What engine temps do you all see

[graeme4130]

Hi all
I'd be interested to hear what real world engine temps you all see on a daily basis

The reason I ask is my 95 4.0HC seems to be running at an almost constant (indicated) 90-92 irrelevant of whether in traffic or on a dual carriageway
The radiator is less than 2yrs ok'd and appears to be in good condition. The otter switch kicks in the fans at an indicated 92ish, so I'm confident the temp gauge is reasonably accurate. And the thermostat seems to open ok at around 85 (although I believe this should be 82, so I've ordered a new one to change )

Is this an abnormal temp for the car Or just normal running

• edited info ;

It seems a little higher than the guidelines in the bible
I don't run a splitter and the number plate is mounted below the radiator aperture

[Colin RedGriff]

The gauges are not always very reliable as indicators of actual temperature. they can show you a change in temperature but unless you know they are accurate take the indicated temperature with a pinch of salt.

Get yourself an infrared thermometer (around £10 from somewhere like Maplins) so you can check the actual temperature at various points in the cooling system.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

I have gradually been coming to the conclusion that the gauge is not very accurate, and the indicated temperature is highly dependent on ambient temperature, speed, heater usage, moon phase, etc etc.

I've come to regard 90 as a reasonably normal temperature for my car, with the normal range being 85-95 and the fans kicking in just above 90. I have seen it nudge up towards 100 on a particularly spirited drive, which made me start to consider pulling over - but it never went further.

[K4TRV]

Colin RedGriff said:

The gauges are not always very reliable as indicators of actual temperature. they can show you a change in temperature but unless you know they are accurate take the indicated temperature with a pinch of salt.

Get yourself an infrared thermometer (around £10 from somewhere like Maplins) so you can check the actual temperature at various points in the cooling system.

+1 Gauges are brill at indicating change(s), just not good at specifics.

Maplins and nearer £25 for IR Therm - it really is what you need to reassure not only for water temps, but oil, tyres, and whether the soup is going to scald your tongue or not!!!! (IR Temps have many uses.........!!)

HTH

Trev

[CHIMV8]

graeme4130 said:

Hi all
I'd be interested to hear what real world engine temps you all see on a daily basis

The reason I ask is my 95 4.0HC seems to be running at an almost constant (indicated) 90-92 irrelevant of whether in traffic or on a dual carriageway
The radiator is less than 2yrs ok'd and appears to be in good condition. The otter switch kicks in the fans at an indicated 92ish, so I'm confident the temp gauge is reasonably accurate. And the thermostat seems to open ok at around 85 (although I believe this should be 82, so I've ordered a new one to change )

Is this an abnormal temp for the car Or just normal running

• edited info ;

It seems a little higher than the guidelines in the bible
I don't run a splitter and the number plate is mounted below the radiator aperture

Mine moved up and down depending on the heat until recently then never really moved from between 88 and 93,i was told it was more than likely the senser was on its way out.

I've asked V8D to take a look while they have my car

[kenny.R400]

No longer a TVR owner but I've had 2 chims in the last couple of years. My '98 400 ran an indicated 40 degrees and my '93 430 ran an indicated 90 degrees!!!!!!

However with my Maplins laser temp thermometer fired at the tower tank near switch both read 80 degrees...........conclusion = Chim gauges in my experience are for reference only.....if they vary from where they usually sit you may then have a problem.

[Notsofastfrank]

My 500, runs at 80 on motorway, as soon as you hit traffic it rises to 90, then will go up to 92 before the fans switch in, have occasionally seen 95 in stationary traffic on a hot day but no worse and only minor water loss. The fans switch off when the temp goes down to 90.
I will be trying an IR thermometer, before possibly a new thermostat and otter switch.
I have just fitted a Steve Heath heat shield, as mine was missing - it made about a 5 degree difference when moving, but doesn't seem to make any difference when stationary, unless of course the thermostat isn't opening soon enough.

