"Normal" temperature level on 1999 FELICIA

[erosennin]

Hey!

I have a question regarding the temperature level on a 1999 Felicia GLX 1.3

Is JUST ABOVE the "middle line" considered normal?

Thanks

[20VLIL]

I would have thought that it would be OK as long as it was constant and not rising.

Saying that all VAG cars I've had...mainly Skoda's have settled in the middle..Personally I dont think you have anything to worry about mate:)

[DGW]

Mine sits just below the middle. That said, I wouldn't worry if it was just above.

[AndyC]

As long as the gauge reaches the same level every trip, it should be fine.

If it starts to read low, or as on my wifes car, not move at all, then the thermostat is knackered, and the engine runs very cool. Appartently its a common problem. Cost

[erosennin]

Seems to be the thermostat and coolant sensor had been damaged for quite a while and I was used to see the temp level quite lower...

After a week of repairs at the skoda shop, I have the car back. (Now getting used to the "new" temp level.

Arigato!

[Heinz]

I have Škoda Felicia 1.3 carburator model.

Temperature is around 90 degrees. What do I have to replace: sensor near the thermostat or thermoswitch (if it is the right word) placed in the radiator? Fan is turning on near the 100 degrees.

I also have coolant loss problem, hope it is not the head gasket issue?

[Tech1e]

Your temp sounds about right and the fan switch should cut in around 98 degrees.

But if you loosing coolan then it does point to a head gasket if there are no external leaks. Good thing is its a piece of cake to do. But check the head properly, quite a few suffer errosion of the head and wont seal again.

[Heinz]

Good thing is its a piece of cake to do.

Is head allignment necessary operation, or I have just to replace head gasket?

[Quetz VRS]

just a silly question to those here on this thread, please can anyone tell me if there was a increase in mpg after the new thermostat was inserted?

My parents temp gauge is exactly in the same place as yours, where mine is now never off the bottom :(

I have seen my mpg go from 38 to 30 from when the temp level was just below the mid line to what it is now (This may answer my question above, but need to be sure, just incase another problem has snuck in the back door as it were)

To you good sir, I would say your thermostat and gauge is opperating within normal parameters.

QuetzVRS

[lottie]

Hey!

I have a question regarding the temperature level on a 1999 Felicia GLX 1.3

Is JUST ABOVE the "middle line" considered normal?

Thanks

this is exactly where mine (2000 felicia mpi) has always sat since i bought it. no coolant loss or anything, so i am happy with it.

[Quetz VRS]

After the excellent guidance of Lummox, I have changed my thermostat, and it now sits jus over the middle line. So I am convinced that it is perfectly normal

My advice, small as it is..... would be, to be happy you have a good thermostat and if it starts to be lower then that, then worry as it maybe on the slope downwards if ya see what I mean

Hope this helps

QuetzVRS\

[Quetz VRS]

Ignore testing sigcard

[splocious]

I too have a skoda felicia 99 and am unsure about some of the parameters.

While driving normally the temperature guage sits at the bottom, approx 70degrees. After 2 minutes in traffic it starts to climb and the fan cuts in at about 90 degrees which is correct as far as i am aware.

My query is should it overhead so quickly while idling, i know that there is no air flow to cool the engine but it seems quite quick.

Also regarding normal operating temperature, 70 degrees is low and i am unsure if the thermostat is faulty and failed in the open position. Does it fail open or closed?

Water is getting to the radiator as the pipe gets hot and the fan comes on but the water heats up straight away.

At what temperature does the thermostat open and at what temperature does the fan cut in? Any help is much appreciated.

[AndyC]

If your heater blows out hot air then the car is reaching normal operating temperature. If however its only luke warm then you may have a thermostat problem. It could be that your temp gauge/sender is reading wrong. Check the top of the radiator after a run, it should be hot to touch, if not then suspect the thermostat. It normally fails open.

HTH

Andy

[ap0gee1978]

IAfter 2 minutes in traffic it starts to climb and the fan cuts in at about 90 degrees which is correct as far as i am aware.

My query is should it overhead so quickly while idling, i know that there is no air flow to cool the engine but it seems quite quick.

If it's any consolation, the fan on our neighbour's Rover 75 kicks in in the amount of time it takes for him to stop and reverse onto his drive...!

If it's any help, I did a sticky on replacing the coolant temperature sensor for the Fabia, that should also apply to the Felicia. If the thermostat that needs replacing as well / instead, then much the same applies, and AIUI you can buy the sensor and thermostat body as a set. Certainly cheaper than getting a garage to do it, and it's a pretty easy job!

[Felicia racer]

But if you loosing coolan then it does point to a head gasket if there are no external leaks.

check the water in the top-up rad water thingy on the right of the engine bay. (can't remember what its called).

If the water is a brown colour the head gasket has gone as its mixing engine oil with the rad water.

[splocious]

Cheers guys, i think the guage is working correctly as it does go up when the temperature goes up and the car is idling.

Main query is that when you are out on the open road shouldnt the temperature gauge be in the middle, ie approx 90 degrees, for me it only comes off the bottom of the scale while in traffic leading me to think that the thermostat is failed open and that water is always passing to the rediator. Straight away you can feel the pipe inlet to the radiator heating up. i thought this would only be the case when the thermostat opened about 90.

[AndyC]

Yes, the gauge should read roughly halfway normally. Does sound as if you have the thermostat problem. Once its fixed your mpg should improve as well.

Andy

[Stunts]

check the water in the top-up rad water thingy on the right of the engine bay. (can't remember what its called).

If the water is a brown colour the head gasket has gone as its mixing engine oil with the rad water.

That'd be the header tank - and BTW I think that the original coolant from Skoda is Red. The best way to check a blown head gasket is to take the header tank cap off when it is cold. Have a friend start the engine and put the palm of your hand over the header tank filler. If you can feel the system pressurising (i.e. pressure against your palm in the form of air pushing against it - like the opposite of a vaccuum) then the chances are you have a blown gasket. Other tell tale signs are an oily sheen on top of the water in the header tank/spots of oil. An oily/exhausty type of smell from the header. Finally, check the oil filler cap - if there is emulsified oil (white sludgy kind of substance) then it is a good indicator of a blown gasket.

FWIW the coolant in my header tank was brown but I think this mainly came from a previous idiot owner topping up with tap water and not coolant with de-ionised water.

S

[anewman]

Should coolant be filled with de-ionised water only? I always assumed tap water was fine for coolant and screen wash but not for batteries. I was planning on draining/flushing my coolant soon anyway, definitely before winter sets in.

My Favorit's temp gauge I have noticed behaves a bit peculiarly. After starting the car and driving around for a bit it makes it's way up to the middle slowly then falls (quickly compared to the speed of the rising) to hover a bit above the break in the line at the bottom. I presume this is when the pump kicks in and the engine goes to running temperature.

I myself decided to install one of the low temp fan switches available on ebay after the one in my radiator appeared to have died so my fan turns on sooner. The previous owner's experience of the car is that even with everything working as it should getting stuck in traffic in hot weather is a bad combo with the favorit.