Small worries!

[Tomas]

Last couple of days after starting my 2.7TDi Mav and letting it "warm up" before setting off to take my Border Terriers for their walk, I've noticed the Temp gauge hadn't moved much! Oooooooer!
Checked my expansion tank and Radiator and all was very strong Pinky Orange colour, so I assumed Anti Freeze was OK.
But this morning, after returning, I noticed the Temp Gauge hadn't moved hardly at all, so I felt the Radiator and hoses etc.....
Hot at the Top, but Cold at the bottom!
Squeezed all the pipes and water seemed to be moving around OK.
Admittedly I'd only driven about a mile to where I walk my dogs, but shouldn't everything warmed up more by then??????
My Temp gauge has never moved more than about 1/8" sinced I've had it.
Today the windows had defrosted after 10 minutes, but the heat coming through was not exactly what you'd call hot!
Any idea's folks?

 

[supergnome]

Cos the engine is big it takes a long time to warm up. You can change the thermostat to one that opens sooner. David.

 

[Tomas]

Worries

So, how long should it take roughly to warm up?

 

[MudLifeCrisis]

So, how long should it take roughly to warm up?

Looking at the long range forecast I'm guessing April ;O)

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

In these current temps, mine takes a good mile for the temp to start to climb, but as you say the heater is warm before then. After 2 miles, Mine is up to temp, and I can start to turn the heater down a bit. Normal for mine is with the gauge about a 1/3rd of the way up. When it is not below freezing, it still takes about 3/4 of a mile, as someone has said, it is a big old lump to warm up.

I would take it out and do about 3 or 4 miles in it, and see if it is OK then, if it is still reading low, I would be changing the thermostat, which is a pretty easy job really.

 

[Banshee]

In these current temps, mine takes a good mile for the temp to start to climb, but as you say the heater is warm before then. After 2 miles, Mine is up to temp, and I can start to turn the heater down a bit. Normal for mine is with the gauge about a 1/3rd of the way up. When it is not below freezing, it still takes about 3/4 of a mile, as someone has said, it is a big old lump to warm up.

I would take it out and do about 3 or 4 miles in it, and see if it is OK then, if it is still reading low, I would be changing the thermostat, which is a pretty easy job really.

I'm glad this has been posted as I have the exact same issue however my temp gauge seems to rise and drop randomly as I'm going along

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

If the thermostat is working correctly, and the Radiator is doing a good job, what will happen is...

When the car is Cold, the Thermostat Shuts off the radiator, keeping the water just circulating around the main Engine. It will stay like that, until the engine water is hot enough to cause the stat to open. Usually depending on the stat (and vehicle), somewhere between 75 to 90 Degrees Celsius. The stat works by wax expanding when it gets hot, and driving a valve down, so over time it may change what temp it opens at, or fail all together. Somehow, and I do not know how they did it, they managed to change the workings of the thermostat, so that most fail in the open state, unlike the old days when they were more likely to fail in the closed state.

Once it Opens, Hot water is allowed into the top of the radiator, and cool water is drawn off the bottom, which as it comes in right by the stat, will cool the engine down and the stat down again, and cause the stat to shut. As most of the water in the radiator is cold (Possibly actually below freezing), and there is a bloody great fan, plus forward motion chucking freezing cold air through the rad, it cools very quickly, so when the engine is back up to temp, and ready to let some hot water out again, it draws back in nearly freezing water again....

Repeat this cycle many times until the engine is generally nice and warm, and the radiator temp has lifted a bit, so it is not freezing water going in each time, and it should settle to a fairly steady temp for the remainder of the journey.

The sensor that sends the engine temp the engine is directly on the Thermostat housing, next the the inlet from the bottom radiator hose, so gets the full affected of the hot and cold extremes.

 

[davenclaire]

its winter iv removed the viscus fan for now so the car warms up sooner. gonna fit a switchable electric one next spring

 

[Kamsin]

its winter iv removed the viscus fan for now so the car warms up sooner. gonna fit a switchable electric one next spring

I was thinking of that as well. but for now i have closed off part of the air intake to the radiator with the cleaver use of some cardboard and Gaffa tape...:lol

I also did a thermostat swap and took out the 82c on and replaced it with an 88c. This stops the water moving to the radiator to soon and helps the truck warm up faster.

I think i do a few miles before it reall starts to get warm, and i also leave it running before i set off while i drink my coffee.

I watched a program about some cold country where they never turn the engines on their cars off because it they do they freeze up. Even at night when they got to bed they have them running. It was someething stupid like -50 though. :doh

 

[Kamsin]

I may have to have a re-think on letting the engine warm up now....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1231460/Drivers-leave-engines-running-clear-screens-face-fines-idling-offence-rules.html

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

I may have to have a re-think on letting the engine warm up now....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1231460/Drivers-leave-engines-running-clear-screens-face-fines-idling-offence-rules.html

Wow.. I never knew that...

Sooo... when it is sitting on my Driveway, can they still fine me, after all, it is private property, and a car parked there does not have to be Taxed, MOT'd or Insured?

 

[eurag]

If they think I am going to wait in the truck with the engine off in freezing conditions they can f*ck right off.

 

[clivvy]

mine takes ages to warm up too, but i think nothing of it when its -3.5 outside. As Clive says, too much cold air plus the viscous makes things a little slow.....

 

[davenclaire]

Wow.. I never knew that...

Sooo... when it is sitting on my Driveway, can they still fine me, after all, it is private property, and a car parked there does not have to be Taxed, MOT'd or Insured?

on-the-spot fines ...I don't think so. Theres something called The Bill Of Rights 1688, which was put onto the statute books in 1689. It states: No fines or forfeitures without first being found guilty in a court of law. Remember your rights people, learn them or lose them! You'll win in court as they wont have any evidence!

oh not me i copied and pasted lol

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...fines-idling-offence-rules.html#ixzz2EyGxx9yU
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[solarman216]

Wow.. I never knew that...

Sooo... when it is sitting on my Driveway, can they still fine me, after all, it is private property, and a car parked there does not have to be Taxed, MOT'd or Insured?

have they not now brought in continuous insurance, unless it is SORNED think you have do all three and they can take it off your drive if it is not correct on the paperwork, Rick

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

have they not now brought in continuous insurance, unless it is SORNED think you have do all three and they can take it off your drive if it is not correct on the paperwork, Rick

Not heard of that... Our Volvo is SORN... but not Insured, and does not have a current MOT, so can't be taxed anyway. We have never received any information with the SORN paperwork to say it has to be insured. After all, it is Statutory Off Road Notification, and you are declaring you will not be putting it onto a Public Highway, as it is not "Road Legal"

I can't see how, if it is on Private property they could insist on insurance. It would be far to impractical, what about places like car Breakers, or someone restoring a car over many years or building a Kit car from scratch (At what point would it count as a car and need to be insured), our Off-Road only 4x4's that are trailered to and from site.. Then there are car museums, that have loads of old non-road going cars.

May be the insurance companies would like you to believe it was the case, but I can't see how that could be law.

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

it reaches -40 regularly in parts of canada so that F or C scale.

think much below -20 and you dont want to touch metal with bare skin
or risk leaving skin behind!

also at those temps good chance the snow will freeze to the tyres
creating virtual wheel clamps.

ref idling is this if you walk away from drivers seat, so use another
key and lock the car running, so what of the turbo timers that leave
engine to cool down, still running whilst you lock it and leave it.

 

[solarman216]

just looked it up, thought I was right, came into force 1st Nov 2011, called CIE continuous insurance enforcement, any Register'd vehicle must al all times be insured even if in your garage unless you sorn it, Rick