Ford Mondeo 2.0 tdci 2006. Slow to warm up.

[obwankanobe]

I have tried replacing the thermostat and have checked for airlocks, made sure the coolant is properly circulating. I have no leaks and the engine behaves impeccably. However for all my efforts the motor still takes an age to get to full temperature and the readings with the new gates thermostat are precicely the same as with the ford item I took out! I'm hoping someone will tell me that this is normal for this engine and I can forget about it!! Cheers.
Oh, the time taken to reach full temperature is about 15 to 20 mins, the heater works fine once temp is up.

 

[Burnerman]

The way to get any engine hot is to put it under load - it therefore uses more fuel and consequently warms up faster.
If your journey start is typically slow or downhill, the warm up time is longer than it would be if you were travelling uphill, for example.
If your car has A/C, maybe that fan is on constantly and cools the main radiator (which should be cool in any case until the thermostat opens).
So - could the gauge be reading slowly do you think, and the engine is in fact warm after all?
The only other thing to try is to pop the old 'stat into a pan of water and heat it up - it should be fully open at around the 90 deg mark.
John

 

[Peter.N.]

Common rail engines like yours are very thermally efficient which is why the fuel consumption is so good, it also means that its slow to warm up so if it was as cold last night where you live as it was here, that's why.

My Peugeot 406 Hdi has a built in diesel fired auxiluary heater which automatically fires up below a certain temperature, and its brilliant with warm air after a couple of hundred yards, the temperature guage doesn't move for about two miles.

The only way you will get it hot quicker is to do what John says and hammer it for a few miles - if you can afford it

Peter

 

[obwankanobe]

Common rail engines like yours are very thermally efficient which is why the fuel consumption is so good, it also means that its slow to warm up so if it was as cold last night where you live as it was here, that's why.

My Peugeot 406 Hdi has a built in diesel fired auxiluary heater which automatically fires up below a certain temperature, and its brilliant with warm air after a couple of hundred yards, the temperature guage doesn't move for about two miles.

The only way you will get it hot quicker is to do what John says and hammer it for a few miles - if you can afford it

Peter

I do drive a bit "gently" anyway so perhaps thats why? I did check out the Ford Thermostat and it was perfectly OK!! Anybody want a good second hand original fit thermostat cheap!!!! Think I'll live with it, the car returns nearly 50 to the gallon overall. Thanks for your help anyway.javascript:emoticon('')

 

[Peter.N.]

I drive very gently too, I get 60+ mpg on a longish journey in the 406 which is why I was so delighted to find it had the aux heater - I also feel the cold.

Peter

 

[Burnerman]

60+ mpg on a long journey in a 406
Peter, I'd take that car back to Peugeot - they should give you good money for it
Do you keep the tyres at 110 psi or something?
John

 

[Peter.N.]

No John nothing special. The average consumption for the last 6,000 miles, according to the read out has been 54.4 mpg, the best I have ever had was 69 mpg but that is driving at 60 mph on the motorway with the occaisional excursion to 70 mph down hill. The car is an 2001 2.0 litre 8 valve 110 hp Estate and has just passed the 200,000 mile mark.

My Citroen XMs which are somewhat heavier will do 50 mpg + with a 2.1 litre IDI 12 valve engine. On our regular trips to the north of Scotland I fill up at Tesco in Axminster and again at Tesco in Inverness and the average for the journey 50 -55 mpg.

The XM has excellent low down torque and you very rarely have to change down, it will pull well from 1200 rpm as will the Hdi engine. I can get well over 1000 miles from a tankful on the 406 and 900+ on the XM but the way I drive would boor most younger people to tears - I did my boy racer stint whan I was very much younger. Being retired I am in no hurry and find driving much more relaxing to sit in the slow lane.

Peter

 

[Burnerman]

Still mighty respectable figures, Peter - the 406 estate aint no lightweight.
My own VAG PD 1.9 has given me 55 mpg before, and I'm very impressed with that.
John

 

[Peter.N.]

I'm just a slow coach really I also live in a rural area and rarely venture into a city.

http://www.higherspence.co.uk/

Peter

 

[londoner1]

Your problem could be teh oil cooler thermostat

http://www.fordwiki.co.uk/index.php?title=Oil_Cooler_Stat_-_Changing_(TDCi)

The part cost me £20 from ford and had it fitted by a back street mechanic, you will loose some coolant but it fixed teh problem for me. My temp gauge hardly made it to the middle and it would drop down again, now it sits bang in the middle.

Make sure you but the orginal ford part.

Hope that helps.