Technical coolant temperature

[Drinu]

hey guys,
I got a small question. Here in malta the temperature is around 15 degrees celsius outside. Now my problem is that my car (Uno 45 FIRE) does not get to operating temperature..ie it doesnt get 1/2 way!! SHouldnt it get 1/2 way to the mark?? It get just above the 1/4 sign. Please is this normal?

Also...my car with time loses some coolant...is this normal as well??it only loses just a little and then settles where it is and doesnt lose anymore. There are no external leaks!!

Any help will be greatly appreciated!!

 

[cm246]

Hello there mate.
Well the temperature reading depends on setting. So dont worry if the it doesnt go on half. As for the level of the coolant that drops there are alwayas loses from the over fill tube tube. Maybe there are some air gaps in your coolant system to get rid of them just let the car reach normal temperature and then open the small valve screw that is next to the radiotaor filling cap. This will let any excces air out fill again with water and repeat for couple of times.
I hopw this will help you

 

[Drinu]

thanks a lot for the tip!!! What makes me think though is that sometimes it goes down below the MIN mark!! That's not right is it??

 

[Louie Bee]

Is there any oil on the reservoir cap (Inside)?

Depending on mileage, My 45 used to drink about 1 Pint a day when its head gasket had (supposedly) gone. There was also allot of oil coming up the breather pipe and sitting at the bottom of the air filter (903 engine).

I think what was happening was the water was forced out of the system when It warmed up (increase in pressure). The engine seemed to run too cold, but I always had the heater of full blast (not good in the summer), and when it was time to fill up with water, the incoming air went cold at idol (not enough water in system to fill heater matrix.

Apart from filling up with water, and moping oil out of the air filter box (to stop it all going down the carb) the engine ran OK (ish) for a fair few months. I can’t remember any black clouds of smoke, apart from when the dipstick gasket went (90p to fix).

You’ll hopefully not be filling with water every day, but keep an eye on it and the temp gauge.

Regards,

Louie Bee.

 

[Luke]

Mine usually runs at only just above the 1/4 mark most of the time when on the motorway. its only when im driving around town stuck in traffic etc that the engine heats up to just over 1/2...

I really wouldnt worry to be honest. And as for running below the marks, mines the same when the engine has just started up. takes a good few minutes to heat up to get into the heater gauge's range.

As for the water, not too sure why its going down. As whats been said, you may have a small air lock or dodgy head gasket (mine had blown and drank water. - best way to tell is put antifreeze in the water. if it turns red from blue then you have a problem...) Alternatively the problem may be a cracked water jacket on the engine block - highly unlikely but still an option (caused by extreme overheating then cooling quickly). You'll probably find its just a characteristic of your car so i wouldnt worry.

 

[Dunc Uno Turbo]

my uno turbo runs dead on 1/2 way all the time when at full temp.

Dunc

 

[anatolevg]

Same like mine Dunc,

Whether its winter or summer, drive normal or flat out, temp always stays between 80 and 95 Deg. (Between 1/4 and 1/2)

 

[Morty Mort]

Hei.

It might be a thermostat problem. Mine acts like this as well (again). I changed the thermostat last year. This worked fine, and the coolant temp stayed around 1/2 way (straight up). But now it never goes higher than 1/4, except when idling in city traffic when it goes up to 1/2 way.

When I changed the thermostat last time it was stuck on open, letting coolant flow at any time, also when the engine is cold. The new one seems to have been working for only one year. I´ve been told on the forum that the Fiat/Lanica thermostat is weak, and an aftermarket one is better.

The thermostat is easy to fix. Some people might prefer to remove the distributor first, but it is no need. The thermostat is located just below the distributor and is attached with two small bolts, size 10 if I remember correctly. Unclip the hose first. Some coolant will squirt out, no need for a complete drain. You WILL need a new gasket. This can be made yourself from a "gasket sheet". Bolt back together with a very small amount of torque. Just tighten and check for leak - you will not break the bolt in the head.

I´m off to get a new thermostat myself.

Morten.

 

[whatoncewas]

Maybe it's the needle in the guage? My fluctuations ever so slightly as turn on/off different electrics.

 

[Dunc Uno Turbo]

my thermostat is fine, and so is my needle. it takes a while to get up to 1/2 way but once its there it stays there unless in traffic it goes up a little but the fan soon kicks in

Dunc

 

[Luke]

my thermostat is fine, and so is my needle. it takes a while to get up to 1/2 way but once its there it stays there unless in traffic it goes up a little but the fan soon kicks in

Dunc

Yea thats what mine does. Good old fan

 

[Drinu]

yeah mine does that too. In traffic it goes up to 1/2 and the fan kicks in...but in normal driving it goes between the 1/4 and 1/2 mark!! I guess that its ok! Yes it does take a while to start registering on the needle as well. My car takes a good 3-4 minutes so that guage starts moving!!

