Fuuny Thing Happened This Morning! Temp Warning?

[RichieVRS]

Jumped into me VRS this very cold morning and turned the engine on only to pull of the drive to the sound of the fuel low siren . . . . however recently filled up, glance down to the dash to see a red light flashing at me with the temp symbol (Top left middle console bit).

Quickly turned the engine off, went into house to find book to explain but couldnt find and didnt have time to search (Just moved house and everything in boxes), started her up to put her back on the drive and was fine! no peeps or warning lights. Got the missus to drop me into work just in case.

Anyone have any ideas before i get home to have a look?!?!?!?

[mannyo]

Common problem, I guess it was not the temp warning but the low coolant warning. The expansion tank has a sensor in it and it can get gunked up and the cold weather seems to generate the warning, quick and easy fix is to clean between the contacts of the sensor and remove the gunk.

[RichieVRS]

Coolio, thx for quick reply, whats the best way to clean it?

[mannyo]

Just a wipe between the contacts should be enough, you will need to unscrew the sensor from the tank and will lose a little coolant so have some G12+ on standby for when you are done.

[mbames]

I think that some people have been able to give the contacts a rub with a screwdriver without taking anything apart.

I had a similar issue with the washer bottle just before christmas. The whole of the inside of the tank was covered in a layer of slim. The sensors through the bottle had fluid in it when infact it was empty - handy for driving on roads with salt spray! However plenty of water from the hosepipe and I soon had the thing flushed clean. I then syphoned out the tap water and refilled with proper wash solution (halfords concenrate stuff - which I have been using for the last couple of years).

[gordonium]

I had exactly the same.

Had left the car for a few days, and it came on for first time in 18 months of ownership.

stopped the car, started again, and had disappeared. happened twice last week but fine now.

[lordrobs]

I think that some people have been able to give the contacts a rub with a screwdriver without taking anything apart.

Yup I did mine with a large flat bladed screw driver and its been fine for over a year now. Just rub it over the two contacts, it will probably feel almost gritty at first.

The warning may clear itself but will most likely come back if you don't do anything to it.

[KUJO]

I had the exact warning this morning as well! Will have a look at the sensor and give it a clean!

[RichieVRS]

Cheers for help guys my lil baby seems to be running fine now

[metalangel]

Thanks for this guys, mine does this all the time when it's cold and it's annoying. My parents have a Mk4 Golf and they say theirs does it almost constantly, and the stealer wanted to charge them £200 or so to fix it.

[mbames]

£200 is taking the pi$$, a replacement coolant expansion tank is only about £25, iirc

[DGW]

............. a replacement coolant expansion tank is only about £25, iirc

I think it is far cheaper than that. The 'old' price was only £9.85 when I last checked.

[mbames]

I was just going from memory ;-) did not want to get peoples hope up too much. Think my car had it changed before I bought it (used to be a lease car) - and I was too lazy to get out of my armchair last night to look for the receipt!

[rwbaldwin]

A group of us got together and gold-plated ours! One the GFs at the time was into gold plating tat and calling it jewelery. When we stopped laughing (and several pints later), we decided to do it. 6 years ago - no warning light since. Makes you wonder why VAG don't plate the sensor. IIRC, it cost less than £2 for 7 cars for the solution and £8 each for a new tank.

[gordonium]

can anyone advise where the sensors are as i need to do this to mine.

sorry! and thanks.

[David 8]

can anyone advise where the sensors are as i need to do this to mine.

sorry! and thanks.

In the bottle mate:)

[mbames]

can anyone advise where the sensors are as i need to do this to mine.

sorry! and thanks.

Take the cap off and have a look inside you should see two longish metal probes in there....

remember to put the cap back on once you have finished ;-)

[Tigger_1979]

I been getting this for years but only on the cold days. Skoda dealer checked what they needed to and let me know that its just mucky so same as what everyone has been saying above. Nowt wrong and I find the beeps will keep coming back if you restart the engine, but will dissapear once the car has warmed up.

[gordonium]

In the bottle mate:)

doh! thanks!

[David 8]

Be careful though kids as I thought it was just the probes on the fritz again when it got colder, and turns out I was slightly low on coolant

[mbames]

Be careful though kids as I thought it was just the probes on the fritz again when it got colder, and turns out I was slightly low on coolant

Either way... look in the bottle

[mikey vrs]

i had the same fault on my 04 vrs,my coolant level looked ok,i topped it up a little more & the fault has never come back!

[David 8]

Either way... look in the bottle

That would be too easy though :rofl:

[sneeks]

I've been getting the same problem on cold mornings over the past month and will try rubbing the contacts to see if it helps. How far above the hatched area should the coolant level be? My coolant is filled to the plastic rim around the middle of the tank.