What's Normal?

[craig_the_german]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here so please be gentle :)

I am the proud new owner of a Mk4. Picked it up last niight.
It's a beauty, first registered in 2000 and with just 51000 kms on the clock.

My question is...what's normal?

The temp gauge doesn't seem to move off cold....very cold and after a while, might go up one or two "marks" on the gauge but then drops back down.

I know the ambient temp is quite cold at the moment but is this normal?

Thanks for a great forum.

[RedMk2Gti]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here so please be gentle :)

I am the proud new owner of a Mk4. Picked it up last niight.
It's a beauty, first registered in 2000 and with just 51000 kms on the clock.

My question is...what's normal?

The temp gauge doesn't seem to move off cold....very cold and after a while, might go up one or two "marks" on the gauge but then drops back down.

I know the ambient temp is quite cold at the moment but is this normal?

Thanks for a great forum.

Are you talking about coolant temp ? it has nothing to do with ambient temp. If coolant temp gauge doesn't move off cold that mean thermostat is open all the time.

btw, what the spec, gti ? 2.0 sport. post some pic:)

[phaeton]

Welcome to VWwA craig_the_german j:

[SoVeReIgN]

Thermostat most likely gone.

It should get up to 90 quite quickly (~10mins) and NEVER move.

Word of advice - Don't be thrashing your car while its running cold, even if its been on all day.

[craig_the_german]

Thanks everyone,

The car...Just a GL 1.6L Silver, manual.

Was thinking that it could be the thermostat, might see if it settles down. The last owner only drove it rarely so it might just be sticking.

How do you post pics in a thread?? (Just a newbie :) )

[ope126]

90 degrees solid...

Maybe slightly lower; 88 - 90 degrees if really cold outside (At normal operating temp), never higher though...

Glenn

[Bazzamon]

The 1.6l motor has a problem with the thermostat housing lug breaking off (plastic) & fslling down and jamming the thermostat in the open position. Undo the housing off & youll see what I mean. Just rubbish. Made & designed by Germans!!!!!! LOL. bazz

[cusack]

I have an 2.0L. My temp reading slowly climbs until its perfectly vertical and right in the middle. (whatever that temp is). It usually takes about 5mins till it hits the middle.

I have a question, in the manual it says that when you first start the car, you should “drive immediately”. Is this a misprint??

Regards

[craig_the_german]

Hi everyone, thanks for the great info. I have a bit more info on what is happening.

I have just come back from a drive in the car and the whole time the temp gauge was sitting near enough to 85-90 deg...perfect......

Stopped at the shop for about 2 mins, started it up and the gauge didn't move from cold.

Could it be a dodgy temp sensor or connection.

Oh by the way...I am not German...my son Craig, however, lives in Germany...hence Craig the German.....:)

[craig_the_german]

Hi everyone,

Seems like my coolant temp problem maybe electrical.

After driving, I can turn the ignition off and then on again and the coolant temp gauge reads correctly. Turn the ignition off and then back on and the gauge reads nothing.

Whilst driving, the gauge will be reading nothing, then the needle climbs to the correct temp (about 90deg) and then sinks to nothing again....all in the space of a couple of minutes.

On the 1.6 engine, where would I look for the temp sensor as that seems like a logical place to start.

For those who like pics...here are a couple of my new baby.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2007/06/2339785-2.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2007/06/2339791-2.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2007/06/2339796-2.jpg

[syncro]

I have a question, in the manual it says that when you first start the car, you should “drive immediately”. Is this a misprint??

Regards

No, not a misprint. All VW manuals say this. It is illegal in NSW to warm your engine by idling.

[static1800]

No, not a misprint. All VW manuals say this. It is illegal in NSW to warm your engine by idling.

huh? is that to do with emissions?

[DubSteve]

No, not a misprint. All VW manuals say this. It is illegal in NSW to warm your engine by idling.

HUH WTF lol.

Are they nuts!

Mine says to at least wait 30 seconds before driving!

[syncro]

Mine says to at least wait 30 seconds before driving!

Pics of the page?

[DubSteve]

Let me just pull the booklet out of my back pocket ;)

[SoVeReIgN]

huh? is that to do with emissions?

Yep, I think alot of the emissions laws state that the car has to be producing less than X amount of emissions after ~X seconds. Its the main reason most cars run rich on startup (to heat up the cat and get it working) and why they will rev higher idling from a cold start. I'd guess car can't heat the cat up enough sitting idling and do whatever else it does to get emissions ready.

I'll always let my car sit for 30seconds ~ minute before driving - To take the edge off the cold and to make sure oil has been pumped up to the top of the engine.

(All Audi manuals say the same thing)

[syncro]

Yep, I think alot of the emissions laws state that the car has to be producing less than X amount of emissions after ~X seconds. Its the main reason most cars run rich on startup (to heat up the cat and get it working) and why they will rev higher idling from a cold start. I'd guess car can't heat the cat up enough sitting idling and do whatever else it does to get emissions ready.

I'll always let my car sit for 30seconds ~ minute before driving - To take the edge off the cold and to make sure oil has been pumped up to the top of the engine.

(All Audi manuals say the same thing)

It was the same a long time before cats and emission regulations. VW says to warm the car up quicker. Increased revs are to stop stalling.

[craig_the_german]

Hi again,
I need an idea as to where to look for the coolant temp sensor on my 1.6L, being a new owner (2 days) not familiar with the layout yet.

Thanks

[cusack]

Pics of the page?

Here's the pic. I'm just old school thinking that to warm up a car in the morning its best to just let it idle ...which is why I first thought it was a misprint. :o

[qsilverza]

I believe from having read this topic being discussed in another forum that the old adage of letting the car warm up for five minutes before moving doesn't apply anymore. The car's are advanced enough so that starting them up and moving off after 10 - 30 seconds is fine even beneficial.

Of course that doesn't mean go revving the crap out of it.

[craig_the_german]

Getting back to the original post, I managed to locate the teperature gauge sensor, pulled it out, cleaned the terminals on the plug and refitted....problem fixed.

[ope126]

Well done, great to hear everything is working fine now...