TEMPERATURE GOES UP & DOWN ALARMINGLY - IS THIS NORMAL?

[RITA]

I've recently purchased a 54 plate 2.0L 206CC and have noticed with some alarm how quickly the temperature begins to rise when the car is idling after a few minutes or is in a traffic crawl situation. It reaches about the 100 degrees mark before the fan cuts in and the temp returns down to around the 90 degrees mark.....do they all do this - as they say!?!
I'm concerned as I know how critical this can be, having previously owned an MGF....

[GrandadMonkey]

Having owned an MGF you'll be paranoid. If your fan wasn't cutting in you'd have cause to be worried. Ours is a 1.6 but yours sounds normal.

[RITA]

Thanks 'Grandad Monkey' (great name BTW!)
Good to here that it sounds...sort of normal. As you quite rightly say, as an MGF owner (I've still got it), seeing a temp gauge going up quickly puts the fear of god into you! I will say though that the once the head gasket was sorted on the 'F', it idles and traffic crawls with hardly any movement of the temp gauge needle, obviously with it's fans cutting in, but the 206 needle seems to leap up much more quickly. I guess its just the way the two cooling systems differ...?I have a 3 month warranty with the 206, so I guess its a case of keeping a check on it.
Any other 2.0L 206CC owners about who have the same 'worries'?

[GrandadMonkey]

If the needle "flickers" then I'd suspect the temperature sensor wiring. Look for any corrosion there.

[jackieboi206]

Hiya I have a 2.0l 206cc as well.
My temperature needle rarely jumps up from ninety but my oil temp needle (the one on the left) does that all the time. Especially at slow speeds or in traffic it goes all the way up to 100-110, bu as soon as I move off it goes back down.
I've been to the garage with it and thy couldn't find a fault so I'm guessing it's just the way it works maybe?

[RITA]

I haven't noticed my oil temp gauge moving up in line with the water temp....maybe I better check!!

[GrandadMonkey]

It won't necessarily*, but oil will normally be hotter than the coolant. As long as they keep out of the red zones you should be ok.

*e.g. A long run flat out may see your oil get really hot but your coolant should stay normal with the speedy flow of air through the radiator.

[Dingdong]

our temp went up alarmingly, when on hottest day of the year, the water temp went to almost boiling point and only putting heater on was able to get temp down. When temp was 30 outside not funny and burnt the soles of my feet on pedals LOL

[GrandadMonkey]

If you had to put the heater on to keep your gauge out of the red then maybe your radiator is partly blocked or sludged up. How old is your car and when was the cooling system last flushed, and your coolant mix renewed? Which engine do you have?

Don't you wear shoes when you drive?

[Dingdong]

if it is summer then no I dont wear shoes because sandals spread over 2 pedals and then quite difficult to drive. I was brought up in Africa, so wearing of shoes is an optional event!
My car is a 03 plate and i have no idea, if the rad has been emptied as my local garage does the service, but by what you are saying, maybe it should be looked at!

[Dingdong]

Ah yes, the engine size.. 2.0 ltr

[Mikecornwall]

I had the same problem overhears on idle when driving have to keep heater on full.don't want to worry you but mine goes in the garage next week for head gasket to be fixed to rectify by the way it's a friend so I'm not being ripped of by a garage

[Dingdong]

well I found by my garage (who don't rip you off as they are an independent and good), said the wires to the fan and sensor were corroded and now that have fixed that, so hard luck re head gasket, but mine seems to be better.

[Mikecornwall]

Head done (£430) not bad huh well chuffed but need new wheels as ones on are not for a 206!!!!!!! Greeters anyone know of a set ???cheers well pleased it was only corroded wires