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Subject:Re: 1990 Carat...Overheating Saga that won't end....Help????
From:Jfp w/3 WBXs
Date:Sat, 7 Sep 2002 02:30:15 +0000

Hi Kevin,

Stories like your overheating saga intrigue me as I love a mystery. I have
three 2.lL WBXs that I drive VERY HARD and they never overheat! My Syncro
has special temperature sensors and gauges and during 70 mph high thermal
loading, the 87*C thermostat actually restricts the flow of cooled coolant
from the radiator to the engine. This means that the 2.1L WBX cooling system
has overcapacity so overheating shouldn't occur.

Perhaps by pmail, I would like to know the following:

1)EXACTLY how your cooling system was bled - step by step. Your comment
about cool air coming from the front heater core suggests air in the system.

2)Are any rubber hoses on the suction(return)side of the cooling "soft" or
"spongy" to the touch, these may be collapsing and restricting coolant flow?

3)Has the waterpump impeller been physically examined for slippage on it's
shaft or fin erosion reducing coolant circulation?

4)When overheating, does the radiator cooling fan cycle ON? If so does it
draw air INTO the radiator or push air OUT?

5)The 2.1L digifant distributor has nothing to do with ignition timing
adjustments. The Digifant distributor Hall sensor just sends a very simple
0-10V square wave showing engine rotation. All timing calculations and
adjustments are carried out INSIDE the Digifant control module thus ignition
distributor replacement is a waste of time & money in this case!

This begs the question; how knowledgeable is your technician about the
workings of the Digifant system? If the basic installed position of the
distributor is incorrect, then all the Digifant timing calculations will be
wrong. Is the distributor installed & timed correctly?

Regards,     John

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