Discussion
For the last couple of months my water temp has not been going above 70deg, thought first it was just because of the cold weather but it is still not going up with the sun out.
Thought this could be a faulty thermostat stuck open but the fans still swich on but now when the gauge reads 70deg not 90.
Any ideas?
Thought this could be a faulty thermostat stuck open but the fans still swich on but now when the gauge reads 70deg not 90.
Any ideas?
So - the fans do all that is expected?
Sounds like sensor or guage problems.
Only time I have seen the temp not reach sensible levels is on the M3/M25 in the depth of winter when the car really didn't get a chance to warm up over the couple of miles onto the M'way. Actually slowed down to try and let the engine warm up!
Sounds like sensor or guage problems.
Only time I have seen the temp not reach sensible levels is on the M3/M25 in the depth of winter when the car really didn't get a chance to warm up over the couple of miles onto the M'way. Actually slowed down to try and let the engine warm up!
if the fans cut on and off, the gauge is the most likely suspect. it is anyway.
mine reads 80 when the block temp is actually closer to 95!
start the car from cold in the garage and time when the fans cut in. do it again tomorrow. should be about the same.
also if the engine temp is around the 75degree mark (thermo cut in) the heater will barely warm the car!
if the fans are cutting on and you've got a strong/hot heater temps up there.
to adjust the gauge, there is a tuning resistor in the harness at the sensor which can be replace for an "accurate" reading.
mine reads 80 when the block temp is actually closer to 95!
start the car from cold in the garage and time when the fans cut in. do it again tomorrow. should be about the same.
also if the engine temp is around the 75degree mark (thermo cut in) the heater will barely warm the car!
if the fans are cutting on and you've got a strong/hot heater temps up there.
to adjust the gauge, there is a tuning resistor in the harness at the sensor which can be replace for an "accurate" reading.
The fan has allways cut in at 70 in mine but the heater has allways been hot ,i bought it 20 months ago with 4,000 miles on the clock it does not use any coolant and behaves perfectly ,i have thought about this myself but decided that the gauge reading a bit low was better than reading high maybe worth a mention at its next service but i am not sure i would want to spend much on sorting this out regards Steve.
I had this problem until recently. The gauge would read about 60 when the car was on the move, going up to 90 in traffic.
I tried to buy a new 'stat, but the parts/workshop guy at Waldonway said it's almost always the temp sensor at fault. Anyway, I fitted the sensor (cost about £10) and the gauge now appears to behave itself. Biggest problem was finding it on the engine (serpentine). It's impossible to see without removing the distributor cap, as it's tucked away right at the front of the inlet manifold and low down. You have to remove the distributor to get to it. I think the pre-serp may be different.
PS The pre-serp also uses a different sensor. Also my car had no trimming resistor, but yours may do. Depends which instruments you have fitted I suppose.
I tried to buy a new 'stat, but the parts/workshop guy at Waldonway said it's almost always the temp sensor at fault. Anyway, I fitted the sensor (cost about £10) and the gauge now appears to behave itself. Biggest problem was finding it on the engine (serpentine). It's impossible to see without removing the distributor cap, as it's tucked away right at the front of the inlet manifold and low down. You have to remove the distributor to get to it. I think the pre-serp may be different.
PS The pre-serp also uses a different sensor. Also my car had no trimming resistor, but yours may do. Depends which instruments you have fitted I suppose.
Mod-wise do a adjustable resistor that you can plug into a position further around the system to the right of the dizzy. Theres a tab there that one wire plugs to and teh other goes to the lead taken of the other hard to get to sensor behind the dizzy.
I adjusted mine by waiting for the fans to kick in and out, and then turned the little screw on the Resistor untill the ON/OFF Fans wher in sync with the right temp on the guage.
Its been Ok every since.
BB
I adjusted mine by waiting for the fans to kick in and out, and then turned the little screw on the Resistor untill the ON/OFF Fans wher in sync with the right temp on the guage.
Its been Ok every since.
BB
Ballistic Banana said:
Mod-wise do a adjustable resistor that you can plug into a position further around the system to the right of the dizzy. Theres a tab there that one wire plugs to and teh other goes to the lead taken of the other hard to get to sensor behind the dizzy.
I adjusted mine by waiting for the fans to kick in and out, and then turned the little screw on the Resistor untill the ON/OFF Fans wher in sync with the right temp on the guage.
Its been Ok every since.
BB
Isn't that just masking the problem, rather than curing it? When I removed the old sensor, the connector was loose in the housing, so could have failed completely at some future point. If yours is the same, you are just putting off changing the sensor to some unknown time in the future.
Paul.
wildeep said:
Guess it doesnt matter if the sensor fails as BB is using the spare sensor that the engine has. Its just that the spare sensor has a different resistance to the one behind the dizzy so needs a resistor to give the correct reading.
>> Edited by wildeep on Tuesday 4th May 11:04
Yes, reading it again, I see what you mean.
Paul.
Gassing Station | Griffith | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff