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Post by eddypeck on Jan 27, 2015 13:42:37 GMT 1
My car (1986 Golf GTI) has generally always run cool. The water temp barley gets off the starting block (it does move the gauge is reading) and the oil temp tends to read around 76 deg. Most of my driving is a steady pace up the motorway so I just thought it was effective cooling. In traffic it would come up to half way. However since the temperature has dropped outside and I've been more reliant on my heater I'd noticed the air from the heater was not as warm as I expected. This is the first winter I've used the car as last year it was in the bodyshop November to Feb. This inefficient heater got me asking questions and it came back that overall it should run hotter at normal operating temp. Over the weekend I replace the thermostat, and as a result due to a sheared bolt ended up replacing the water pump too. Which was just as well because if original is 28 years old and at under £40 made sense to do it. So now this morning I'm back at what I'm told is a healthy operating temp.  So my question is, is it potentially harmful running it cooler as I was? and what would be any tell tell signs to look for in terms of any damage caused. you tend to worry about a car overheating but not so much the opposite. Thanks in advance. |
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french crap fanatic
Apprentice
french car specialist based in dagenham east london
Posts: 3,355
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Post by french crap fanatic on Jan 27, 2015 18:48:01 GMT 1
You use more fuel and create more pollution when engines run cool
It also wears engine out quicker and dilutes the engine oil.
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Post by wheelnut on Jan 28, 2015 0:53:34 GMT 1
I don't think that temperature gauge is quite up to normal yet.
How does the heater output feel?
How high did the gauge go when stuck in traffic?
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Post by Karl on Jan 28, 2015 8:32:49 GMT 1
Is this your daily driver ? You are brave commuting in an 30 year old vehicle !!
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Post by rhyds on Jan 28, 2015 10:38:07 GMT 1
Is this your daily driver ? You are brave commuting in an 30 year old vehicle !! To be fair anything from the 80s onwards, properly looked after, is probably decent daily material. Think about it, electronic ignition was common by then. Hydraulic tappets as well. |
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Post by spannermonkey on Jan 28, 2015 11:16:38 GMT 1
Is this your daily driver ? You are brave commuting in an 30 year old vehicle !! Until i sold it last year my 72' mk3 cortina was my daily driver from march til september every year,with a good blast on sunny winter days. |
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Post by Noberator on Jan 28, 2015 11:36:19 GMT 1
Depending on the operating temperature range you could test it in water and check at which the thermostat will open.  Do you know how accurate your in car temperature gauge really is.  |
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Post by eddypeck on Jan 28, 2015 14:05:42 GMT 1
I don't think that temperature gauge is quite up to normal yet. How does the heater output feel? How high did the gauge go when stuck in traffic? Yes it goes to half way and sit there now, before it only sat on the right hand edge of the white block. in traffic would go up to half way and probably a tad over but I always got moving again by then as don't do much traffic driving. Heater is better now, but I can't get it at the feet but I think that's to do with the flaps inside rather than anything else. |
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Post by eddypeck on Jan 28, 2015 14:07:11 GMT 1
You use more fuel and create more pollution when engines run cool It also wears engine out quicker and dilutes the engine oil. Always had pretty good MPG to be fair, 35-40 mpg on average so if now it's fixed that gets better bonus! But I guess an oil change wouldn't be a bad thing now too. Probably due soon anyway. |
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Post by eddypeck on Jan 28, 2015 14:11:17 GMT 1
Is this your daily driver ? You are brave commuting in an 30 year old vehicle !! To be fair anything from the 80s onwards, properly looked after, is probably decent daily material. Think about it, electronic ignition was common by then. Hydraulic tappets as well. I used to be an all year/all weather biker. After 15 years and now at the age of 40 I decided I couldn't hack another winter. Wanted a car, but wanted it to be one I'd enjoy so got what I had when I was 20 something. Was only supposed to be occasional use shared with the bike but ended up using it more. Have recently sold the bike so yes it's my daily, but hoping to get a new bike soon enough, can't stay off them for long. And yes, pretty basic cars really, set of spanners in the boot and most problems can be fixed roadside. Not like today's computers on wheels, with engine management and a million sensors... I don't even have electric windows! That said I have had my fair share of break-downs though. But the guys I work with have had a few problems in their newer cars too. |
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Post by eddypeck on Jan 28, 2015 14:15:44 GMT 1
Is this your daily driver ? You are brave commuting in an 30 year old vehicle !! Until i sold it last year my 72' mk3 cortina was my daily driver from march til september every year,with a good blast on sunny winter days. Fair play  |
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Post by wheelnut on Jan 28, 2015 23:33:02 GMT 1
Yes it goes to half way and sit there now, before it only sat on the right hand edge of the white block... Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought your photo showed the gauge in its normal operating position. |
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Post by natedog on Jan 29, 2015 20:16:19 GMT 1
Is yours digipants or kjet? I've not had that much to do with mk2s other than putting their engines into sciroccos  How has it been fairing on the emission test while running cold? |
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Post by eddypeck on Jan 29, 2015 22:55:27 GMT 1
Is yours digipants or kjet? I've not had that much to do with mk2s other than putting their engines into sciroccos How has it been fairing on the emission test while running cold? K-jet, it passed its MOT last June, apart from that it's not had a gas test. |
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Post by natedog on Jan 30, 2015 18:15:44 GMT 1
they're normally quite clean (at least the ones i've seen have been!) so just wondered if yours sailed through or just scraped a pass
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