Hi guys we have a 2022 duster bi fuel and I have to say this seems to be a common duster thing. It is very slow in ours and to be honest if you didn’t check it would sneak up on you. I only noticed when it was under warranty. I had a service and a moth later I looked under the hood and no coolant. I took it stright in and it was topped up and heard some rubbish from the dealer that it’s the shape of the dusters coolant hoses and that there shouldn’t be coolant in the expansion tank. Of course a load of tosh they just hadn’t topped it up. I also know it slowly decreases because my sister and mother in law both have the same model dusters and it’s the same for them. It’s very slow decrease but if you don’t keep checking it can sneak up on you and it be empty. I bought coolant from Dacia themselves for about £15 I think it was and it’s pre mixed so I just keep checking. I added a couple of capfuls about 3 months ago and keep checking. It’s gone down very slightly. Coolant dose decrease over time in all cars but I find the duster seems to be faster for some unknown reason. I would just keep an eye and if it’s gone down a lot with little driving I would investigate a leak somewhere. Let me know how you get on

 

A cooling fan running for an extended period is typical of the diesel model if a DPF regeneration is interrupted but you mention nothing of the year, model or engine type?

Coolant can be lost over a period of time through minor leaks and also evaporation if the cap isn't tightened fully or has a poor seal, coolant loss is not normal on a sealed system.

I'm pretty old fashioned as far as checks are concerned, weekly in normal use and daily when on longer journeys or when away from home.
On a budget car like a Dacia you can't rely on level sensors for adequate warning before critical failure occurs.
I tend to keep the temperature display active all the time and miss having the option to display oil pressure.

 

Sorry, it's a 2019 1.3 tce. You mentioned the temperature display which is interesting. This seems to work from cold to halfway, normal running temperature. It did NOT however display any over temperature warning. Maybe I should get a proper analogue temperature gauge and sensor from somewhere or pay more attention to the coolant level from now on.

 

That is very concerning, never having experienced overheating issues with our own diesel model I would be shocked to find that the temperature guage doesn't read accurately and only mimics what the low coolant temperature blue lamp does.

 

Sorry, it's a 2019 1.3 tce. You mentioned the temperature display which is interesting. This seems to work from cold to halfway, normal running temperature. It did NOT however display any over temperature warning. Maybe I should get a proper analogue temperature gauge and sensor from somewhere or pay more attention to the coolant level from now on.

 

My radiator failed after a few months of use (brand new car), replaced under warranty.
Have a good look at the radiator and make sure it isn't the culprit.

 

All seems to be ok now. I keep checking the coolant level and after the first top up after the overheat it did drop again so I topped it up again and it remained stable after 180 miles 70-80 mph motorway driving. The temperature gauge on my dashboard did not show any Issues and seems fixed at the halfway point. As long as I keep the coolant level at maximum and I don't hear the radiator fan running then I think all is well. I do like the idea of getting a temperature gauge maybe from somewhere like AliExpress but where do you fix the sensor🤔

 

My VW Passat’s temp. gauge got to normal, and once there never varied, regardless of whether it was -10 or +30 degrees. It was generally reckoned it was never a real gauge.

 

That sounds like the cooling system was working perfectly, with the thermostat and fan holding the water at the correct temperature.

 

Point taken, but it wasn’t just my opinion. Made for relaxed driving though

 

Exactly why manufacturers do this. The ECU may have access to several temperature data points plus ambient - and will reduce power if things get toasty (and figure out a problem if a temperature sensor gets stuck).

Oil pressure is another one which has been dumbed down. In the case of JLR they don’t even bother with pressure at all only level which - given a quirk in the design of the engine - has resulted in engines being written off after a service.

 

I suppose I’m more used to the gauges on my MGB, which do show variations according to conditions.

 

MGB, good old analogue stuff. My first car was a Hillman Imp, 875cc, aluminium engine which was first designed as a seawater pump I think. But I did the same journey in that as I did in the trusty Duster. The temperature gauge in that was a glowing light. The hotter it got the brighter the light. I did 180 miles at 50mph just to keep it dim (in 1980)🤣

 

We must have had the deluxe model Imp - ours had a temperature gauge, but the washers were still a push button (good finger exercise as I recall). I learned to drive in it as 10 y/o - learning how to handle the clutch and gears - but was ambitiously keen on the idea of one day kitting it out with full-self driving using a ZX Spectrum and some buttons. Never came to anything, too much Knight Rider I reckon...

When I was 12 my Dad let me park the XJ6 up at night (which was a feat in itself - the 'wing' mirrors were at the end of the car near the nose and there was only about an inch either side to get through the gate onto our drive.)

Yoof of today have it easy I tell you.

 

Talking of cooling fan anomalies, my 23plate Duster 1.5dci 4x4 which I purchased new, now and again the cooling fan will come on and stay running for some time after switching off the engine, it is not unduly hot and the AC is not always switched on? I now leave the car with the fan running for a few minutes go back and start the engine, immediately the fan cuts off, this is a random occurrence and also not weather dependant?

I presume that the cooled water in the rad when left switched off immediately circulates and deactivates the fan?

Anyone else suffered this issue, it is very infrequent and I forgot to mention it when the car went in for its first service.

DRW

 

I would advise you to check your coolant level, see original post🙂

 

Hi Geezer

It has not used any coolant, the level is the same as it was when I collected the car, half way between Max and Min, which was not noticed or rectified at the last service?

DRW

 

Ok. I keep mine at maximum now and because I am now checking it (paranoid much) have noticed it does rise and fall slightly with engine temperature. As you would expect I suppose. But I have not heard the radiator fan overrun since keeping it topped up.

 

Update: I have had to top the coolant up again so have had a good look in the engine bay with a torch. There is coolant trapped in the engine casting below what I believe to be the thermostat housing. Battery side. I have had my hand down there feeling around the pipe connections and all appears dry. I can't reach low enough to check the bottom of the thermostat housing (what I'm looking at is plastic). I am pretty sure it's coolant because the Pestone stuff I have put in is yellow and the stuff I can see is a dirty yellow.
Things may turn out expensive methinks🫣

 

From memory there are other threads concerning the plastic thermostat housings on these engines within this forum.
Certainly they have been flagged as defective in posts on social media on a frequent basis.

For the avoidance of doubt by others, a mechanic can replace one without requiring assistance from computerised diagnostic equipment 😉

 

That is interesting about the thermostats housing. I will have a look at ours and see if I can see any signs. Where is it located is it the same for our bi fuel I wonder? Can you see it from the top easily enough?

 

I would think it's the same on the bi fuel but worth checking. Mine is located on the right of the engine block, as you look with the bonnet up (battery side). If you follow the top radiator hose you will get to it. The coolant fluid I found was below the thermostat housing towards the bulkhead pooled in and around the engine casting.

 

Update: I had the thermostat housing replaced and all seems OK now, no coolant loss. The mechanic gave me the old unit but there were no visible cracks in the plastic I could see so it must have been leaking from the gasket somewhere.

 

Thank you for your update, it's always useful to know of a successful outcome, it could help others.

 

I know it's been a while since my overheating issue but I thought I would share what I have installed to monitor engine temperature. As I

said before the cars original selective display didn't indicate a problem and never went past the halfway line. I have fitted a temperature sensor in the top hose and a display on the dashboard, photos attached