Lower Coolant hose almost always cold - Troubleshooting - VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.

• Lower Coolant hose almost always cold by ilomax on 16 Feb, 2006 00:47
• 1982 Rabbit 1.6 N/A
  
  I drove my car for probably 30 minutes (20 of that on the freeway), get home and check the cooling system over because I'm paranoid about it and the lower coolant hose is cold.  Am I going crazy and this normal for a diesel?
  
  I can sit there in my driveway with my temp gun and BAM... t-stat opens at 186 Deg. and the lower hose starts to warm up.  Fan kicks on at it's norm. temp as well.
  
  At idle the car will sit at or just below the middle on the temp guage, driving normal the temp guage will sit right in the middle and full on up hills  it will go just over the middle maybe to the next notch.
  
  I've got good heat from the heater.
  
  I just did the Head gasket (Made sure the gasket was on straight), replaced all the cooling system, put in some nice blue VW coolant (No more green coolant) and took out the old clunky fan and put in a nice 12" push fan.
  
  Am I going crazY?  Any Ideas?  Is it normal?
  
  Thanks,
  Ian
• #1 by zyewdall on 16 Feb, 2006 07:01
• Hmmmm.  Whats the ambient temperature when you were driving it?
• #2 by ilomax on 16 Feb, 2006 08:24
• It was pretty chilly outside lastnight, prob around mid to low 30's, but i've noticed this during the day.
  Maybe it just takes a long time for my car to heat up.
• #3 by bryanbryan89x on 16 Feb, 2006 08:52
• What is blue vw coolent???
• #4 by bhtooefr on 16 Feb, 2006 08:56
• Ordinary crap
  G11, what VW recommends for our cars, can't be mixed with ordinary crap
  G12, can't be mixed with G11 or ordinary crap
  G12+, can be mixed with G11 or G12, but NOT ordinary crap
  Drain it right away! You mixed something!
• #5 by ilomax on 16 Feb, 2006 13:52
• Bump Up... Anybody?
• #6 by wyldman on 16 Feb, 2006 14:37
• In cooler weather,and when using the heater,it's normal to see the lower hose stay cold.Diesels don't produce a lot of heat unless worked hard,and the heater is enough to keep it cool.
• #7 by ilomax on 16 Feb, 2006 16:57
• Nice so I have that answered.  When I'm goin full on up a hill or say 70mph down the road what is a good temp on the guage.  Mine hits about one notch past middle.  Is that good? Normal?
  Thanks again all,
  Ian
• #8 by wyldman on 16 Feb, 2006 20:21
• Most will run right around half,going slightly above under load.
• #9 by ilomax on 16 Feb, 2006 20:26
• Thanks for the information.
• #10 by zyewdall on 17 Feb, 2006 08:05
• Mine seems to run right about 195F to 210F usually.  I'm measuring head temperature, not coolant temp, so it might not be the same though.
• #11 by ilomax on 17 Feb, 2006 08:25
• I just don't know, maybe my car just likes to stay cool.