VR6 running below 70C on motoroway?

[-Neil- 0]

I recently did a 2 hour trip to seaside, first long trip in my car, and on the motorway steady 70-90mph my water temp stayed around the 70 mark, went upto 90 when driving through villeges and stopping and starting.

 

Is this normal and my radiator works fine or should it be higher?

 

only reason i ask is that my heater matrix has gone just after this journey.

[CorradoVR6-Turbo 0]

probably a lazy thermostat mate.

[coullstar 0]

Ive got the same I think. Fans are still kicking in but at about 90deg so thats all Im fussed about.

[was8v 0]

Sounds like a stuck open thermostat.

 

I know more modern cars will run slightly rich to get the catalytic converter warmed up when the engine is below operating temp (90). Not sure if the Corrado VR6 does. If this is the case then changing out your thermostat will give better MPG.

[vw corrado storm king 0]

mine does that too but i think it's normal on the motorway????

[dr_mat 0]

Get the thermometer replaced. If it's running under temp it's going to be running in cold start enrichment all day long, plus your oil never reaches temp and resistance is increased, meaning you use more fuel ..

[vw corrado storm king 0]

thermometer who's that

[mattnorgrove 0]

Think Mat meant Thermostat. :D

[dr_mat 0]

Typing faster than brain.

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

Hi

1st post - picked up my new baby [VR6] on saturday :)

would appreciate some advice lol

I have a similar thing with my collant temp showing low, motorway or round town it rarely gets above 70

oil temp warms up fine, with several miles its up to 60+ mark and then continues till it settles round the late 90's....motorway it wondered round 96-104ish

the fan seems to kick it fine too and will run once shut down after long journey

i heard sumink about checking the 2 cooling pipes as might indicate if the stat is stuck open [think both pipes get hot if it is]....im pretty sure just the top gets warm but need to check

can anyone shed any light?

peas shout :)

[Yandards 0]

It could also be the 4 pin coolant gauge/fan sender switch on the way out, they tend to underead when they need replacing. Easiest way to check is to see if the fan comes on after a short drive and parking up, or if it comes on more than it used to.

[coullstar 0]

It could also be the 4 pin coolant gauge/fan sender switch on the way out, they tend to underead when they need replacing. Easiest way to check is to see if the fan comes on after a short drive and parking up, or if it comes on more than it used to.

 

Now thats what mine is doing, where is this sender switch?

[Yandards 0]

It could also be the 4 pin coolant gauge/fan sender switch on the way out, they tend to underead when they need replacing. Easiest way to check is to see if the fan comes on after a short drive and parking up, or if it comes on more than it used to.

 

Now thats what mine is doing, where is this sender switch?

 

On the black plastic water housing if yours is a VR6.

[IrishG60 0]

My digital readout says 100 as is right... but my needle never goes above 80... always been that way... surely just a case needle isn't working right?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Agreed with Yandards. It's probably dash guage / yellow sender related, although it may not necessarily affect the fans since the outputs are different. The right half (facing the front of the car) deals with the fans, the left half the dash gauge.

 

I have "other ways" of reading water temp and when it reads 70 on the gauge, it's actually 83-85, so I would ignore it. A stuck thermostat would cause the engine to take eons to warm up, and I'm talking 30 mins or so. If it gets up to temp normally, but stays at 70, then it's not a stat problem.

 

I recently replaced the rad, thermostat, expansion tank and main pump (all VAG) and it's still reading 70 deg (83-85 actual though), I'm 100% certain it's either the yellow sender or the guage itself.

 

70 deg (actual) is the when the lambda kicks in, so you won't be running in warm up mode and in the even of sensor failure, the ECU defaults to 70, so you shouldn't ever run too rich from coolant problems.

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

thanks 4 the posts people :)

ive been watching the coolant gauge temp and the oil temp during runs where she is warming up and tho the coolant gauge seems low the oil temp warms nicely......can any1 who's coolant gauge reads correct tell me what its at when oil temp gets to about 80?

short drives normally end with oil temp round the 70-80ish mark and when shut down the fan does not kick in - however, on longer drives the fans kick in after shutdown.....i believe this sounds right.....yes? lol

im gona try and get her on an ECU hook up to get the ECU coolant temp reading but all help is appreciated!!

pianowire....what your 'other way'? :)

[craigowl 0]

Mine read just below 70C on motorway on 130 mile trip on Tuesday. Ambient temp 8-11C.

Nowt much wrong IMO.

Fan(s) come on OK I believe.

Oil temp getting up to 80C in about 15 mins then up to 90-100 at times later.

33.4mpg on 130 mile run - mixed roads, speeds and revs.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

pianowire....what your 'other way'? :)

 

A direct reading of the (blue) water temp sender via VAG-COM, or in my case, a standalone ECU :wink:

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

thanks craigowl, mine sounds extremely similar :)

i thought that might be the case pianowire, nice1