temperature gauge too high

[Lorenzo Zaga]

goodmorning everyone, i very enjoy my puma, is fantastic and the engine runs smoothly but there is a thing that scares me, is very strange, the temperature gauge when the car runs slow, or is in the traffic, starts to go high, the indicator go to the the "AL" of "NORMAL" ,but never in the red, i don't know if it is normale because in other cars i have the indicator stay in the middle always. Last week explodes the top radiator hose, and i changed it and the coolant cap, the electric fan starts around 100,105 grades i use a termometer, anyone can help me, i'm worried to use my puma in this conditions, i don't wanna ruin it. thanks a lot to everyone

 

[Van_Dammesque]

Sounds like a trapped air, when cold try squeezing the rubber pipes to try and forced the air bubbles out.
Make sure the water pump is working too, from cold open the water cap and start the engine, look for the water agitating.

Are the water levels constant or slowly dropping?

 

[red]

When was the coolant last replaced?

 

[Lorenzo Zaga]

i have changed the water pump and the timing belt few months ago, and the coolant last week. before the explosion of the hose, the water made bubbles when i open the cap at high temperature, and the water level go down and up. in a normal puma the gauge stay in the middle always? thanks for the replies.

 

[Van_Dammesque]

Water making bubbles is probly the water actually boiling as the pressure has been released, be very careful!
The temp indicator when warmed up should always remain in the middle. What weather temps are you having at the moment?

 

[Lorenzo Zaga]

at the moment is very hot is about 35° but this problem was present even on cold days

 

[Nicky]

in a normal puma the gauge stay in the middle always?

Yours is not a normal Puma. In the '97 and '98 Pumas the ECU did not digitally damp down the temp gauge to pretty much stay in the middle. So, what you are seeing on the gauge is normal for the year of your Puma and is actually showing a more accurate water temperature than most later Puma owners see.

The coolant tank cap, should not be removed until a car has cooled down, as the coolant will instantly boil at atmospheric pressure otherwise. Water at a higher pressure, like in the cooling system) has a higher boiling point.

You do need to investigate why the top hose exploded though, if just age of hose or something else.

 

[Lorenzo Zaga]

ok,so you are telling me what i see is normal? the hose i think the age, but if there is a problem in the coolant sistem probably explodes for this. but you think it could be the hcv or the termostat? thanks

 

[Nicky]

ok,so you are telling me what i see is normal?

Yes, you can test that for yourself (or take it to a garage) by using OBD on Real Time setting and monitoring the coolant temperatures over time. I've been in a car that did exactly as you describe and it is worrying, but was normal for that car.

As a bonus, the OBD readings will also tell you what your thermostat, and even the fan, is doing and if that's a problem or not.

 

[Lorenzo Zaga]

ok, thanks, i will do this test