Cool runnings

[steve_m]

The gauge takes an age to get up to Normal (about 10 miles or so).
It's a recent thing so is it likely to be the thermostat sticking open?

[BrianG]

You don't say if your car is petrol or diesel. Diesels can take a long time to warm up in colder weather unless they have an auxiliary fuel-fired heater (don't know if the X-type has this like the XJ X350). Generally for either petrol or diesel, an old thermostat is a common cause of slow warm-up and/or lack of heat. They are really only good for about 5 years, after that they can become unreliable and stick partly open - I've had 3 XJs with this fault over the years. A good clue to a sticking thermostat is if the engine temperature drops when you drive at higher speeds (40 to 60) for a while but then it recovers as you slow down or get into traffic.

[steve_m]

Thanks Brian.
It's a 2.5 petrol powered lump and as I said it is a recent occurrence.
Being older and wiser I always keep a weather eye on whatever gauges the manufacturers deemed fit to fit so changes are noticeable.
The Alfa Spider exhibits the same symptoms but as it is about £75 for the bits to replace the complete tower plus about 3 hours labour it can stay like that.
Nothing has ever changed about what a thermostat does: it's shut, it gets warm, it opens.
End of.
Why are these stupidly simple things that have a relatively short lifespan so soddingly complicated and expensive to replace?
I don't like poor quality but I cannot forgive piss poor design and moronic over-engineering.

[Bellajag]

I am having similar problems with my 2.0D

The temperature gauge rarely lifted from cold. I changed the thermostat and it now rises but not even up to quarter of the way before falling again to cold. It's as though as soon as the thermostat opens the gauge falls back to cold. I am getting heat from the heater but on really cold days I have to have the heater set to 30 degrees.

I have heard that there is another thermostat in the oil cooler.

Can anyone help with this.

[steve_m]

Ok, so had the new thermostat for about 2 months now, still in it's box, completely unsullied.
1/2 a mile after setting off yesterday the engine warning light came on but there was no loss of performance; tooling around country lanes, not caning it on the motorway or anything.
Did the 30 miles home ok, nor problems at all.
Light still there this morning so Tony stuck his reader thing on it and it came up with 'Coolant temperature too low'.
Guess that narrows it down a bit!
Time to open the box.

[steve_m]

Couldn't find the edit button but forgot to say that Tony said that he has never seen that particular code on any of the cars that he has worked on since codes came out.

[steve_m]

Just found the edit button!

[steve_m]

Changed the thermostat and problem sorted, up to temperature in 2 miles.
Brakes, or lack of, next.