2l running cold

[DVR68U]

hey guys i have noticed now that the temp has dropped lately, that my van seems to be running cold on the temp gauge. It used to run around 1/4 temp and only very rarely got up near half while in traffic. But now it sits just above the bottom, i dont think my fans are staying on . Do the vans have problems with running cold in winter ??
cheers brenton

[gregozedobe]

Two possible suspects come to mind :

1 The thermostat is sticking open, thus preventing the motor from warming up properly. Do you have any other symptoms of a "cold" motor eg heater only produces warm (not hot) air, engine seems to run rich all the time (even after being running for 10 minutes or more), using excess fuel ?

2 The sender (sensor) or temp gauge or wiring is faulty, the engine is actually warming up correctly but not showing on the gauge.

Let us know what it was and what the fix was when you fix it, so we can add to the collective knowledge base.

[The_Hawk]

2 The sender (sensor) or temp gauge or wiring is faulty, the engine is actually warming up correctly but not showing on the gauge.

It could also be the guage itself, my Mk3 seems to run fine, VAG-COM reads fine, but the guage does not.

Can you plug in and check it out?

[Golf Loon]

Probably thermostat is stuck, or its really cold at the oaks

[jets]

My Mk2 GTI was running cool when I purchased it, the thermostat wasn't stuck but opening at too low a temp. It was checked by removing & hanging in a container on the stove & checking the temp when it starts to open.

[balkanac]

Thermostat most probably. You are lucky that it's probably stuck open. I had to replace an engine in my Jeep because of the stupid thing. It was stuck closed. And the temp sender is on the radiator so it was showing that the engine is cold, needle was on one fifth! American design!!

[DVR68U]

ill have a look , i think the motor is getting warm. drives nice and doesnt seem to be running rich. the gauge always read low , not looking forward to looseing all my coolant to check the thermostat.

[gregozedobe]

ill have a look , i think the motor is getting warm. drives nice and doesnt seem to be running rich. the gauge always read low , not looking forward to looseing all my coolant to check the thermostat.

I've read it is a good idea to clamp off the heater hoses when removing coolant (saves on bleeding/air issues).

One thing you could do is measure the resistance/voltage on the temp sensor to see if it is changing as the engine warms up (probably easier to do than a physical check on the thermostat, and I always try the easiest job first, even if it seems a bit less likely). Might tell you the problem is the temp gauge (or wiring).

[DVR68U]

yeah ill pull a reading off the blue sensor (thats the temp one right) and see if it changes much.
cheers brenton

[bigyeti]

Changing the thermostat is not a tricky job. And you don't have to loose the coolant, just catch it in a bucket. If you do end up draining, make sure you have the heater control on the dash turned all the way to hot, and leave it this way when you fill up. When you have filled up, 'knock' the expansion tank a few times and you will see bubbles emerge, put expansion tank cap on, switch engine on and let warm up, turn off and top up coolant if nescessary, never had any issues with air doing this.