Water temp gauge.

[gazzafield]

My Ledbury Maestro was off the road for six months while I sorted out stuff for it's MOT and numerous other things. It was run in my driveway for up to twenty minutes at a time, usually once a week.

When it was back on the road everything was normal for the first few outings until the temp gauge started reading increasingly hot. I pulled the thermostat and it was not opening so I presumed it was getting progressively stuck after the lay up.

It was only after doing this that I noticed that on switching on the ignition when the car is cold, the temp gauge immediately moves up to around a quarter on the gauge. Once the car is up to running temperature the gauge is passing halfway and the temp warning light starts to flash. It then doesn't drop low enough even with the heater on full pelt to get the damn light to go off. It does drop though.

All the pipes are warm, the radiator is warm and the heater is blowing warm so I assume all is well there.

I am wondering if it possibly now just a faulty temperature sender unit. does anyone have any idea out there?

[Russ]

If theres a reading when the engine is stone cold I would say that the temp sender is at fault. Try disconnecting it then see if the gauge reads zero

[gazzafield]

The gauge does indeed read zero with the sender disconnected and the ignition on. The spade connector and the connector on the sender itself were rather green. So I cleaned up the connector and replaced the spade fitting but no change. So I may have to buy more antifreeze? :)

[Russ]

he sender is the fault, if your quick changing it and leave the rad cap on you shouldnt lose too much coolant. just top it up with water