Running Cold

[Dave 500]

Now the colder weather is closing in my car now seems to run at between 60-70 and the fuel economy is going down.
In the summer it was running at between 70-85 most of the time and only went up to 90 on a trackday.
It also takes a long time to heat up in the mornings normally about 10 miles.
Any Idea's

Cheers

Dave

[spend]

Cars fitted with 71c thermostats are too cold in Winter, I change to an 82c stat for the winter months.

Check your thermostat.

Dave

[bennem]

Stupid question is the 82C stat a standard rover part?

[sparkythecat]

I had this problem and changed the thermostat.
Didn't improve matters. Whatever happened to radiator blinds?

[GreenV8S]

sparkythecat said:

I had this problem and changed the thermostat. Didn't improve matters.

In that case I suggest that your new stat was either faulty, leaks, or incorrectly fitted. If the stat is fitted and working correctly, the flow through the radiator will be tiny until the stat starts to open. In really really cold conditions (freezing cold blizzard conditions) when the engine is only ticking over this tiny trickle combined with the windchill of air blowing through the engine bay, may be enough to cool the engine below the stat opening temperature. But these conditions are rare, and normally if the engine stays below the stat opening temperature it indicates a faulty / missing / incorrectly fitted stat.

[ian8542]

spend said:

Cars fitted with 71c thermostats are too cold in Winter, I change to an 82c stat for the winter months. Check your thermostat. Dave

If your car has a 71 degree stat fitted, there is something wrong with your cooling system.
The engine would tend to run rich and fuel economy will suffer.

[sparkythecat]

GreenV8S said:

sparkythecat said: I had this problem and changed the thermostat. Didn't improve matters. In that case I suggest that your new stat was either faulty, leaks, or incorrectly fitted. .

I'll put another one in then.

Without going to the expense of buying a thermometer, how can I tell if the new one is OK?

[ian8542]

For the price of a new stat it's not worth the effort in trying to test it.

[spend]

Erm, Early cars were specified with 74c stats, I misquoted it as 71/2 off the top of my head earlier. Well thats what the gospel says in the book of Cooling.

Dave