8 replies to this topic

[GermanMoreno]

Help! my mini doesnt overheat!   

So... I don't know if this is an issue or not, but my mini seems to never hit running temperature, it is mostly on the blue line of the gauge (3 clock Nippon gauges). Sometimes a bit over it but most of the time its cold.
The car managed to hit normal running temperature once this summer, but It was almost 37 degrees outside! So i know the gauge works.

 

2 years ago I upgraded my radiator to a 2-core aluminum rad. Just after that, the car temperature was just under the middle line of the gauge, but never stayed at the bottom.

I am wondering what's happening here? Change thermostat? Its a 1275 Cooper 91.

 

 

 

[whistler]

Depends what thermostat you have fitted. It may be that your stat has failed and it's wide open.

[GraemeC]

Has the sensor been changed and was the correct one to match the gauge fitted?

Find someone with an IR heat gun and see what the temp actually is - it may just be your gauge not reading correctly.

[GermanMoreno]

Sensor hasn't been changed. I will measure with a head gun. If thermostat is stuck, which one should I use for climate between 15 and 30 degrees celcius?

 

Has the sensor been changed and was the correct one to match the gauge fitted?

Find someone with an IR heat gun and see what the temp actually is - it may just be your gauge not reading correctly.

[Tornado99]

My 88 1275 had a tsat bypass blanking tube installed instead of a tstat. This means rad get full flow at all times and car would take much longer to reach best operating temp. I switch it back to a standard tsat (85 or 82 F I think). This didn't seem to correct my low reading gauge. I'm thinking the sender is not correct or perhaps its got a bad grounding contact with head, giving misleading gauge values.
There was a recent thread where someone compared reading from several different gauges vs actual temp measured via a meat thermometer. Quite a lot of difference from different devices.

[Spider]

You really do want the engine getting up to temperature, it will use a little less fuel, but in particular, if the Oil doesn't get hot enough (and it closely follows coolant temp), then you'll get a build up of by-products and moisture in the Oil. I'd suggest an 82 degree thermostat, though your would have originally had an 88 degree type.

 

As Graeme suggested, before doing anything else, check the actual temp independently of the gauge with something you know is reliable.

[roblightbody]

You really do want the engine getting up to temperature, it will use a little less fuel, but in particular, if the Oil doesn't get hot enough (and it closely follows coolant temp), then you'll get a build up of by-products and moisture in the Oil. I'd suggest an 82 degree thermostat, though your would have originally had an 88 degree type.

As Graeme suggested, before doing anything else, check the actual temp independently of the gauge with something you know is reliable.

My 1990 cooper currently has the incorrect 82 thermostat fitted, and it annoyingly stops the car warming up enough to get to the normal bit in the middle of the temp gauge (it goes there briefly then drops back down when the thermostat opens).

[Aria Aradhea]

A 2-core Aluminum radiator is a bit overkill for cooling IMO, especially when cruising along. I once fitted Minispares' 2-core copper radiator and when driving the gauge always go down to under the halfway mark even with aircon on.

I'm now using a regular Mini 3-core copper radiator with a 74° thermostat and driving with the aircon on it will happily stay at halfway. It will get way up to 3/4 but that is if it's in a middle of a bad traffic jam at noon with aircon blasting, or when climbing quite a long and steep hills with aircon on.

[Gabor]

HI, 

 

I think you should not change the 88 degree thermoste, if you use the 2 core alu rad. 

 

Cheers

Edited by Gabor, 09 November 2021 - 08:00 AM.