Club 80-90 Forums

The temp gauge on my van sits quite high - just to the right of the led - in normal operation (eg 55mph on the motorway) but in slow moving traffic creeps up to 2/3 or 3/4 of the gauge. The fan does kick-in, but not till it looks like it's getting dangerously hot (>3/4).

The van did overheat on me a while back, since then the cooling system has been refilled and bled. I was told I might have a slight head/headgasket leak, some K-seal was added and it now seems to run pretty well.

What's bugging me is that before the overheat, I didn't pay much attention to the temperature gauge so can't really tell you where it sat before it overheated.

Since the fan does work, the radiator is hot and the hot air blower next to my knee blows out warm/hot air I conclude that my cooling system is most likely working ok but that there may be an issue with the temperature sensor and/or sender. Does this sound about right?

It's a 1984 1.9DG and I'm unsure what parts I need as there are a few different options on the Brickwerks page.

Can someone clarify what parts I should be looking at?

Thanks

Iain

From your description of the way the gauge reads and when the rad fan kicks in, it all sounds quite normal and pretty much the same as the way our 2 vans behave.

That's a pretty good description of the way mine works too. I've seen mention of where the temp gauge should sit, and I've noted that mine sits a little bit higher, but like yours my rad fan goes on and off, and my heater works fine, so I just assumed there's a bit of variability in the gauge calibrations.

Hoopy Frood,
you have just described my van, so it seems to me that there is little to worry about

yes your van is ok
because of the single speed your fan does not kick off till the coolant is at near boiling point.
VW changed this in 86 and put in a second speed in to come in earlier (87 deg C)

I would have the radiator flushed to remove any blockages the k seal may have worsened, these old rads get caked in clunge after twenty years service

Thanks for the replies. It's good to know it's not as big an issue as I had feared.

Kev, it's a new(ish) radiator that's in there (I have the receipt from the previous owner, it was bought < 3 years ago) so hopefully a flush won't be needed for a while yet

Is it worth trying a new temperature sensor anyway? (cough, cough, I might have already gone and bought one, ahem)

kevtherev wrote: these old rads get caked in clunge after twenty years service

Sorry Kev but is it just me who finds this funny!!! I'd do anything to be caked in clunge!!

On a more relevant note I've been there before with a high reading gauge. As long as your fans working don't worry, however following advice from a fellow forumite, if its really bothering you (like it bothered me!) I changed my thermostat for one with a lower temp rating (80 degree I think) and it dropped the needle about 1/4! That was two years ago and its been tikkety boo ever since