I cant get my engine temp to get up to 90 and it's driving me insane. I have changed the thermostat, the sensor, the coolant, spark plugs, coilpacks and had it fully serviced reguarly and it still wont budge (I know sparks etc wont be the issue but they needed doing anyway..)

What am I left with? Dodgy maf?

I also have the strong fume smell coming through the vents at a standstill but I cannot find a split ANYWHERE! I doubt this is related?

Help guys please I would really like to get this sorted!

Thanks.

Edit - the temp wont get above a quarter so 75 degrees? and is more likely than not sitting just below that :(

Hi,

I seem to have a simillar problem to you, just bought the car and was quite surprised to not see the temp rise to around 90 deg.

I also have a smell of burning oil in the car through the vents.

Any idea where this is from?

Thx
 
The smell is from a split pipe i'd have said.look for tell tale wetness on pipes, under the inlet is a good place to start.Pay a garage to do a smoke test to save a lot of messing about.
 
Question on the subject, as my car is doing this.
Does the air temperature have anything to do with this?
Sat at idle, my car can reach 90 degrees no problems, but as soon as I start driving around, it drops down to 60 and doesn't budge. This has only started doing this since the winter has kicked in. Had the water pump changed 1000 miles ago with a full service, and coolant level is all fine.

I just put this down to the colder air hitting the engine while driving.
Or is this ridiculous?
 
Mine has been faulty for the last month. It won't get to 90*. Heater still works fine though. I've tried to remove the lower bolt on the thermostat but even with extensions its very difficult to get the socket to fit on.
Going to try again when the weather warms up or give up and give it to a garage to do.

*(The temp gauge did get to 90 when the header tank ran empty after I drove the car with top bolt removed causing a leak).
 
Question on the subject, as my car is doing this.
Does the air temperature have anything to do with this?
Sat at idle, my car can reach 90 degrees no problems, but as soon as I start driving around, it drops down to 60 and doesn't budge. This has only started doing this since the winter has kicked in. Had the water pump changed 1000 miles ago with a full service, and coolant level is all fine.

I just put this down to the colder air hitting the engine while driving.
Or is this ridiculous?

Mine has also started as the cold has kicked in, but it is nowhere near enough to keep the temp down that low, as far as i remember we had colder winters and the temp went to 90 on every drive!

Were all most probably sitting on the same problem of the thermostat being stuck in the open position!

And wouldnt drive the car with the coolant tank opened......
 
little update, ran it through today with opened tank & massaging the pipes. no difference, same as it was. apart from the coolant rising over max level. is that ok?
Temp reaches 90- then fans kick in and cool it down to 70-ish.

Furthermore.

Ran the vcds for temp, as LEE69 pointed out to me 001, was showing 60-63c as engine temp and insturemnts (17) was showing 70-73c as coolant temp.
Scan came up with no faults apart from door locking module...

Is that still pointing at the thermostat, just want to narrow down in order to get to the right thing.
 
Have you got your heater on? As these are open to the coolant with the stat closed.....if you have your heater on you effectivily cooling the engine. Just try a drive with your heater off to see if your temp rises.....apart from that id say stat....replace with genuine one too.
 
speaking to a mechanic, he said its usully the plastic that breaks, not the stat, (which doesnt allow it to do what its supposed to do) anyone found that to be the case, dont want to take it apart and find out its the housing once ive only got the stat, prob different in many cars, but clearly would be more or less same fault on every vag.
 
speaking to a mechanic, he said its usully the plastic that breaks, not the stat, (which doesnt allow it to do what its supposed to do) anyone found that to be the case, dont want to take it apart and find out its the housing once ive only got the stat, prob different in many cars, but clearly would be more or less same fault on every vag.

The plastic water pump yes i agree not the plastic thermostat housing lol
 
The plastic water pump yes i agree not the plastic thermostat housing lol

Lol cool, better news for me then as its the cheaper option to do. With regards to previous post, i only go for original parts, dont trust or know much about others, so stick to oem through tps or seat :)


Thanks for advice everyone, will update once changed !
 
Make sure heaters are turned up whilst bleeding, also what mix coolant did you put in, 33% or 50%, the higher the mix the lower your running temp, but check whatever mix you use covers the low temps were having. also are your fans running all the time?
 
Make sure heaters are turned up whilst bleeding, also what mix coolant did you put in, 33% or 50%, the higher the mix the lower your running temp, but check whatever mix you use covers the low temps were having. also are your fans running all the time?

I might have mane the mix too strong, I dunno, I've added nearly half a bottle ( regular vag ante freeze size) when changing the coolant temp sensor as a lot of the coolant escaped.... Didn't think it would make such a high difference.

I guess il need to test it, any recommended tool? Where can I buy it?

With regards to the fans, no they're not running all the time. they only kick in whilst in traffic, the temp reaches 90, they kick in & cool it down to 70. Il try bleed again then, by up you mean top temp, & blowing full blast?
 
I might have mane the mix too strong, I dunno, I've added nearly half a bottle ( regular vag ante freeze size) when changing the coolant temp sensor as a lot of the coolant escaped.... Didn't think it would make such a high difference.

I guess il need to test it, any recommended tool? Where can I buy it?

With regards to the fans, no they're not running all the time. they only kick in whilst in traffic, the temp reaches 90, they kick in & cool it down to 70. Il try bleed again then, by up you mean top temp, & blowing full blast?

You can buy antifreeze testers, good car shop or halfords prob if your stuck, but for the price are you not beeter just dumping it and start afresh, any car shop will tell you the coolant capacity or someone off here no doubt, flush your system out with hosepipe and if you can reverse flush, then add required coolant and water and see what happens then, in this weather mind mines sitting a little low but normally dead on 90.

Ps you think a lot of coolant got lost but it would of being ok to top up with water, if you ever have to do it again, mix the antifreeze and water at required mix in another bottle then top up. Antifreeze is also a summer coolant.
 
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Drove 6 miles in freezing blizzard at tick-over speed with heaters flat out, so if water was only 85 degrees it could not read 90 could it. its the first time Ive seen it run under 90, but its also the first time I drove in those conditions and slow speed too.