My car has gone from over heating, well not dangerously overheating but getting hotter than it usually does, to now struggling to warm up.

 

My car now struggles to reach 60C no matter what my car is doing. Sitting in traffic, motorway driving, country driving with lots of braking and accelerating, it just doesnt get to 60C. I think It did reach 60C and that was with country driving with the Air Con on, but 5 mins after I turned it off, the temperature was back down. Its not just my extra temperature gauge which shows this, my stock one isn't even reading 1/4 the way up.

 

Could my thermostat be stuck open? And when it was over heating, it not opening all correctly?

 

Its no big deal at the moment, but when winter comes I will want to put the heater on and I wont be able to do this if the engine is hardly warm enough.

 

Suggestions?

 

Stuart

Sounds like the thermostat to me Stu.

Thermostat sounds likeley, but would seem odd as they dont generally completly fail they just get a bit inefficiant (bad spelling i know but i dont know how to spell that word!!)

 

Could it not be something wrong with the temp guage, i know you have a flash lighty up aftermarket one, but how is it comparing to the stock one?

deffo sounds like a stuck thermostat, like i said last time ;) :D

Originally posted by b19rks

Thermostat sounds likeley, but would seem odd as they dont generally completly fail they just get a bit inefficiant (bad spelling i know but i dont know how to spell that word!!)

 

Could it not be something wrong with the temp guage, i know you have a flash lighty up aftermarket one, but how is it comparing to the stock one?

 

 

They are both reading about the same.

 

Aftermarket reads 40-50C and the stock gauge hardly gets past the bottom line of the temp gauge.

Generally thats how they fail safe - they loose the wax filling and then just stay open all the time. the give away is to start the engne from cold - let it tickover - hand on the top hose feeling the temp - if it warms slowly then thermostat is alrady open from cold. The way it should work is the top hose stays stone cold until the temp guage is well off the cold mark and then suddenly the hose heats up just as the stat opens.

 

You'll be wasting a fortune in fuel and maybe staying on safety boost too.

 

Best get a new one soon. Its not that hard to change it.

Strange thing is I dont stay in safety boost that long. Untill its gets to about 45-50C then its off. But I heard it comes off when it reaches 60C

 

Speaking of safty boost. I had my first esperience of detonation. I didnt even hear it happen. The car stuttered once and then safty boost was on. I think I was asking too much from it in 5th.

 

Stuart