Club 80-90 Forums

Good day, team 80-90!

Since we bought the van a couple of months ago, it's normal running temperature (according to the gauge) sees the gauge sit at around 10 o'clock; just around the first "bar" on the left of the gauge. Normal running meaning "after about 20 minutes'ish of tootling down the road, or sat on the motorway at around 60mph - NOT stuck in traffic".

Having read a ton of threads here over the last couple of years, I get the impression it ought to sit at around 12o'clock under normal running.

When sat in traffic, however, the temperature gauge does steadily climb. At the point where I expect the fan to come on (around 2/3rd's of the way up?) it DOES come on. To all intent and purpose, everything's great apart from the low running temperature.

Would the consensus here be that the thermostat is stuck OPEN? ...because I just read the Epic Battle of CovKid and the thermostat/housing on his early DG, and I think I left a deposit in my pants.

If the thermostat is stuck open what would the long term effects be (given that everything else is working as it should in terms of cooling, and we're coming into Summer with the weather warming up)? I'm wondering if I can get away with squirting the bolts with some WD40 Fast Release every day or two for the next few months (until the end of Summer) and then have a crack at getting it all apart to replace.

Thanks for listening!

Sounds exactly like the situation I was in a couple of months back; New thermostat fixed it straight away.

For me the problem was that the van was running like a pig; it would go ok-ish, but ran very rich, and soiling it's plugs (I've got knackered compression on one of the cylinders which doesn't help either!) You may well get away with it for a bit, but it's designed to run hot for a reason

nsjtaylor wrote:Good day, team 80-90!

Since we bought the van a couple of months ago, it's normal running temperature (according to the gauge) sees the gauge sit at around 10 o'clock; just around the first "bar" on the left of the gauge. Normal running meaning "after about 20 minutes'ish of tootling down the road, or sat on the motorway at around 60mph - NOT stuck in traffic".

Having read a ton of threads here over the last couple of years, I get the impression it ought to sit at around 12o'clock under normal running.

When sat in traffic, however, the temperature gauge does steadily climb. At the point where I expect the fan to come on (around 2/3rd's of the way up?) it DOES come on. To all intent and purpose, everything's great apart from the low running temperature.

Would the consensus here be that the thermostat is stuck OPEN? ...because I just read the Epic Battle of CovKid and the thermostat/housing on his early DG, and I think I left a deposit in my pants.

If the thermostat is stuck open what would the long term effects be (given that everything else is working as it should in terms of cooling, and we're coming into Summer with the weather warming up)? I'm wondering if I can get away with squirting the bolts with some WD40 Fast Release every day or two for the next few months (until the end of Summer) and then have a crack at getting it all apart to replace.

Thanks for listening!

the VW handbook for the t25 says " normal running temp is anywhere between the two white boxes" or word to that effect....
so anywhere from just over a 1/4 to 3/4 is ok.
i wouldnt worry, about it, the important thing is to take immediate investigatory actions if it changes from how it is now.... from your descroption, everything seems to working correctly.

my temp gauge normally sits about a needles wdith above the top of the first white box, and will go up to a needles width over the red led, if im in queing traffic or climbing a long hill...

ill try and remember to take a picture of that handbook when im next near it

Thanks folk - that's somewhat reassuring.

I double-checked the other day whilst I was driving, and it does indeed sit bang on or very slightly above the first marker on the gauge. If memory serves, that would put the temperature (assuming temperature gauges are working as they should!) at only a few degrees below "normal running temperature". e.g "Not exactly "cold"".

I'll monitor it over the next few weeks and ensure nothing changes from the state things are in now, and give all the bolts around the 'stat housing a squirt of penetrating spray when I'm near the boot. As we're hitting the high-use season, I really want to avoid (where possible and where things won't get worse...) any jobs that can go 'orribly wrong and leave us without the van for more than a few days.

Thanks again.

My 1.9 petrol WBX used to sit in the middle at the lowest point & fans used to come on in the slightest of heat.
I then had a major service done. All the front to back pipes replaced in S/S. Complete coolant flush out etc.
Now the needle always sits at 10 o clock normal running. If it's hot day then just before 12.
Even yesterday which was 30c in traffic took a while for the needle to creep up to 1 o'clock on the gauge for 1st stage fans to come on.
It really is IMHO down to just how well your coolant system is maintained. Makes a world of difference to running!