Low oil temp reading on mfa

[tobz.]

This morning the oil temp reading on my 16v didn't rise above 74'C even after the 25mile journey to work. I know for a fact that it can't have been running this cold, normally its about 96-100'C, the coolant temp gauge was sitting in the middle as usual.

Is it likely to be a dodgy temp sensor/poor connection to the sensor???
If so is it one of the sensors on the oil cooler? Anyone got a pic to highlight it in?

Cheers
Toby

[Gambit]

oil temp is on the back of the head on a 16v. wee green wiring running to it. just below the vacuum pipe on the back righthand side of the manifold

74 does seem quite low for a 25mile journey. have you changed the oil or coolant lately?

[tobz.]

Ah nice one Gambit, I've just been out and cleaned the contacts on both the sensors on the oil cooler but if I remember rightly they are both pressure sensors.
I'll give the one on the head a clean later.

There's no way the 74 reading is correct, I noticed something was up straight away as the initial 50'C reading didn't come up until about 2miles after it normally does.
The oil was changed about 500miles ago and that is still bang on the max mark.
The coolant was changed last summer.

[92Mk2Gti]

oil temp is on the back of the head on a 16v. wee green wiring running to it. just below the vacuum pipe on the back righthand side of the manifold

74 does seem quite low for a 25mile journey. have you changed the oil or coolant lately?

On the 8v is it on the top of the oil cooler, the black and green wire?

[Gambit]

@tobz. - thats a strange one indeed, as you say might just be a dodgy sensor or dirty contacts. the two on the filter are oil pressure sensors

@92Mk2Gti - dunno for certain which wire it is. but oil temp is around there somewhere

[tobz.]

I'll have a go at that other sensor tonight gambit, tis very strange, last time I drove it on monday the temp was reading the typical 90 odd degrees.
I take it I can remove the sensor without draining the oil as it's fitted in the top end? Don't wanna drain £15 worth of 500 mile old synta silver unless I have to.

[rubjonny]

yeah let the engine cool right down and you wont loose more than a dribble

[Gambit]

actually it just dawned on me that if the thermostat was stuck open then the car would take a hell of a lot longer to warm up

[tobz.]

Tis true but my coolant temp gauge was sitting pretty much where it usually does.
I'll stick my heater on full on the way home and see how long it takes for the heat to become unbearable. That'll be a good indicator of thermostat operation.

Oh and one other thought, once it got to 74 it was like it just stopped. I nailed the @rse off it a couple of times and the oil temp didn't even rise momentarily. I think I can therefore conclude that it isn't actually running that cold.

[Veedubgt18v]

actually it just dawned on me that if the thermostat was stuck open then the car would take a hell of a lot longer to warm up

yeah mine is stuck half open and it rarely gets above 86 and takes a good 20 mins to heat up to that.