My 98tdi jetta is in need of some minor things it seems like. First of all it is minus 30 here in alberta and i have been letting my car run when i go into places for about an hour. Last night i went for dinner and left the car running with the heat on full blast. when i left the car it was warm air and my temp gauge was at 90 celcuis. When i return the gauge is barried not even registering. (to the left). and the car is blowing cold air. Is my thermostat shot? or could it be a summer thermostat. i purchased the car in october so im unaware of which one it is. also after vw did the timing belt and replaced a glow plug i have been getting diesel smell coming out of my heater vents. wasnt doing it before and is almost unbearable at this point. so if it is my thermostat is it something Trusty Cdn tire can tackle and i dont have to worry bout them working on my car or is it best for VW to do it?. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks
Temperature Problems.
- Thread starter shutout31
- Start date
Chris
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2000
- Location
- Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA
I suspect you're just seeing the efficiency of an idling diesel, coupled with the heater on full blast. It just doesn't waste enough heat at idle. My experience (a long time ago with an '81 Dasher) was that the car wouldn't warm up at all, idling in 0 degrees C, but would run at normal temp when driven. If you want to keep the temp up, consider turning the heater fan down low.
If the car warms up to normal while you're driving (and all that cold air is passing through the radiator) then the thermostat's doing its job. Here's what to look for: with a bad thermostat, you might see the temperature climb (toward normal) while you're in slow traffic then drop as your road speed (and the air flow through the radiator) increases. <font color="orange">If it does this (temp dropping while driving) then get a new thermostat. </font>
The only issue with having Canadian Tire handle a thermostat replacement job would be making sure the right coolant gets put in when they're done. I don't think it's the normal run-of-the-mill stuff.
- Chris
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
If the car warms up to normal while you're driving (and all that cold air is passing through the radiator) then the thermostat's doing its job. Here's what to look for: with a bad thermostat, you might see the temperature climb (toward normal) while you're in slow traffic then drop as your road speed (and the air flow through the radiator) increases. <font color="orange">If it does this (temp dropping while driving) then get a new thermostat. </font>
The only issue with having Canadian Tire handle a thermostat replacement job would be making sure the right coolant gets put in when they're done. I don't think it's the normal run-of-the-mill stuff.
- Chris
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Diesel Dude
Veteran Member
Hi, I live in Alberta and my 97 Jetta will cool down noticably even at a stop sign wait of a minute or two in really cold temps. Check under hood for diesel leaks, as a line may have gotten cracked after the maintenance was performed. Almost any direct injection diesel that has unthrottled air will cool down severely in cold temps. The diesel pickup guys fight with this continually. Good luck, you have purchased a vehicle than can give a great deal of satisfaction once you understand it.
Toronto_Vento
Top Post Dawg
First of all, there is nothing wrong with your thermostat. Diesels are very efficient in terms of heat. They don't produce much at idle. It's almost pointless to let them run for a long period of time. Heck, my 98 can cool down in very slow moving traffic and it isn't even that cold here in Toronto yet.
As stated, be VERY careful to have Canadian tire do ANY work on your car. They won't understand most of what is going on under the hood, and in terms of coolant...you specifically need G-12 coolant from VW, NOT anything from Canadian Tire.
As Diesel Dude stated, these diesels are a wonderful car once you get to understand how they function, but they function totally differently than a gas car.
As stated, be VERY careful to have Canadian tire do ANY work on your car. They won't understand most of what is going on under the hood, and in terms of coolant...you specifically need G-12 coolant from VW, NOT anything from Canadian Tire.
As Diesel Dude stated, these diesels are a wonderful car once you get to understand how they function, but they function totally differently than a gas car.