Xantia Coolant not getting hot

wrinklet1 · Unread post by **wrinklet1** » 21 Nov 2005, 10:34

Hi Guys,My Xantia TD is running okay, except that the water temperature isn't getting too hot, therefore I only get luke warm air when I turn the heater on.
Now my guess is that the thermostat is knackered, am I right?
The needle on the gauge used to get to the middle line and stay there, now it doesn't reach so high!
I have flushed the system when I put new anti freeze in and have bled it of air too. It's had a new heater matrix so thats not the problem either. The fan works ok and the heater controls are ok too.

Paul

Clogzz · Unread post by **Clogzz** » 21 Nov 2005, 11:20

wrinklet1 wrote:my guess is that the thermostat is knackered, am I right?

I'd say so, the thermostat must be stuck open, not a good idea for winter.
Also check that the cooling fans are not spinning for no reason, because that's the Xantia's favourite fault.
The fans shouldn't spin until the temperature reaches about 90ºC, or when the air conditioning is on.

wrinklet1 · Unread post by **wrinklet1** » 21 Nov 2005, 12:19

I reckon its the stat myself. I have wired a warning light to the dashboard ages ago to tell me when the cooling fans are in operation. I did this so I could monitor them when towing.

JohnT · Unread post by **JohnT** » 21 Nov 2005, 16:10

What a good idea from Wrinklet! Might save a lot of agro.

Unread post by **Peter.N.** » 21 Nov 2005, 17:14

Even if the fans are running continually, it wont cause the temperature to drop much if the thermostat is working.

London luke · Unread post by **London luke** » 22 Nov 2005, 20:32

Same problem.... Mine hovers about the 70 mark. Doesnt seem to go higher.

Is it easy to change the thermostat and where is it?/

Cheers

James.UK · Unread post by **James.UK** » 22 Nov 2005, 22:25

It may help to use the old trick of putting some cardboard in front of half the radiator, you just take it out when the weather warms up a bit..

My old Jag had most of its radiator blocked up that way every year because it ran too cold otherwise..

edit.. Thermostat.. Follow the big pipe top right from your radiator to the engine block, undo the bolts that hold it on, and the thermostat is normaly in there... You need to clean both surfaces and fit a new gasket when you put your new themostat in, then. bolt it down again, add more coolant and bleed the system... It is normaly a very easy job..

Clogzz · Unread post by **Clogzz** » 23 Nov 2005, 13:37

London luke wrote:Mine hovers about the 70 mark. Doesn't seem to go higher.

About 70ºC is normal for winter.
Mine is at about 70ºC even in what we call winter.
Always been, and I know that the thermostat is good.

fastandfurryous · Unread post by **fastandfurryous** » 23 Nov 2005, 14:54

I think 70 is a tad low. My 1.9TD runs at a shade under 80 no matter what the weather.

It could also be that in actual fact, your engine is at the correct temperature, but the gauge is innaccurate. I would be surprised if any temperature gauge on a car is accurate to closer than +/- 5 degrees. I know for instance that mine has a shift of about 3 degrees on it (temp gauge actually reads 81, engine runs at 78.)

mezuk04 · Unread post by **mezuk04** » 23 Nov 2005, 14:59

Surely depends on the amount of gunk in the radiator.....when i first got the car it read about half way (thats 90 isnt it?) and slightly over, now with the new radiator in it hardly even peaks at the quater line

dnsey · Unread post by **dnsey** » 23 Nov 2005, 16:41

Surely depends on the amount of gunk in the radiator

It shouldn't really. As long as the rad's adequate, the thermostat should prevent over-cooling (which sounds like the case with yours).

Clogzz · Unread post by **Clogzz** » 24 Nov 2005, 11:22

fastandfurryous wrote:I think 70 is a tad low. My 1.9TD runs at a shade under 80 no matter what the weather.
It could also be that in actual fact, your engine is at the correct temperature, but the gauge is innaccurate.

Looks like all that's got to do with gauging is inaccurate on the Xantia.
Most of the time, my temperature gauge is also just under 80ºC.
When it's relatively cold, say less than 13ºC, it shows 70ºC.
The fuel gauge is also strange, once I ran out of petrol with the gauge still showing a quarter, and the low fuel light hadn't come on.
I'm under the impression that the gauges are very sensitive to voltage.
Same inaccuracy for the oil dipstick.
4 litres shows full on the stick, but the oil level warning light sometimes flickers.
5 litres shows too full, but the oil level light stays out.

adzbaby · Unread post by **adzbaby** » 24 Nov 2005, 19:30

(Am chuffed I have found the old forum)

I have changed a few thermostats and found that there a least two stats that are compatible with the Xants. I have found two types of valeo which did give different temp readings, one gave a temp of 80°C all the time and the other would result in 90°C. There is always a bit of variation with cars and their guages.

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 24 Nov 2005, 20:03

I think you'll find there has been a retrospective modification of the thermostat at some time since production. I've removed 92?degree stats from both of our cars and the replacements have both been 82 degree ones.

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Xantia Coolant not getting hot

Xantia Coolant not getting hot

Re: Xantia Coolant not getting hot

Thermostats