MG-ROVER INFORMATION PAGES

With various aspects of servicing, maintenance, including driver assisted features and vehicle monitoring. For our 1996 Rover 200 and the 04 ZR 120+

ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM

About features, and driver notifications on our MG-Rover Information Pages

How the cooling system works. Water pump pushes coolant..into engine block, then flows into cylinder head getting hotter as it circulates, coolant exits from coolant elbow. Along top hose into radiator to be cooled, then out of bottom hose up along the coolant rail to the thermostat, then back to water pump, constantly repeating the cooling process.

mg-rover-coolant-elbow-joint

Coolant Elbow Joint

Coolant elbow joint In conventional systems, the thermostat is usually located on the outlet from the engine, the location on the K Series is at the rear, allowing the engine to reach its temperature more quickly and evenly with short periods of opening and closing.

Cold coolant coming in by stages allows the engine to retain heat while it gradually reaches normal operating temperature, and so avoids stressing the casting through a sudden heat shock, Cooling system, under normal driving heats up very fast, lack of a constant coolant flow in an engine working hard from cold, can be a contributing factor of head gasket failure.   
The K series achieve this very quickly within the first mile or even less, a well maintained cooling system may have tepid air slightly evident at the face level air vents.in as little as 0.2 tenths of a mile, this first sign of a warm up process should remain constant during all seasons of the year, including extreme winter temperatures.  
saab-matrix-valve

Saab C900 Matrix Valve

As vehicles heater control knob is rotated to cold position, the control valve located on bulkhead will close, so no hot coolant will circulate within the cabin heater, via the SAAB C900 heater matrix valve.

Cabin heater, matrix, is basically a smaller version of the cars radiator, filled with hot coolant supplied via the smaller of the two elbow joints coolant hose, which then feeds hot air into the cabin, the heater is located in an enclosed area between the centre console and engine bay bulkhead, and will not  require any form of air cooling properties.. 

Worth taking note, the temp gauge that usually shows a tad below half after a short drive. Will not always be an indication the engines (actual operating temperature) has yet been fully achieved till after a short period of time. A good heating system, especially during the winter months is essential..

A coolant circulation check is to feel the radiator top hose it will be hot, and radiators bottom hose should be warm after coolant has been cooled prior to it going back into the engine to continue on its constant re-circulating cooling process.

Information is referenced only to our 1996 Rover 200 and 2004 ZR 120+