General Is your Panda overcooling in the cold weather?

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General Is your Panda overcooling in the cold weather?

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That red Panda on eBay with the Italian stripes over it got an MOT on Saturday, so I'm now commuting in it. £112 + £30 MOT + bit of work = cheap motoring!

I am finding it is overcooling to the point that the minimum 50 is my peak on a 30 minute commute. I replaced the thermostat today, pretty convinced it would be better and it is the same. I will run a blank on the grille tomorrow, but I need to make sure something else isn't going on. I actually can't release the choke fully as it starts to run lean even after 20 mins of driving.

So, question is: does your Panda overcool in the winter?
 
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Ohhhh Yes......Lucky to get up to the quarter mark on the temp...was going to change the therm as the other halfs "bianca" runs upto 90 degrees in all weather???? Still get hot air out of mine so may not change the therm seeing as its not changed much for you lewey..
 
Very interesting Mr haze and craig, I will wait to see what others say. I've always thought Pandas had a tendency to overcool in the UK, due to ample radiator for work and size of engines, but I don't remember not being able to put the choke in. I have tuned the carb spot on by the way as it will get to normal temps when left running for ages after a journey.

I actually tried to put a poll on the thread, but when I submitted it, it said I couldn't add one more than 5 minuites after posting the first gambit. Pretty sure I only took 1 minute to write out the answers, but there we go.
 
My 4x4 runs too cool when the weather's cold, at only about 60 degrees. I've now shoved a bit of cardboard between the radiator and front panel, which gets it to about 80, its enough to cover half the radiator and theres still plenty of cooling.

Just make sure if you do the same not to blank the part in front of the fan, or it'll get a bit hot in traffic!
 
seems to be designed to compensate for neglect, mine never used to be a problem but I changed the radiator over the summer and now it struggles to get over the quarter mark on the temp guage in cold weather and the heater is pathetic. Just paying the price for pampering our Pandas I reckon(n)
 
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A radical group called "The warm our Pandas" claimed responsiblity this morning for the abduction.
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Yeah, Sylvia is the same. She's running between 50'c and 70'c and only getting to 90'c in traffic

I thought it was thermostat too but changing it has made no difference :(

Hence why I was going to change the water pump thinking that there's not enough piff pushing the hotter water out of the engine but now I'm just thinking 'Oh dear, they all do it....'

Not maybe such a good idea to take a panda to the arctic, lol

BTW it's going to be between -10'c and -6'c when we're are there. Anybody any suggestions on stuff that may stop working at that tempature?

Jim
 
Willie pretty much runs at 90 even when cold unless on a duel carridgeway or motorway when it gets to a min of about 70.

It's the same with my selecta...in sumer was too hot now when it's 0-5 outside I've got about 90 in town but only 70 on motorway or outside town with 50-60MPH on the clock...cardboard in front is the best solution...I used it every winter in Poland...
BTW I've got new thermostat
 
Yes! How weird... I am planning to change the thermostat on the 2x4 this weekend. I'm sure it's dodgy as I have never had this severe a problem with other Pandas but now I am beginning to wonder... The engine has actually been stalling on two occasions recently whilst driving at night.
 
Well, for once I'm on the Panda pulse. I blanked off the non-fan side of the rad with hardboard last night. Put it between front panel and front of rad. Noticed the smallest of improvements. Only just over 50 most of journey, peaking at 60. It is a cracking condition engine, good rad, new coolant and oil which has to help cooling a lot. Going to have to try blanking the whole rad. I need efficiency and the engine is cold enough to cause unnecessary wear. Perhaps I will try a clip on muffler that attaches to the grille or something.
 
At 50 degrees the thermostat would be shut, so clamping hoses won't make any difference? Pretty much everyone here is FIRE 769 or 999cc. Temp sender location is not an issue as I know the engine is running way too cool as I can't put the choke in and heater blows luke warm. I have not found inacurate gauge or senders an issue on these cars.
 
At 50 degrees the thermostat would be shut, so clamping hoses won't make any difference? Pretty much everyone here is FIRE 769 or 999cc. Temp sender location is not an issue as I know the engine is running way too cool as I can't put the choke in and heater blows luke warm. I have not found inacurate gauge or senders an issue on these cars.

Unless the thermostat is broken and is jammed open...

Also if it is running cold, don't turn the heater on in the car. Keeping it on will just cool it down even more after all it's just a 2nd radiator. Bit cold but a good excuse to get some swish leather driving gloves.
 
At 50 degrees the thermostat would be shut, so clamping hoses won't make any difference?

I realise that, but i find it hard to believe that the engine sits at 50 degrees with no water cooling flowing at all, other than through the heater matrix.

I wonder what the oil temps are at? I'd imagine you'll be getting bad engine wear all the time it's running at those temps.

You could run a higher concentration of coolant. Thats going to be less efficient at heat dissepation, so may see temps rise a fair bit.

Other than that, wrap it in a blanket :D
 
Unless the thermostat is broken and is jammed open...

Also if it is running cold, don't turn the heater on in the car. Keeping it on will just cool it down even more after all it's just a 2nd radiator. Bit cold but a good excuse to get some swish leather driving gloves.
I have replaced the thermostat and I have to have the heater on to clear the windscreen. It is only just warm enough to actually have any effect and it is bled properly. I think I may have to check the replacement thermostat now.
 
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