Coolant Temperature Reading Really High

[PhilS]

My temperature gauge has started reading really high for coolant. It's wired up to also read the oil temperature when I flick a switch on the dashboard but the oil temperature is still fairly normal.

 

Before when I started the car from cold the gauge read ~40 degrees for both coolant and oil and for normal driving it read ~80 degrees. Now when I start the car from cold the gauge reads ~80 degrees for coolant and ~40 degrees for oil and for normal driving it reads ~120 degrees for coolant (in the red) and ~80 degrees for oil. I haven't done any hard driving since I noticed the problem.

 

Coolant levels are fine, no leaks. I don't think it's the gauge since oil temperatures are fine. The fan still comes on when it should (although I didn't pay much attention to it before so could be wrong here), so probably not the coolant temperature sender (am I correct in assuming the fan triggers off the same sender?). No other problems, the other gauges all read fine, the car feels/sounds the same and there's no obvious steam or water escaping anywhere.

 

Anyone have any ideas? Don't have much idea how it all works myself, but if someone gives me clear and simple instructions on what to check and fix, I reckon I could manage (and hopefully learn something). It's a VVC Roadsport SV by the way.

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[MikeW]

It's a seperate switch for the fan-chances are the temp sender is faulty-replace and you should be fine

 

MikeW

Mega Grad Race No 8

[John Howe]

As a rough rule of thumb... the fan switch (fitted to the radiator) is normally very reliable and the temperature sender, fitted on the water rail, is the opposite.

 

Easy and cheap to change - fingers cross that is all your problem is.

 

JH

Deliveries by Saffron, the yellow 230bhp Sausage delivery machine

[Johnty Lyons]

There are three sensors connected with the Cooling system

1 the Fan sw fitted in the top of the radiator switches fan on and off at predetermined limits

2 the ECU water temp sensor a two wire sensor [usually pink wires]

3 the guage sensor [ most likely to fail] in club foot near back of head single wire.

 

No 3 is a PITA and can not be relied on Your symptoms point to it very cheap and easy to replace.Available in the online store.

Part Number:

71167

 

Description:

Water temperature sender

 

Additional notes:

"Caterham" gauges only

 

What this fits:

Directly into the water rail on all cars

 

Available to order on-line?:

Yes

 

Generally held in stock:

Yes

 

jj

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