Car taking an age to warm up

[Itguy]

Hi Everyone

We've only had our GTi about a month and it's always seemed to take an absolute age to warm up.

My commute to work is a bit of b road then dual carriageway + motorway for about 40 mins in the morning. I don't thrash it and it consistently takes c.20mins to get warm. It doesn't even move on the gauge for the first 5-6mins.

When the car gets to 90c it stays there, rock solid.

Surely this can't be right on a modern petrol engine?

I've done a bit of reading around and i'm thinking....

1) Replace coolant temp sensor
2) Possibly replace coolant (think I saw a post about VAG coolant helping their warm-up problems but can't see how??)
3) If those fail then new thermostat

Thoughts?

[bower]

seems to be common on theses cars, mine does the same as u

[GTI power]

Thermostat :-)

[Human Joist]

It's fine they all are like this. I can get 9 miles to work and the temp has not reached optimum

[OSB]

Hi Everyone

We've only had our GTi about a month and it's always seemed to take an absolute age to warm up.

My commute to work is a bit of b road then dual carriageway + motorway for about 40 mins in the morning. I don't thrash it and it consistently takes c.20mins to get warm. It doesn't even move on the gauge for the first 5-6mins.

When the car gets to 90c it stays there, rock solid.

Surely this can't be right on a modern petrol engine?



I've done a bit of reading around and i'm thinking....

1) Replace coolant temp sensor
2) Possibly replace coolant (think I saw a post about VAG coolant helping their warm-up problems but can't see how??)
3) If those fail then new thermostat

Thoughts?

I had a similar problem on mine, except that it never got up to temp properly - sometimes would on a motorway drive.
I changed the coolant sensor first as that was an easy DIY job and they are prone to failure. - about £35? Didn't make much difference except it read more accurately!
Eventually bit the bullet and got the stat changed. Looked at doing it myself - its do able - but difficult and time consuming - various links on here.
My Local Dealer took 3 hrs and that is book time. I spoke to the mechanic afterwards 'its a sod of a job for what it is!' They also found a couple of pipes that were getting perished, so changed those at the same time - no extra labour. Coolant change as well.
There is a marked difference is warm up time now. No, they not quick at all to get up to temp! I know mine is all ok but it take 3 -4 miles of B roads to get there. But the performance is better and fuel consumption has improved.
GTI ownership joys!

[Itguy]

Ok, can't believe mine is right as it took 21 mins and 15 miles to get warm today.

[xjay1337]

Mine takes a very long time as well.
I drove 8-9 miles before it was up to temperature.

[Veee-dubber]

The gauge only reflects water temp, oil temp will be longer again will it not?

[xjay1337]

I would suspect it would be fairly similar.
Mk5 GTIs have oil temp sensors you can check with VCDS.

[john87]

Sounds like a stuck thermostat, my R gets to 90 degrees (water) after about three/four miles (winter driving). The oil on the other hand.. when my water reached 90 degrees, I checked the oil temp via highline computer and it was a mere 56 degrees... and to think a lot of people think its safe to 'boot it' once the water's up to temp 

[flashp]

I drive 6 miles to work, after 2 1/2 the coolant is at normal and after 5 1/2 the oil temp matches the coolant temp, according to the Polar display interface.

[xjay1337]

Sounds like a stuck thermostat, my R gets to 90 degrees (water) after about three/four miles (winter driving). The oil on the other hand.. when my water reached 90 degrees, I checked the oil temp via highline computer and it was a mere 56 degrees... and to think a lot of people think its safe to 'boot it' once the water's up to temp 

Your R is a TSI engine, very different.
And who boots it the minute the temp gauge gets to 90.

[rich83]

Sounds like a stuck thermostat, my R gets to 90 degrees (water) after about three/four miles (winter driving). The oil on the other hand.. when my water reached 90 degrees, I checked the oil temp via highline computer and it was a mere 56 degrees... and to think a lot of people think its safe to 'boot it' once the water's up to temp  

Your R is a TSI engine, very different.
And who boots it the minute the temp gauge gets to 90.

Nope.... The R is TFSI mate... Same (roughly) lump as ED30/S3

[Scottymon]

Sounds like a stuck thermostat, my R gets to 90 degrees (water) after about three/four miles (winter driving). The oil on the other hand.. when my water reached 90 degrees, I checked the oil temp via highline computer and it was a mere 56 degrees... and to think a lot of people think its safe to 'boot it' once the water's up to temp  

Your R is a TSI engine, very different.
And who boots it the minute the temp gauge gets to 90.

Nope.... The R is TFSI mate... Same (roughly) lump as ED30/S3

Thought I was going mad thinking it was a TFSI.  IIRC the brand new 300bhp S3 is TFSI too... they aren't putting a lot of confidence in TSI are they...

[flashp]

I wouldn't know in this case, but sometimes these things are based around emissions etc.