Water temp. gauge problem

[tenderfoot]

I have a very nice met. blue '02 206cc which has serving me well these past few years, until .....

During the previous winter period, I had to slave start the car battery, it being completely discharged one very cold morning. This situation reoccurred some weeks later, but with a single difference in that, another slave start and fitting a new battery, the water temperature gauge needle, even though it continues to function, ie rising and falling with varying engine water temperatures, will not drop back to its off position tp the left side of the gauge. The gauge needle never drops below the two thirds mark!
With the engine at running temperature, the needle makes vain attempts to exit the right side of the gauge.

Can anyone shed some light on this peculiar situation?

[tenderfoot]

Problem solved, the water temp light needle only needed a slight push back to the zero position, and it is again operating as it should.

[GrandadMonkey]

Well done tenderfoot. The needles can come loose on their spindles.

[tenderfoot]

Strangely enough the needle was not loose on it's spindle, which made the situation rather confusing.
With the ignition off, the needle remained in its normal park position ( max left), switching the ignition on sent the needle to the 90 degree position, and as the engine temperature increased, so did the needle show the respective increase. At normal running temperature, the needle was trying to disappear off of the RH lower part of the gauge!
:x