Is anyone else's engine running cold in this cold weather?

Chat about your MKIV (6N) Polo
dubmeup
New
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:41 pm
Location: Exmoor

Is anyone else's engine running cold in this cold weather?

Post by dubmeup »

Like the subject says, just wondering if anyone else is experiencing a temp gauge that rarely gets above the 'warm up' zone in the current cold weather.
The real inconvenience i'm getting is that this obviously means the heater barely works, right at the time when i need it most!! My partner's T25 is also doing the same thing...Who designed a heating system that provides super heated air on hot summer days and luke warm air when it's -4 anyway??!!** We are considering boarding up our radiators until the weather hots up a bit.
Josh_polo
Gold Member
Posts: 946
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:05 pm
Location: Bexleyheath,kent
Contact:

Post by Josh_polo »

Mines doing the same will go a quater of the way and not to the middle once i park up though itll shoot up and then mmmmmmm hot air :lol:
User avatar
vw-po-low
Gold Member
Posts: 929
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:13 am
Location: Mansfield, Nottingham

Post by vw-po-low »

Can't say ive had this problem. My 6n warms up fairly quickly to be honest but never overheats.
dubmeup
New
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:41 pm
Location: Exmoor

Post by dubmeup »

Josh, ours is doing exactly what yours is doing. I initially posted in the wrong forum by mistake and in that thread it was mentioned that thermostats can actually stick in the open position (i thought that wax stats stay closed when they fail). I reckon this is probably the right tree to bark up. Obviously when you stop, there is no airflow through the rad and the coolant will heat up. Now that i know stats can stick open i'm 99% convinced this is the problem so i'll be sticking a new stat in asap.
User avatar
jezza
Gold Member
Posts: 529
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 2:31 pm
Location: Yeovil, Somerset & Essex Drives 1.6 6N polo and a G40.

Post by jezza »

Mine warms up just fine too. Only thing I notice is if it has rained hard and gets on the rad i get a bit of steam when it gets to about 80/90 degress.
dubmeup
New
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:41 pm
Location: Exmoor

Post by dubmeup »

Jezza, If you mean that the water that's fallen on to the rad turns to steam , then i guess that's as you'd expect.
User avatar
jezza
Gold Member
Posts: 529
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 2:31 pm
Location: Yeovil, Somerset & Essex Drives 1.6 6N polo and a G40.

Post by jezza »

Yeah that is what i ment! lol.
supermico
Getting There!
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 9:30 pm
Location: Slovenia

Post by supermico »

I have a 6n2 and the same problem. when driving, the gauge drops to 70 or somewhere around there. when I stop it goes to 90 in a minute...
Let me know if you decide to do something about the thermostat... Is that an expensive fix or a cheap fast diy?
kersh
Getting There!
Posts: 60
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:52 pm
Location: Bridgend, south wales
Contact:

Post by kersh »

yer when i start my car my needle doesnt move not for most of my jurny, mite see the odd glimps of it going to the middle but its a rare occasion dont no y? :shock:
randomage
Silver Member
Posts: 309
Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:03 pm
Location: Basically Dartmoor, Devon

Post by randomage »

i was driving around last night unknowingly with next to no fluid in my radiator (the car has been stood for a while) and the temperature never went above 75, it was so cold! refilled the rad this morning, temperature isn't behaving any differently to normal. and just to instil a little jealousy, my heater works wonderfully once the engine is warm :D
User avatar
revolutionrock
Getting There!
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:06 pm

Post by revolutionrock »

The thermostat may be opened, ( It do not close)

/JB (sweden)
dubmeup
New
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:41 pm
Location: Exmoor

Post by dubmeup »

So, it does seem a fairly common issue then!.
Luckily thermostats aren't expensive (under £10) and on a 6n (our 1.3 at least) they are real simple to replace. (unlike on a t25 which is frankly a bit of a PITA!!).I probably won't change mine now before xmas but when i do i'll post the results.
dubmeup
New
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:41 pm
Location: Exmoor

Post by dubmeup »

Got a new thermostat today. I've checked that it's working in a pan and am going to fit it on saturday. I'll post the result for all of you that have experienced the same symptoms to reference. Am now crossing my fingers. LOL
supermico
Getting There!
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 9:30 pm
Location: Slovenia

Post by supermico »

I've tried something else this morning. My common sense (not knowledge) tells me that if the thermostat is open all the time, then both of the water tubes going to and from the rad would heat up at the same time, right? But then again, the termostat may open and then it doesn't close back... I think I haven't waited long enough for it to open though...
I can't wait for you to try the new thermostat. Hope it works...
dubmeup
New
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:41 pm
Location: Exmoor

Post by dubmeup »

Supermico, I think that the top hose would still warm up before the bottom one (due to heat rising) but yes i think you're right. If the thermostat is working as it should, you won't feel heat in the bottom hose until it opens at around 84 degrees. If you can feel heat in the bottom hose and the temp gauge is drastically less than 84, there must be a good chance that the stat is stuck open. For this to be a good test though, i reckon you need to try it when warming the engine up from cold.
Post Reply