coolant temperature and fan problem please help

[romeo]

Hi i have a strange coolant temperature problem where my coolant temperature doesnt rise up while driving and car is moving but when im stationary for few minutes with engine running the coolant temperature starts to climb and hits 90 but then as soon as i move it starts dropping! Also i noticed mayo like substance gathering on the oil cap and i am not too sure if my fans are actually kicking in but car oesnt overheat or heat up at all because of which the car gets all steamed up inside mot of the time! I have alredy tried the coolant cap off running for 15 mins twice to let the air lock solve the coolant did dip low and later came back up again!

What can i do to sort this problems out and how please help the newbie!

 

[traumapat]

its your coolant temp not oil, could be airlock but sounds like it could be thermostat. Mayo...do you do short journeys?

 

[romeo]

yeah sorry coolant temperature gauge not oil temperature lol erm yes i do short journeys to work everyday!

 

[traumapat]

short journeys are know to create mayo due to things not warming though.... try adding a few more miles and see if it improves... lots of threads on the gauge playing up. search for thermostat or coolant temp for many hours of reading

 

[romeo]

Hi but what about the coolant temp gauge only rising when the car is stationary and dropping when car is mobile! Whats causing this?

 

[Muttley]

Stuck thermostat would be my guess - stuck open.

The "mayonnaise" is an emulsion formed by oil and water (just like real mayonnaise) and indicates water in the cam cover. This can be an indication of head gasket failure, but is more often condensation inside the cam cover which doesn't get boiled off because the engine never gets warm for very long, if you're doing lots of short trips.

 

[romeo]

Hi yeah i do short trips to work! But when i do long trips the coolant temp gauge doesnt rise when the car is moving when i put the heating on even thats not very warm so im guessing the engine doesnt warm up enough to get rid of the condensation hopefully i'll get the temp sensor changed soon and see if that helps! I really hope its not the gasket cos that would be expensive!

 

[Jimmy87]

Had the water pump changed recently, or at all? Mine did this for a while where it wouldn't rise to 90, sometimes it would and then drop back down. Then one day driving home from work it overheated, red light and beeping! Took the water pump out and it crumbled in my hands.

 

[romeo]

No mate not touched the water pump. What i dont get is how come the gauge rises to 90 when car is on and stationary but as soon as i start moving it gradually drops to 0!

 

[traumapat]

because your thermostat may be stuck open! car stationary.... warms up, once moving additional cooling from the rad drags the temp down.

 

[Jimmy87]

Yeah I also had to change the thermo after the pump....after replacing the pump the overheating issue was sorted, but as traumapat said, if it's stuck open then the temp will come down. Mine didn't rise to 90 as it originally did until i changed the thermo out

 

[romeo]

Ok so im gonna get thermostat changed will inform back if it solves the problem

 

[Jimmy87]

http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?p=16925102

This may help

 

[romeo]

ok got the green temp sensor changed cost me £25 including parts and labour but still got the same problem reckon its thermostat that needs changing! when i get chance and i get it done i'll let you know if it solves the problem!

 

[romeo]

Right people i just finally after with the help of the forum changed the thermostat myself and boom the coolant needle temp thing works! so i changed the temp sendor for nothing but i suppose its nothing and suppose ive got it done now! Took the car for a little ride the heating in the car got well hot! now next thing is the leaky door seal!

 

[LEE69]

Nice one

 

[romeo]

lee how u doing mate? erm u know with the projector angel lights and hid conversion do u still get really wonky incline to the left?

 

[LEE69]

No, mine passed mot fine

 

[Redace]

Hi newb here !!

Just a few days ago bought a 1.4 Leon, today I noticed the temp gauge not working, I've ordered the coolant temperature sensor but my question is .....

if the sensor isnt working then does that mean the fans wont kick in meaning a chance of over heating?

Thanks

 

[LEE69]

No because there is a sensor in the radiator that controls the fans.