Coolant Temperature Guage Lights

[mrbluesky]

Hi all,

 

Had my C3 1.6 HDi 92 bhp Exclusive from new for just about a month now. The handbook is pretty sketchy about the temp guage, but since having the motor I've found that 3 lights are eventually lit (half way on the guage) once the car has warmed up. Just lately however I have noticed that it never seems to want to go beyond 2 lights. Is this a problem with a thermostat possibly (I'm no expert, believe me), seems odd that it was once 3 lights but now only 2.

 

Thanks for any help you may be able to give.

[hertsnminds]

How long are the journeys you are making? (you need at least 10 - 15 mins of driving to get the car to warm up)

 

My Pluriel always get to the halfway level, but in the winter when the external temperature is colder and the heater dial is set to the red zone it takes longer to get there.

 

When you set the heater temp to the red zone your are adding more pipes and a 2nd radiator (the heater matrix) into the coolants path so the coolant has more time to cool down before it gets to the hot parts of the engine and it takes longer for it to heat up.

 

 

Ian

Orange 03 Senso

[Igloo_Vindaloo]

I've got a 8v 1.4HDi. On a typical run its temperature guage jumps from 0 to 2 after about 3 miles and usually reaches half-way (3 bars) eventually. But often it will cruise on 2 bars, especially with the heating on or if you're not working the engine hard.

 

I've never had a car that takes so long to warm up. Guess that's the price you pay for having an efficient engine!

 

Does anyone know if the screen demist uses electrical heating? It seems to clear very quickly even when the engine is stone cold. I used to tell the missus off for putting the blower on full when the engine was cold, because all it used to do (on our old Pugs) was to blow more cold air over the screen, causing more condensation. But the C3 seems much better. Of course, we won't be able to test it in anger until (if) it actually gets properly cold this 'winter'.

 

Cheers

[mrbluesky]

Thanks for your replies everyone. In response to journey times, the occasion that bought doubt into my mind was after a 30 minutes run. The usual 3 bars had been lit as I was accustomed to, and then just before arriving home it dropped to two. I have never known a temp guage to go down during a journey, at least not your regular analogue type. Unfortunately I have not had a long enough run since then to get fully warmed up. Gues I'll just have to keep an eye on things.

 

I have the digital climate control fitted and I have to say it is very good. It holds back the fan to stop blowing cool air into the car, but after a very short time speeds up to start blowing warmer air through. I had a diesel Golf prior to the 1.6 HDi C3 and that took ages to get any heat into the cabin. The fact that I have no glow plug pre-heather light on the dash and the fact that I get warm air through very quickly suggests to me there is something clever going on regards speeding things up on the heat department ?

 

Igloo - I am wondering about the very same thing re screen demisiting. From virtually turning the engine over it seems effective, I am very impressed.

[organist]

The screen demister works so well on the exclusive (climate control) models because it switches the air conditioner on too, drying the moisture in the car.

 

Remember, air conditioning keeps the air in the car dry as well as keeping you cool in the summer. It can be used with heating too!

[Igloo_Vindaloo]

But mine doesn't have air conditioning. I do live in the UK :lol:

[mrbluesky]

Hi all,

 

Always getting the 3 lights on during long trips so whatever it was that was concerning me has gone away !

 

Regards the aircon being used permanently even in winter if digital temperature control is used, in order to keep the air dry within the vehicle as was mentioned by organist, do you know whether it would have much effect on fuel consumption ? I know that during a hot summer's day that air con on high output can have a considerable effect on fuel, but if used more subtlety as part of the temperature control I wonder if it would be more negligible.

 

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Peter

[wozza]

Using the climate will take some fuel and should also rob you of a little power from the engine so wont quite be as quick.

 

My C4 doesnt seem as quick when its on anyways its not massively noticeable until you have to ccelerate hard.

[mrbluesky]

Thanks for the reply wozza. I don't accelaerate that hard these days, was asking the question more from the point of view of fuel consumption really. It's handy to have the old climate control on, keeps the cabin comfy and one less thing to have to fiddle about with !!!

 

Peter

[wozza]

Yeah know what ya mean i have it set to auto near enough all the time. love being in comfort and dont really drive it that hard now used to rag my old car around like an idiot but having a bigger more powerful car that gets a fair bit of attention even in standard trim just makes me wanna drive slower. The things are so rare its brilliant. everywhere i go theres always someone looking at it. Or someone asking what it is. Cause the C4 really does look massively better when you see it on the road than it does in pictures etc.