[Rossco2010]

Hmmmmmm, this makes me wory slightly!

Mine does, and always has, run really hot - indicated 90 is default in town (London so lots of sitting around) rising to a nudge over 100 in traffic on a hot day. Having said that, it stays there and seems happy enough.

Once I get it moving it drops significantly.

Fans are cutting in and out as you'd expect; do I need to worry?

[TVR Beaver]

I got a new sender unit a few weeks ago.. ended up having to put a resistor in line to get it to read correct... mine was also going to the 100 mark but I know this is not right.....
My old sended showed the stat to open at 82... it holds 80 on the motorway.. and when it hit's 90 the fans come on.... (ive since made a 2 stage fan set up than now holds it at about 86)..
so i could be your sender...

[quattrophenia]

Mine will sit at 70oC on the run, then in slow traffic rise to 80-82oC. The fans and open stat keep it to below 85oC.
Before I had the rad and otter switch done it would shoot up to 90oC and the fans would kick in and out without really lowering the temps. Much better and reassuring now!
Must say she got slightly warm sitting at 90MPH on the autobahn in June with an air temperature of 34oC though!

[BillC99]

+ 1 for above 4.0

[SILICONEKID340HP]

TVR Beaver said:

I got a new sender unit a few weeks ago.. ended up having to put a resistor in line to get it to read correct... mine was also going to the 100 mark but I know this is not right.....
My old sended showed the stat to open at 82... it holds 80 on the motorway.. and when it hit's 90 the fans come on.... (ive since made a 2 stage fan set up than now holds it at about 86)..
so i could be your sender...

Thats because you have the wrong one ! You must have the Land rover sender..

[Andy chimaera]

my 400 runs at about 79-80 on a run up to 83 when in traffic, then fan cuts in, regular as clockwork

[graeme4130]

Went to Maplins today and picked up the laser temp reader
After a fairly hard blast tonight it was reading about 93 at the bottom of the swirl pot next to the otter switch and the fans were both on
The temp switch casting was reading about 85 and the upper hoses the same

[TVR Beaver]

SILICONEKID340HP said:

Thats because you have the wrong one ! You must have the Land rover sender..

No... TVR car parts first.. then a TVR Power one... but similar... have the power one in now and a small resistor... quite common to have to do this... If it was the LR one it would be off the scale!

[Milky400]

gauge reads 70-75 actual temp 90!!!!!

[kenny.R400]

Graeme good purchase.It's been one of the best additions to my toolbox without doubt, certainly has helped solve the "is my sender/gauge broke" problem out on a few cars now. It also got a good reading from our cats pencil sharpener at 10 metres, what a shot..............74 degrees

[TV8]

i get a spread of low 70's to 90 max. Now the mornings and evenings are getting cooler, its running lower at any sort of speed than in the warm times.

I think this is fairly accurate but will look into these thermometers to check.

The car has a splitter, alloy rad and de-cat, so not to surprised about the low temp and glad it doesnt ever go above 90.

The thing I do want to sort is the heater. Car at 85-90 equals warm feet. Car at 72-74 equals freezing cold, which cant be right, when my Triumph Stag heater cooks my left ankle medium rare even in sub-zero air temps and within a mile or two of starting the engine.

[Mr MoJo]

Rossco2010 said:

Hmmmmmm, this makes me wory slightly!

Mine does, and always has, run really hot - indicated 90 is default in town (London so lots of sitting around) rising to a nudge over 100 in traffic on a hot day. Having said that, it stays there and
seems happy enough.

Once I get it moving it drops significantly.

Fans are cutting in and out as you'd
expect; do I need to worry?

Mine runs at pretty much the same temps as this(Griff not Chim).

Has done eversince I bought it. Never had any problems so I wouldn't worry as long as the fans cut in and out properly.

[TVR Beaver]

Milky400 said:

gauge reads 70-75 actual temp 90!!!!!

You need to get that one sorted... over reading is one thing.. but under reading... I'd be changing a few bits!!