasket so it leaks. Do one thing at a time and if you go to point of wanting to change head gasket, get it pressure tested and skimmed before you put it back.

like raggy said replace radcaps, check for obvious leaks regarding hoseclips
then fill it the good way, then bleed it the correct way.
and if then still overheats ... sell or scrap it.. youre opening a can of worms

If the bottom pipe is cold you have an airlock or a jammed thermostat. Doesn't mean that the head's not buggered tho.....

I had the mystery overheating problem recently and I purchased a cheap CO2 Test Kit on Ebay "Leak Tester kit HEAD CYLINDER GASKET , diesel, petrol, LPG Free P&P 1-Class !!! £7.99" The rubber bung that came with it was too big so I used one from my home brew kit and it worked a treat. You get a fermentation air lock and some blue test fluid, once positioned in the radiator cap hole under the seat and after running the engine for a few minutes the test fluid will turn green if you have CO2 in your coolant indicating a blown head gasket. Mine turned green - sadly.

Cheers for that wrightgeordie...I'll look into that...meanwhile am going to drain and refill entire system following advice on forum then bleed....probably from my eyes and ears..!!
Thanks again everyone for all your help...Hot head hijet.

Well well..I think I've done it...so I stopped a couple of pipes that looked a little kinked and then topped up using a watering can set high on the roof...this led to the inside water inlet and I jammed it in...I also had a hose and funnel set up on the radiator inlet.
I filled everything then put on the rad cap...leaving the watering can in place and ran the engine...bleeding air out a time valve. All this took place with the front up on ramps.
Finally and frantically put the inside cap on and bled a bit more...
I now have hot air coming out...can hear the fanews come on at about 3/4 where it's remaining.
No bubbling...no hunting..took it for a spin and no overheating.
Will let it rest now ...should I top up tomorrow..?
Thanks again everyone..fantastic forum....Hot head hijet

Quick edit from last post...so I changed a couple of pipes and bled air out of a t valve.....

just keep an eye on it and top up if needed. good tip is smear a little vaslene on the rubber face of the rad cap where it seals then when you turn it, it does not catch and move out of place. hope its all solved for you fingers crossed.

woehoe sounds good man


like raggy said: always put a litle vasiline on your rubber face when you put it in, going in dry isnt fun for anybody..

Haha...thanks for ALL the advice...Hot head hijet