Running Temp's in Cold Weather

Running Temp's in Cold Weather

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Discussion

johno

Original Poster:

8,520 posts

289 months

Monday 23rd December 2002
quotequote all
When driving on the motorway at speed in the cold. Especially at the moment, the Temp gauge gets as low as 55 degrees, it regularly sits as low a 60 degrees.

Is this normal ? I do not want top baffle the radiator to keeo the temp up, but it does seem awful low !

Cheers

Mark

GreenV8S

30,486 posts

291 months

Monday 23rd December 2002
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Is this normal ?


Yes.

I do not want top baffle the radiator to keeo the temp up



Oh yes you do! (Sorry, bit early for panto season! But that's the right answer.)

johno

Original Poster:

8,520 posts

289 months

Monday 23rd December 2002
quotequote all
Cheers Peter. I had checked with a couple of friends with a variety of TVR's and some were experiencing this and some were not.

My ol' S never got quite this cold and as I use the car all year round I just wanted to make sure ...

Baffling the radiator is dodgy as the car gets used in the city a lot ...

>> Edited by johno on Monday 23 December 11:29

Ballistic Banana

14,700 posts

274 months

Monday 23rd December 2002
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Johno,

I can confirm that mine seems to run a lot lower this time of year.
In town etc runs as normal around 90 with fans coming on but once i get out on the twistys it drops down to about 65-70.

BB

GreenV8S

30,486 posts

291 months

Monday 23rd December 2002
quotequote all

johno said: Cheers Peter. I had checked with a couple of friends with a variety of TVR's and some were experiencing this and some were not.

My ol' S never got quite this cold and as I use the car all year round I just wanted to make sure ...

Baffling the radiator is dodgy as the car gets used in the city a lot ...

>> Edited by johno on Monday 23 December 11:29


This time of the year you only need a fraction of the radiator area and air flow to keep the engine cool. Blocking off half the radiator or half the front grill will make very little difference to the 'stationary' temperature but will help keep it warm when you're on the move. (Given a choice, block the grill rather than the rad, as this makes most difference when you're moving and least difference when you're stationary. But it doesn't matter that much.)

johno

Original Poster:

8,520 posts

289 months

Monday 23rd December 2002
quotequote all
Cheers gents. I will leave as is at the moment as I only have a couple of motorway journeys planned and neither are that long.

donatien

1,113 posts

265 months

Monday 23rd December 2002
quotequote all
Wow 55 that is cold. Is that enough for the thermostat to even open? Over the last few weeks I've seen the temp slowly climb up to operating temp, then the stat opens - hot water goes in to the rads and any damp/condensation starts steaming off. Very disconcerting and gives much amusement to others on the roads; they seem to think I'm about to boil out

On motorways I see about 75ish, quickly up to 90 in traffic and the fans kick in.

johno

Original Poster:

8,520 posts

289 months

Monday 23rd December 2002
quotequote all
It was a particularly cold night. Air temp was around freezing and it was a 50 mile (100mph) single run. But 55 was registered.

As with others as soon as I get stuck in traffic for longer periods I hit 90, but even in London at the moment it takes a while to get there. I am finding at the moment that it tends to get to 80 and then the fans come on, the air is so cold that the temp drops to 75 pretty quickly ...

donatien

1,113 posts

265 months

Monday 23rd December 2002
quotequote all

johno said: As with others as soon as I get stuck in traffic for longer periods I hit 90, but even in London at the moment it takes a while to get there. I am finding at the moment that it tends to get to 80 and then the fans come on, the air is so cold that the temp drops to 75 pretty quickly ...



My fans seem to come on at 80 from a cold start, then settle down to the usual on at 90 routine. Is there a reason why they kick in earlier from start?

Ballistic Banana

14,700 posts

274 months

Monday 23rd December 2002
quotequote all

donatien said:

My fans seem to come on at 80 from a cold start, then settle down to the usual on at 90 routine. Is there a reason why they kick in earlier from start?




Heard/saw this somewhere on here once that if the airflow under the bonnet is cold and passes where the Temp sensor is then obviuosly you reading on the Temp Gauge could read lower than the actual REAL engine Tempature.Thus looking lower on the guage when your fans cut in.

Dont know how true that is but it does kinda make sense to me.


BB

donatien

1,113 posts

265 months

Monday 23rd December 2002
quotequote all



Heard/saw this somewhere on here once that if the airflow under the bonnet is cold and passes where the Temp sensor is then obviuosly you reading on the Temp Gauge could read lower than the actual REAL engine Tempature.Thus looking lower on the guage when your fans cut in.

Dont know how true that is but it does kinda make sense to me.


BB



That makes some sense but why? Is it lag on the temp sensor catching up? The otter switch doesn't "know" it's coming off cold so I can't explain it. Given that it all gets hot down there shouldn't be much of a difference.

shpub

8,507 posts

279 months

Tuesday 24th December 2002
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Heard/saw this somewhere on here once that if the airflow under the bonnet is cold and passes where the Temp sensor is then obviuosly you reading on the Temp Gauge could read lower than the actual REAL engine Tempature.Thus looking lower on the guage when your fans cut in.

Dont know how true that is but it does kinda make sense to me.


It would if there wasn't a whole load of ignition/air con stuff shielding the temp sensor from the direct air flow. The sensor bit is also fairly deep into the engine. I'm sure there is some effect but not that much. The air also gets got hot when it passes over the manifold.

Paul V

4,489 posts

284 months

Tuesday 24th December 2002
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Mark, I’m wondering if your thermostat might not be closing properly, as you know I had that problem with the mini the other week, might explain the ultra cool running.

johno

Original Poster:

8,520 posts

289 months

Tuesday 24th December 2002
quotequote all
Only just been serviced and no problems reported. It is not running any different to the day I bought it.

When I ran it down to Auxerre it ran 60 degrees all the way down. Air temp is now significantly lower and therefor the lower running temp. Generally it doesn't get below 60.

If the thermostat din't open it would take an age to warm up. Thats not the case either.

Have a good Christmas Paul. Maybe a run on Boxing Day to clea the cobwebs ?

Paul V

4,489 posts

284 months

Tuesday 24th December 2002
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Boxing day could be a problem as we’re supposed to be spending time with Jane’s family, although any time after that, have you seen the thread for the run on the 29th?