What Causes the Peugeot 408 to Have High Water Temperature and Engine Fault?
2 Answers
Insufficient coolant, radiator fan malfunction, or circulation water pump failure. Below are detailed explanations: 1. Insufficient Coolant: Coolant leakage or low coolant levels can cause the engine water temperature to rise. In this case, check the coolant level. If it's low, first top it up to the appropriate level, then check again after a few days to see if the level has dropped significantly. If it has, locate the source of the leak. 2. Radiator Fan Malfunction: If the radiator fan fails, the heat generated during high-speed operation cannot be effectively transferred to the coolant, impairing heat dissipation. This leads to an increase in coolant temperature, potentially causing overheating. 3. Circulation Water Pump Failure: Pump failures can include seized bearings or damaged impellers. Seized bearings are relatively rare, while damaged impellers—such as cracked impellers or impellers loosened from the pump shaft—are more common. These issues slow down the coolant circulation, often resulting in engine overheating. Note that engine water temperature should not be too low either, as excessively low temperatures can cause incomplete combustion of the air-fuel mixture, reduced power output, poor lubrication, and increased emissions.
Last time I was driving my Peugeot 408, I encountered a situation where the water temperature suddenly spiked and the warning light came on, which really got me nervous. After checking, I found out that the coolant had completely leaked out, probably due to aging pipes or loose connections. The high water temperature could be caused by a clogged radiator, non-functioning fan, or a stuck water pump disrupting the circulation, which is quite common in older 408 models. The engine warning light actually indicates that the ECU detected abnormal temperature, so it's important to stop and check the coolant level and color promptly. Neglecting this could lead to burned engine gaskets, skyrocketing repair costs. It's advisable to regularly monitor the water temperature gauge and immediately slow down and pull over to add coolant if it starts running high.