Coolant issue, maybe?

[8v-of-fury]

Our diesels are warm blooded beasts, they really like to run 10-15 degrees hotter than the gassers due to the fact they are CI engines. Also DCC (I agree the mk2 and mk3 gauges would be similar as they have similar size engines, radiators, and cooling capabilities) mentioned above the sweep of that gauge is only 40 degrees, therefore the difference in 1/4 and 1/2 is a mere 10 degrees. Kev, you probably had the normal (71c hot climate, 80c warm climate, 87c average climate, 92c extreme cold climate) temp thermostats in your cars for it to run at %25.. like an 80c thermo. The op, you likely have an 80c thermo as well, but you had that clogging issue which rocketed your temps. My 90 1.8 most likely has a 87c thermo as it runs a tad under half all the time when up to temp. Just loves it.

Whats the maximum safe temperature of coolant before stuff starts to happen? Probably a good piece of information to know for some.

[R.O.R-2.0]

my GTI would get to the top of the white area, about 25% on the gauge..
same scenario with my diesel rabbit, it runs at about 3/8 on the gauge. usually right around the 4th tick mark on the gauge.
maybe i have just solely owned cold blooded VWs..

Not that weird. I don't think your cars worked that cold. Let me put it in perspective:



It's the typical mk2 cluster. I was told somewhere (I think it was the guy working at spare parts in our local VW stealership), that the gauge tops at 110ºC.
In my owner's manual it tells you to wait for the first line before "accelerating hard and putting the engine into stress". That makes me believe that the first line can't be that far away from the operating temperature. On the mk3s the gauge says "70-110", and it works exactly like mk2s, so they can't be that different.

dunno if it matters, but my clusters in my mk2s are all different from that one. but it still reads at the edge of the white box..

and i think my cars probably all did have somewhat cooler thermos..

my black diesel used to run 175*F or so.. and that thermostat found its way into a hand full of my cars. lol..

[Jettagli16v]

For the record, my gauge cluster is as such:

(though of course it is the Diesel version, sans MFI.. 7k redline.. pssshhh)

The whole time I have had the car it has never run higher or lower than the threshold of the LED.
(except under sustained unnatural load, such as: riding the brakes while at WOT in 5th to smoke out some douche riding my bumper...)

-Brad

[R.O.R-2.0]

thats the cluster i had in most of my cars.. ^ ^ ^

[Jettagli16v]

Wow, R.O.R.
you definately win the award for quickest replies!
Thanks!
-Brad

[R.O.R-2.0]

funny you said something about the smoke screen for tail gaters.. i love doing that.. lol

hadnt really planned on answering replies that quick, im just super bored right now.
(there were a half dozen vortex posts replied to also, lol)

/endthreadjack

[Jettagli16v]

I am sure whatever you are doing is more entertaining than sitting at work watching the floor guys wax the floor and literally watching (or waiting for it to) dry.

I have stages of tailgater supression:
1) Smokescreen, just like Test Drive the PC game.
2) Corrado front brakes (11" G60 brakes + EBC Greenstuff pads)
3) 15 seconds of #1, followed by a stab at #2...
Go ahead and hit me, you dumb bastard! I am driving an 85 Jetta!!!
**Now, I only use #3 on vehicles that are less than 5 years old, with no visible cracks in the windshield, as we have LOTS of uninsured motorists in Florida.. (and windshields are free if you have comp. on your insurance)

-Brad

[2strokesmoke]

Another possibility: Overheating and engine-tends to damage thermostats  AND temp sensors/switches.
I had an incident where the rad drain plug(plastic crap)blew out on my S10 pickup. Pinned the gauge almost instantly ,on the highway while towing a trailer.
I replaced the drainplug AND thermostat,but the Temp sensors both failed within 3 months.
I should have know better- had seen it many times before at the shop..but $$ was tight at the time. Tried to get off cheap,but had to spend the $$ anyway.
Maybe you could swap out your temp sensor,and see if the gauge returns to where it was before?
Mike

[Jettagli16v]

You know,
that kind of resonates with what I felt internally...
The car is on temp, as the rad fans cycle properly.
I was wondering if I could have "sprung" (for lack of a better term)
the gauge or sender.

I'll check the bentley and see if they have provisions for testing the sensor,
and if not, just replace.

Thanks!

-Brad