Heater/Thermostate?

[940Graeme]

Bit of an issue with the heating in my 1992 440. Not getting enough heating in the car at all. In normal driving, ( I mainly do fastish A road - 60mph ave driving) The temp indicator never moves off the stop. Now, obviously, the car is being (properly) cooled by the air coming in from the front grill. OK. I know that the temperature indicator, and the heater, works as on the few occasions when I have been stopped in traffic for a while the indicator goes up (only ever to "normal") and then the car heater is excellently hot.

Now, on one hand this is good - I know it is not ever overheating - but I don't really ever get proper heating when in normal use.

Is this a thermostate issue?

Surely the thermo should heat to a certain temp then maintain, then "shut off" in order to maintain the proper temp both for the engine temp and the car interior heater?

Your thoughts please!

[Anadinolin]

Try the thermostat, however my car is always a little cold because the water pump idler has a different size on it I think, the sizes arent quite right on aftermarket parts

Its not as bad as that I must add

[doingitsideways]

Aye, sounds like your stat is goosed, Graeme.

Had exactly the same issue on my 940, easily sorted

Fuel economy even improved slightly, as it wasn't constantly on choke!

Steve

[940Graeme]

thanks guys, for the cost and ease of replacement of the "stat" gotta be worth just doing anyway I guess.

Interestingly, the fuel econ has dropped very slightly recently, wonder if the two things are linked!

Cheers,

[Anadinolin]

They are, colder engine = ecu yhrowing in more petrol hehe, get a winter thermostat (87 deg C) even then my car still dosent reach norm, but floats just under

[doingitsideways]

That's a summer stat Andy, it's opening too soon.

A winter one stays closed longer, keeping the heat in the engine and heater, rather than going through the radiator prematurely.

You need a 92°c jobbie if you can find one

Steve

Edit: Carparts4less list an 89°c stat for £6.36 with the gasket, or a 92°c for £3.48 without

[Anadinolin]

I got so many of the bloody things to try and get the temp to sit at norm lol I get mixed up easily - information overload. Im gonna double check what I have in mine again hehe.

I got a 104 deg C stat somewhere aswell, I think gsf do em, slightly more expensive mind, it has a bypass valve on it aswell so there is always some flow

[940Graeme]

So the new Stat was fitted - 92deg £8.34 delivered from partsforvolvos.com, great service. Easy job.

However (!) whilst it now heats up nice and quickly, idle has settled down, fuel econ back to where it was - I think it is now running too hot in traffic!!

The needle never gets to the red, (although odd layout of the 440 gauge itsn't it), it does get close before starting to go down, a bit, again.

So, where is "normal" on this gauge firstly, should it sit halfway, or is further up OK?

Alternatively, I think the fan may not be cutting in correctly. Is there a replaceable Fan Stat?, Fuse? Light tap with the blunt end of a hammer?

All advice gratefully received as always.

Cheers,

[doingitsideways]

From memory Graeme, my old 460 used to get to about 2/3, maybe 3/4 on a hot day.

Trouble is, I wouldn't trust the guages in a 400, how long does it take for the needle to react after you put fuel in?!

The fan stat isn't adjustable, and there is a seperate sender for the guage, again for the ECU.

It'll be 'reet!

Steve

[940Graeme]

Thanks Steve! I knew you'd know.

2/3 or 3/4 is about where it is sitting, even in traffic on a hot day like today.

Why couldn't volvo have just put a normal gauge on it FFS!

I did note that the fan didn't seem to cut in when I was running it after fitting the new stat, so I'll keep an eye on that I think just in case. But does it cut in only a very high temp?

Regards,