low reading water temp gauge

Ross · Unread post by **Ross** » 19 Sep 2006, 07:39

just did a 250 mile trip and noticed water temp gauge is reading lower than usual - normally both oil and water needles on the display are about horizontal on the dial - I checked the water level which was ok and I didnt have any problems but am a little worried as on previous cars when the water gauge reads low it has meant that I am losing water. It was a fast night run but I dont see the reading at this level usually (about a 1/4 up on the water temp gauge)
- Xantia vsx TD 94-
Incidentally I am losing a little water somewhere - its dry inside the car with no drips outside the car has done about 120k - is this likely to be head gasket ?

Clogzz · Unread post by **Clogzz** » 19 Sep 2006, 14:49

Fast night run in cool weather may cause a low indication.
Also check that the cooling fans aren’t spinning for no reason, as they often do on the Xantia.
Head gasket causing loss of water will cause the temperature to rise, rather than drop.

Unread post by **Peter.N.** » 19 Sep 2006, 22:03

In the event of water loss the gauge will only read cool when you have allready lost it!. If its not reading much lower I shouldn't worry about it, if it is check the thermostat, you can do this by putting your hand on the top of the radiator after starting from cold. The radiator should remain cold until the car has reached working temperature and then suddenly get hot as the thermostat opens. Or it could be that the temperature sensor is faulty.