My dad's 206 gets to operating temperature in around 2 min!!

 

[whatoncewas]

I think in normal driving, like you describe, sounds fine. After all the air is moving onto the radiator at the front and cools it.

3-4mins from cold sounds about right.

A 206 is a much more modern car, it's bound to.

 

[Luke]

I think in normal driving, like you describe, sounds fine. After all the air is moving onto the radiator at the front and cools it.

3-4mins from cold sounds about right.

A 206 is a much more modern car, it's bound to.

iirc, the 206 and most other modern cars have aluminium blocks - which mean they heat and cool very quickly. Im pretty sure the uno block is cast iron, so takes longer to heat up

 

[Dunc Uno Turbo]

but remember people, i do have a HUGE intercooler infront of my radiator so it does run a little hotter than usual but nothing major

Dunc

 

[Louie Bee]

Hi All

I have she same problem as Morten (FIRE thermostat stuck open). I have been riding the heater to get my engine warmed up quicker (saving on ware).

The incoming air starts warming nearly instantaneously when cold starting with the heater up full. So I set the controller to Min till the needle hits about 1/4, then Ill open it a bit and drive a little harder, till the needle hits ½ way (normal for 1.0 IE) then Ill open the heat up, and floor her.

I always drive the same way to work (odd shortcut for busier days) so I tend to make adjustments to heating and driving levels at the same landmarks.

I’m not sure if my efforts override the need for a thermostat, I’d probably do the same to get the shortest warming time, and then start taking off hats, gloves and my scarf…

I just realised why I have not had to scrape Ice recently; there is hot air right away if desired so ice shifts faster. I hope I’m not doing any damage to my engine.

Regards,
Louie Bee.

 

[Morty Mort]

Hei Louie.

A problem that occurs to me from time to time is the mayonnaise in the oil filler cap. Headgasket? Propably not. It is rather cold at the time, and the engine rarely heats up properly and is usually used for small trips. This makes condensation in the engine, making water and oil mix to make the mayo. The oil never gets operating temperature to get rid of the water. Check if yours do this as well. I changed the gasket last summer, and have not lost coolant, so the mayo comes from other reactions than the coolant.

I'm still going to change the thermostat, since I clearly remember the two different positions they had when comparing my used one to the new. One closed (the new) and one fully open (the old) and the temperature was 5 C, and not 90 C. Clearly the old one was stuck.

Morten.

 

[Louie Bee]

Re: coolant temperature / FIRE Thermostat

Hi Morten,

I don’t have any mayonnaise in the oil filler cap. My engine hits 90 degrees daily though. I do remember a lot of mayo there in my first 903, along and a blocked breather tube on my second. These cars were not hitting full op. temp daily at the time, and the first was loosing rather a lot of coolant.

Going back to the FIRE’s thermostat, might you know who makes the OEM one (Magneti Marelli perhaps)? I have found one on www.shop4parts.co.uk but it only says its Manufacturer is European. Ill e-male them and ask before I order. They are less than 10 UKP (+ posting) but I wont to avoid those weak ones if possible.

Regards,
Louie Bee

 

[Louie Bee]

Thermostat off my list

Finally – I got round to fitting my new thermostat! Thanks for your help You guys!

I didn’t drain all the coolant off as I changed it last October, the rest should be OK, and I know I am not mixing brands when topping up.

I might add that that it is easier to remove the old thermostat gasket with the distributor is removed. – Mark distributor’s exact positioning; remove the distributor cap, unplug the Vacuum advance pipe and the distributor’s wires, note the rotor arm’s position (I think it fits wrong way round) and its just 2 X 10MM nuts holding it on.

You MUST work with cold coolant!

The thermostat coolant pipe is held on by an 8MM Jubilee clip, remove this and you get a trickle of water. 2 X 10MM bolts hold the thermostat on, remove this and you get a gush of water.

I lost about 1.5 litres of coolant. I had placed a bowl to catch it and some rags over the bell house’s rubber bung to prevent flooding.

I thoroughly cleaned off the old gasket, line up the new gasket (one was supplied with my new thermostat), and push the bolts through the thermostat and gasket. Marry up to block and tighten to 25Nm. Replace coolant pipe and tighten Jubilee clip.

Replace distributor, fill and bleed coolant system. Idol engine till fan kicks in with bonnet closed just in case of leaks or explosions.

Plenty more pictures in my gallery https://www.fiatforum.com/gallery/[email protected]&password=&thumbcheck=0&page=1

2 differences I noticed

There is no warm air coming in to car till the a few notches on temperature scale, when before It would be warm sooner.

When engine warmed up – incoming air temp is much warmer. I didn’t have an air lock in the heater matrix, as I’d thoroughly bleed it last time, so this is a bonus – shame it took so long for me to get round to it.

LOL Clutch Slave cylinder is next on my list