Thread: Operating Temperature of Series 3

Temp readings:

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If the voltage stabiliser is playing up you will get a false reading (cannot remember whether it's high or low).
Next is the sender, if it's failing or there are dirty contacts again you will get a false reading. Just replaced a sender on my Series III because it was reading low, new one fixed the problem.

The sender's resistance range is determined by the manufacturer originally and they all had a 'dead spot' mid range. The idea is that at about the operating temperature there is maybe a 10 degree range where the resistance doesn't change. The idea is that it sits in the mid position on the gauge even if the temperature rises slightly.
The aim was to stop customers coming back and complaining that their car was running a bit hot in traffic.......


Colin

My Series 3 Lightweight came with blocked radiator (unbeknown to me) It boiled on its first run (about 10km) Gauge needle hit the top .

Swapped Radiator & found it had no thermostat. Put in thermostat

found old radiator only held 1.5L , S/H radiator 7L . Ran fine , gauge needle just under half but radiator sprung a leak.

This was just before I was getting it regoed & didn't have time to get it recored so bought a 4 core Alloy Radiator (plastic tanks) from eBay (Champion radiators) , (even with post was less than a recore)

Now Temp gauge hardly gets up to 1/4 even on the very hottest days (but I do have an oil cooler) I can easily hold the bottom tank after a good run - seems odd - must be a bloody efficient radiator.

Not orig, but doesnt look too bad, still will get the orig re-cored eventually.

A faulty earth on the voltage stabiliser will result in high readings. If this is the issue, the fuel gauge should read high as well - and readings will depend on battery voltage.

John

I had phantom high temp caused by putting anti slip on the thread of the sender. Drove me nuts until i worked it out. Not all anti slip is conductive.
Cheers,
D

I fitted a genuine 74 degree recently after trying generic and different temperatures. My experience was the 74 would be too cold but that not the case. My thinking is that the by pass allows too much coolant to flow I was planning to restrict it a little or disconnect the heater-mine has no tap on the heater..


Temp gauge on mine wanders around. between half and middle of the red. Due mostly to the speed of the car.


I am happy with the operation of electric fan ive fitted. I Allowed for the original to be refitted if I was towing or heavier work the electric fan works better in traffic or on the farm and has copped with the Christmas heat..


I have planned to replace the voltage stabilizer, modern adjustable unit found through most of the MG car suppliers.


However. often the temp gauge runs high into the red. I have found that middle of the red is about 85-90 degree coolant temp.-when using the 82 degree thermostat it would need to adjust the temp gauge as it would stayed in the red.


The laser temp I have gives very different readings -the copper radiator metal temp is much lower than the actulal coolant-between 20-30 degree. this is diffent ive found with alloy radiators in other cars.


I purchased a fan control with digital display, currently the on setting is at the bottom hose is 40C to give me 80 C coolant temp at radiator cap.


I have a 85-80 c fan switch in the coolant at the front of the head that only operates when at lengthy high speed for few seconds or when stop starting/heat soak[fan turns on when restarted dopping temp gauge bellow middle before turning off].


Have some confusing findings in this thread. bellow.


2.25 head failure

I have both the standard dash gauge and a separate aftermarket (electronic) temperature in my series 3. I have the Land Rover sender unit which is fitted into the front of the head. The sender unit for the other gauge is fitted into the head towards the rear of the engine. Today (40C) Land Rover gauge was dead centre through the "N" and the aftermarket gauge showed 80C. I noticed that the aftermarket gauge could be anywhere from about 77-83C without any fluctuation of the dash gauge. Possibly because of what Gromit said in an earlier post, about the gauge set to stay stable because of a predetermined "dead spot" when in the normal temperature range.


Cheers, Mick.

Morning,

On a similar subject, can I pick the brains of the wise. Came home last night to the S3 project to find her sitting in a puddle of coolant, it was the core plug last month, now we've popped the other end, the radiator is stuffed.

Not driven it long enough to gauge such things but the leaking radiator was a high capacity unit. With no cowl, I presume a cowl wouldn't fit as the HC radiator is hard against the fan.

Living in Perth, what's the considered opinion, stamdard rad with or without cowl and standard belt driven fan or HC rad with no cowl? I'm pretty sure it's a standard thermostat and I've no intention of doing much static running, and using a PTO is right out of the question!

Cheers Ian