Advice needed!

Have a Y reg 1.9TDi and the temperature sensor struggles to get above the quarter line even on a 45mile trip at 70mph. It gets a little nearer, but not quiet to the middle, when I sit in traffic.

Should I be concerned?

I checked at the weekend and coolant level is spot on and oil ok. I did top up the coolant with about a cup of tap water (soft Devon water ). I turned the heating and blowers off on my way home to see if that made a difference -nope!

Any input welcome

smallclanger

Have you got a Jamacan bob-sleigh team handy?

Seriously though it may well just be the coolant sensor that has gone a bit awol and is now reading low, so I'd suggest that is the first port of call.

A bob-sleigh team would be so handy if they could locate the right bit for me!

Am a bit of a numpty under the bonnet - if anyone can give an idiot's description I can probably then supervise 'him indoors' checking it out.

This looks like classic symptoms of thermostat failing open. If you start the car from cold and feel the radiator top hose, it shouldn't get warm for quite a while if thermostat is ok. If it gets warm within a few minutes, the thermostat is open, passing coolant straight through before the engine gets up to temp.

Have you got a Jamacan bob-sleigh team handy?

.

exactly what i thought

Brilliant! Thanks for the info. Next question - is that a bad thing? how immediately should I get it fixed? if at all? The car is under 12month (second hand) skoda warranty, is this likely to be an issue they will resolve under that?

Cheers again

Brilliant! Thanks for the info. Next question - is that a bad thing? how immediately should I get it fixed? if at all? The car is under 12month (second hand) skoda warranty, is this likely to be an issue they will resolve under that?

Cheers again

It's no biggie, but will only get worse as the weather gets colder. I would have thought it would be covered by a decent warranty.

take it in as if the stat fails or the coolant fan doesn't kick in because it thinks the engine is cooler than it is you could end up damaging something (probably a head gasket) which isn't going to be cheap.

I know on the 1.4 petrol engine, this is a really easy job. literally 5 mins and a cheap part.

I'm sure the dealer will not argue about a warranty claim.

Update!

Rang the dealers today, who said come on down this afternoon. So far so good...

Got shown to the desk and described my problem, and armed with the above declared I thought it was the thermostat open. She takes all the details and taps at her computer before handing me a bit of paper to sign....

I checked the paper and questioned the details that stated by signing I was prepared to pay the costs..............

What costs??? "it's £40 to run a diagnostic test" then we'll decide if we can fix it under the warranty by writing to someone else.... Eeerrr no! Made my excuses and left.

Checked my warranty docs in the car - clearly states that will be free of all charge if fixed under warranty

.... go back in to dealer and say 'what about this here bit that says its free of all charge?' Lady then rather quickly (I think she may have done this before!!) flips to small print saying customer is responsible for diagnostic charges - whatever the circumstances.

Rage! Perhaps I should have had this clearly pointed out at the point where they sold me the car???

Anyway took car to local garage and described my experience and get a figure of about £50 labour and £15 for the thermostat - and some advice that it may not be that, it may be the sensor. They are taking it in next week to have a look and give me a quote (free!!) to work out what they would do.