2 replies to this topic

[brivinci]

I’ve talked about this before but it’s come up on my recent road trip. I installed a second temp sensor in (what I believe is) the original location on most Minis. In the head, under the thermostat, and run a VDO gauge and sensor. Now, I know that side of the head runs hotter that the rest but the information I get for it is wildly different than the factory sensor/gauge.
On this trip, my lower alternator bracket snapped (retrosport aluminum setup) and I had no water pump for a bit. The vdo gauge climbed and gave me an indication of the trouble, my stock gauge did climb a little but not nearly as much. Also, had I only had the stock one, it would have eventually started to cool as the the fuel cooled the intake coolant with no water circulating via the pump.
Wondering what your thoughts are and if you have experienced this? On the way home, we were driving pure motorways in the US. Doing around 65-70mph and it was around 28c out. The stock gauge read as it normally does, just a hair under the middle line where as the VDO read around 96-100c. It wanted to go to 104c+ if there was traffic. My aux fan wasn’t working. Will sort and will help in traffic but not on the move. I’ve been running the Spared 2-core special rad. I pulled it out and gave it a really good flush tonight. I fear it’s not working as it should. 2-core rad and their evo water pump. Mechanical fan on the right way. Either the head mounted VDO temp is not to me trusted, or I have other issues (aside from the aux fan not coming on. Relay works. If I jump the wires at the switch, fan fired up. I think switch as fail possible.)

[nicklouse]

Not read it all but you first statement is wrong. The thermostat end runs cooler thsn the other end,

you say stock one. Can you confirm where it is. I am presuming this in the bottom of the rad due to the location of this post but there are other possible locations.

[viz139]

I presume its a SPi with the sender unit in the inlet manifold. I don't understand why it was moved there as this location may be effected by cold air inlet temperature when on the move and exhaust heat when moving slowly. For the MPi it was moved back to the thermostat sandwich plate.

Unless the fan belt came off altogether i would think although slack the water pump must have still been turning a bit. I know when you snap a belt the temperature goes straight up, you wont drive far.