 

But theres the occasional time i have to put a boyracer in a 1.2 or a 1.nothing in his place. B)

[Guest MartinBall]

Hi all, I recently purchased a second hand 52 plate C3 SX, 1.4 petrol.

My temp gauge never goes above two when I do long journeys (I travel 18 miles to work (one way) and its all motorway travel) is it normal for it to stay low on motorways as it does eventually get up to three bars when I drive urban for lack of a better word.

However, as I was showing my car off to a neighbour he noticed that the black bonnet lining was missing, this made me think is the lack of lining affecting my engine tempreature?

 

Anyone able to enlighten me, apologies for bringing back a very old topic.

[Spiz]

2 bars or 3 bars or both within the 'normal' operating temperature of your engine.

My own C3 lives on 2 bars, with 3 appearing occassionally.

Logic tells me that it is running at 2.8 - 2.9, with 3.0 being reached now and then.

 

Cheers

 

 

Hi all, I recently purchased a second hand 52 plate C3 SX, 1.4 petrol.

My temp gauge never goes above two when I do long journeys (I travel 18 miles to work (one way) and its all motorway travel) is it normal for it to stay low on motorways as it does eventually get up to three bars when I drive urban for lack of a better word.

However, as I was showing my car off to a neighbour he noticed that the black bonnet lining was missing, this made me think is the lack of lining affecting my engine tempreature?

 

Anyone able to enlighten me, apologies for bringing back a very old topic.

[raveydavey]

I've got a 2003/03 1.4HDi 8v Desire and I've noticed the same when the external temperature is low.

 

It's nearly 5-years old though and been like that from new - it doesn't seem to be causing any problems. Through the first winter the heating never got properly "hot" (my commute is 25 miles each way, part local roads, part A-road, part M-way) so plenty of time to get up to temperature. The dealer dismissed it as "they are all like that" but it then sorted itself out and has been fine since!

 

In fact the only issue I've had with the coolant lights is when the dealer delivered it back after a service and the red light at the top was flashing. Turns out this indicates the coolant level is low. A top up sorted it, but do they not check these things?

[stimulator]

There are two C3s in our house. A 54 reg 1.4HDi SX 92BHP 16V and a 07 reg 1.6HDi SX 92BHP.

 

The 1.4 shows 3 bars when running.

the 1.6 doesn't show anything as in Citroens cost cutting world the temp gauge has been delleted from the later models.

 

Both have climate control

[danielsydney]

My 1.4 auto has never moved higher than 3 bars in the 5 years Ive owned it.

[AndrewH]

Hi

 

My Girlfriend has just bought a C£ 52 plate 1.4HDi and when driving home yesterday it was fine but today we have noticed that driving down the road all of a sudden the temperature guage lights come on fully nd bleeps then goes down to 2 or 3 bars, is this normal or should it just rise up to the 2/3 bar stage slowly?

 

Thanks AndrewH

 

I've got a 2003/03 1.4HDi 8v Desire and I've noticed the same when the external temperature is low.

 

It's nearly 5-years old though and been like that from new - it doesn't seem to be causing any problems. Through the first winter the heating never got properly "hot" (my commute is 25 miles each way, part local roads, part A-road, part M-way) so plenty of time to get up to temperature. The dealer dismissed it as "they are all like that" but it then sorted itself out and has been fine since!

 

In fact the only issue I've had with the coolant lights is when the dealer delivered it back after a service and the red light at the top was flashing. Turns out this indicates the coolant level is low. A top up sorted it, but do they not check these things?

[paul.h]

There may be nothing wrong since it may be a one off electrical glitch. Our 1.4 petrol 2003 sx a year ago, at the end of a 60 mile motorway journey, jumped from 3 temperature bars to all the bars lit up + the warning and the engine fan came on. At the time I turned the engine off in case it was overheating and once cooled down I did some checks and found nothing wrong and it has not done it since.

However, check the coolant level, look for loose or frayed wires/connectors at the engine temperature sensors - on the petrol engine there are 2 on the cylinder head. Check the coolant hoses by touch to see if the thermostat is opening so coolant goes to the radiator. If it does it again I would have it looked at in case it is overheating since there is a risk of engine damage.

When our car warms up the bars light up one at a time, usually 3 are lit but in the cold weather may only be 2.