temp gauge in the red

[alpinachris]

my temp gauge goes into the red within about 10 mins of driving ,just keeps going up even if driving out of traffic ,also noticed that when cold ,if i turn ignition on ,the temp gauge is above the blue zone ,even before starting up ,would that sugest a dodgy temp gauge or other probs ??ive not lost water yet ,no mayonese ,and car seems to drive normal ,even when temp is up ,advice on plan of attack to try sort this ,or suggestions as to what the prob might be ???
cheers in advance

[SeymourCake]

I would turn the car off AS SOON as it goes into the red zone as it could lead to head gasket problems.

I would think thermostat or blue temp sensor is the culprit here just as a guess.

[alpinachris]

did change brown sensor ,so i know thats ok ,did change a thermostat a few weeks back ,would it maybe not working ?if it stuck shut ,would it get hot this quick ??even get hot air through blowers quite quick ???

[mrLEE30]

it would also help to know what engine it is and year.

as above my first port of call would be the thermostat, but i would go to the effort of removeing the housing and checking it opens as feeling the heat of hoses is ambiguos - what i think is hot may not be same as you!!

remove the thermostat and test it opens by submersing it in boiling water, it should open fully within a few seconds. DO NOT let people tell you to remove this part as it serves a purpose and if working correctly will not be the cause of overheating.

if this part is OK then remove the instrument cluster and check the 6 or 8 mm bolts at the rear of the thermostat are OK and tight. does the needle jump around at all?? if all this is OK then do as will suggests and tease the needle off and replace it in the ''zero'' position.

[E30Mark]

Is the interior heater working? If not you may have an air lock.

Do as the others have said and check the top & bottom hoses going to the rad, if they stay cold then either the rad is blocked or the thermostat is stuck closed.

[alpinachris]

thanks for the suggestion ,to recap ,its a 325 ,1989,all hoses seem about the same temp,heaters get heat quite quick ,think ill try thermostat test ,that was changed recently ,so mite be dodgy ,then if no joy ,will get cluster out ,thanks again .update to follow

[Barnz]

thanks for the suggestion ,to recap ,its a 325 ,1989,all hoses seem about the same temp,heaters get heat quite quick ,think ill try thermostat test ,that was changed recently ,so mite be dodgy ,then if no joy ,will get cluster out ,thanks again .update to follow

Did you get this sorted Chris? Have the same problem on my 325. Temp gauge is fine when driving around, but then when you're in traffic it rises, but putting the heater on helps. Think I need to bleed the system. Did you do this?

[m_jermyn]

thanks for the suggestion ,to recap ,its a 325 ,1989,all hoses seem about the same temp,heaters get heat quite quick ,think ill try thermostat test ,that was changed recently ,so mite be dodgy ,then if no joy ,will get cluster out ,thanks again .update to follow

Did you get this sorted Chris? Have the same problem on my 325. Temp gauge is fine when driving around, but then when you're in traffic it rises, but putting the heater on helps. Think I need to bleed the system. Did you do this?

No I think your fan clutch is buggered. Do the newspaper test. Roll up a newspaper and stick it in the fan gently.. The fan should shread the paper. If the paper stops the fan, You need a new fan clutch... I have just dont this myself, exact same symptoms as yours.

Mike

[spp320i]

As above, spot on. If it's running hot and putting the heater and fans on helps to keep the temp down, then my money would be on the viscous clutch.

Don't let it overheat - or you could end up with a cracked head

[Barnz]

Ok, newspaper out tonight... won't let it overheat, last owner 2 yrs ago did that and I bore the cost as spares/repair. Was running fine for a good year, now a couple of months laid up and it's misbehaving.
Hope you got your problems sorted too Alpinachris, let us know.