D24TIC Cannot get engine warmed up

[Laney760]

I believe due to the following two factors as it has only been occuring for the last 6 days, I cannot get my engine warmed up on my normal town runs. Since bringing the antifreeze ratio up to scratch in the water and with the advent of this colder weather, on my weekday drives of max 8 miles my engine does not warm up as she used to after about 4 miles and I am now doing all these short runs cold, I shouldn't think it's any good for my engine. I'm not just going by my temp guage, which is accurate, she warms up on longer runs at the weekend but the engine feels tight and almost labouring even with higher revs and she is clearly cold and probably oil pressure not up. I doubt there's anything I can do about this but just in case anyone has an answer. I know it's good the antifreeze is doing it's coolant job properly but I don't ever overheat with my head problem and all these short runs cold are doing my car no good I'm sure? Obviously can't run in the winter without antifreeze

[Peter Milnes]

Try replacing the thermostat, when this fails the engine will never get up to hot. It results in higher fuel consumption and a tad more wear in the engine. Just use the normal 87 degree one.

All the best, Peter.

[Laney760]

Originally Posted by Peter Milnes

Try replacing the thermostat, when this fails the engine will never get up to hot. It results in higher fuel consumption and a tad more wear in the engine. Just use the normal 87 degree one.

All the best, Peter.

Hi Peter

Thanks but it gets up to normal after about 8 miles instead of 4 and is fine at the weekends on longer runs, its just I do a lot of short town runs and she was always up to temp at a certain point so I've eliminated thermostat, would just feel happier if she reached operating temp during the short runs so she at least got some warm running and doesn't end up suffering from short run syndrome. It started immediately after replacing antifreeze, assume this is normal time for these engines to warm up, have read they take a long time but it's a pain if you do loads of short journeys. Will replace it but I'm positive it's not that, thanks

[S60D5NI]

I would very much doubt that having / not having anti-freeze in the system will make any noticable difference to the warm-up time. The thermal properties of anti-freeze will be 'engineered' to be similar to water.

Thermostats don't necessarily just fail fully open - yours could be stuck part-way open and hence warm-up would take longer but the car doesn't overheat in normal use (but could do in warmer weather / under greater load such as towing etc.).

Other possibility is air in the system, but generally this will cause the car to overheat. When fully warmed up, check all hoses are warm, cabin heater works properly etc.

If this is a sudden permanent change (i.e. it's not just that there have been a few cold days) I agree with Peter - most lkely to be the thermostat.

[Laney760]

Hi S60D5NI and Peter


I will have a look at mine and pick up another thermostat, hopefully this will be it and it must have been purely coincidental that warm up time doubled after the antifreeze was put in and the change in air temps. This afternoon was warm but she still did not warm up as she did/was previously. Having read from so many sources that this engine takes so long to warm up I had assumed that having a low antifreeze ratio had caused quicker warm up. Thanks

[Laney760]

Hi Peter

You muist be right. Even on very long run yesterday which involved a motorway she didn't warm up until I lost patience and took her up to high speeds. Also when I logged out my mileage on my latest tank of fuel the figures were well down. I am very pushed for time and money at the moment but this week I have to sort my thermostat, the diesel leaks at injectors and two separate brake problems, engine taking a back seat at the moment! Cars, lol...

Thank you Peter

[Laney760]

I picked up a thermostat last week, haven't had time to put it in yet, far more pressing matters in my life than my car at the moment, unfortunately. One thing occured to me last night. I haven't asked the RAC recommended garage who took a look at my engine to confirm head gasket gone, etc.. if they messed with my pump settings, hope they didn't cos I was quite happy with them as were the previous diesel specialists. If they had done and got them wrong could this cause lumpy running, not getting up to temp, less mpg? Many thanks

[SeanO'Connor]

I really think you are worrying over nothing. I would very much doubt a garage would just fiddle with your pump settings, just because they could. If your head is a problem as you say? Don't drive it untill its fixed, if the head did have a problem though it would overheat rather than run to cold.

Like mentioned earlier, if all your pipes and radiator get warm, and also inside the car then our cooling system is working ok, however if your stat is buggered it will cause the car to run cooler.

[Laney760]

Originally Posted by SeanO'Connor

I really think you are worrying over nothing. I would very much doubt a garage would just fiddle with your pump settings, just because they could. If your head is a problem as you say? Don't drive it untill its fixed, if the head did have a problem though it would overheat rather than run to cold.

Like mentioned earlier, if all your pipes and radiator get warm, and also inside the car then our cooling system is working ok, however if your stat is buggered it will cause the car to run cooler.

Hi Sean

Thanks. Still havent got my stat in, have been too busy to sort my car out but she will be getting done this week. My head gasket is definitely gone between a cylinder and a water jacket causing my coolant to burn out through the exhaust, you can see it at high revs in first and second, and high revs on motorways and uphills, also causes me some lack of compression. I use a lot of coolant, was topping up every day but since the stat is gone use quite a bit less. When the head gasket is gone like this you don't get water in your oil, nor overheat but you would overheat pretty quickly if you didn't keep replacing the coolant. These D24TICS with a thick metal (I believe 3 layered) head gasket can go on for tens of thousands of miles like this as long as you keep the coolant topped up, I've done several thou like this and a guy on Ebay sold his for good money in the same condition as mine having been like it for 9 thou. It would have been possible that the diesel specialist played with my pump timings because they were trying to establish what was wrong with her but I asked them and they didn't. I'll post on here if the new stat solves the problem of underheating. I don't have heat in the car at the moment due to the stat, thank goodness for Volvo heated seats!! I shouldn't have been running her like this for weeks, underheating, these engines take forever to warm up anyway and for oil pressure to get up but I've had no choice. I have to say for a car with head problems, faulty stat and goodness knows what else it is very reliable!! What other manufacture of car would soldier on like this I wonder?