Many years ago you could get this effect if the rubbers had swollen in the master cylinder and blocked off the return hole, as the brakes warmed up and the fluid expanded it couldn't get back to the cylinder so the pressure increased and put the brakes on.

The 1.9d is a very low power engine so you have to thrash it to get it to go, so it does get hot.

Just to update in case anyone else has this problem

I booked it in at a local garage (Peter Cooper car repairs in Byfleet) and they have:

• Removed brake pads, cleaned housings, and checked caliper sliders
• Re-fitted with Ceratec brake pad contact lubricant
• Adjusted the back of brake servo adjuster half a turn to ensure there is free play

It seems to be fine now!

Has sorting brakes cured the run hot isue?

Find assertion that it's due to 1.9D needing 'thrashing'. odd. I have same model and it runs at 75-90 degrees pretty much whatever. Temp guage might just climb above horizontal (90) in sudden heavy traffic but only time it's got over 100 was climbing Mt Ventoux in mid August, 30+ degrees in shade, with 5 passengers.

My 'take' is it has a cooling system capable of supporting an HDi and is little troubled with a non turbo 75HP.

Sadly not - mine used to run exactly as you describe, Bromp, but for whatever reason gets hot very easily now. Not the head or anything like that. It had a new radiator when the problem started but I've checked the dimensions, checked it for cold spots, flow, etc so I think that's more coincidental. I believe it's a Nissens part and they get fairly good reviews online.

I'm going to look into getting an oil temp gauge as they are only cheap and the fact it's fine in traffic, and at about 60mph is odd. The coolant temp only tells half the story.

Edit: Obviously it gets hot in traffic jams, but doesn't overheat and the fan cycles on and off as you'd expect. If I floor it on the motorway it will just get hotter and hotter. I haven't dared see just how far but I've had it over 100C indicated

Edited by mss1tw on 18/09/2014 at 23:02

If only, DN! I had a new timing belt and water pump fitted last month (three years early) as I was convinced the water pump had failed as you described. the old one was fine and it's had three or four thermostats at various points and been bled by loads of different people including myself!

I wwonder if the oil cooler is blocked which is why it only happens when the engine is under a more significant load.

I suspect this is a daft question but are all cooling system hoses ok, I used to drive a nissan urvan diesel that kept doing the same thing after months of going into garage

Turned out to be rad hose return split and closing up at high temp just a thought

No leaks,the hose looked perfect but has split internally and was closing up when it got too hot,blocking the flow

No leaks,the hose looked perfect but has split internally and was closing up when it got too hot,blocking the flow

Thanks bolt - so you could not see this from the outside at all? I had seen pages mentioning radiator hoses collapsing at high rpm on Google and got someone to rev the van up to 3000rpm to see if any of them collapsed but they seemed fine.

If it is just not possible to tell from the outside they are cheap enough to try and see what happens.

Thank you

A collapsing hose is nothing new just hard to spot, some 70s/80s cars used to suffer same problem and often noticed by squeezing the hose, usualy where its collapsed its slightly softer but not seen

As I said its just a possible cause

Final update, I hope:

The van has now had 2 new front calipers & hoses, a new master cylinder, and a rear wheel cylinder as the bleed nipple snapped off. (They only charged for the part to replace that which is fair enough)

Took it for a good run, lots of braking, higher speed A roads and corners, and it all seems to be fine now.

The pedal feels totally different, lots more travel. It still stops fine if needed, just needs a firm right foot mashed onto the pedal.

Total expenses came to circa £720 - £600 for the above, and £120ish for the first round of investigation and inspecting/greasing the calipers.

I expect discs and pads will be the next thing, if they've been significantly affected by the fault...

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I also bought upper and lower radiator hoses, which were pleasantly cheap for genuine parts at £20 inc VAT. Planning to change those tomorrow.