Re: Question about Blue Temp Light

[quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)]

In message <990121085935.29711@mail01.mitre.org.0> smazza@mail01.mitre.org (Salvatore Mazza) writes:

> Hello folks I have a 1988 Audi 5KQ non turbo.
> I have this reoccuring problem of a Blue Temp Light on dash Idiot lights
> comes on and car loses power when it does.

I had this problem _YEARS_ ago on an I5 Audi 80.

I _think_ the problem was a failed thermostat - I think the arch that
holds the spring-driven plunger had come away from the ring, and the
thermostat was stuck open.  The result was that water was always
circulating through the radiator, irrespective of engine temperature,
and cooling the engine back below its optimum temperature.  As I
remember it, slowing down or parking (cuts down the cold airflow
through the radiator) allowed the system to warm up and turn the
light back off.  The power loss is because the mixture is being
enriched by a whole load of dumb circuitry that thinks you just started
the car from cold.  A temporary fix would be to block off 1/3rd of the
radiator until summer.

--
 Phil Payne
 Phone: 0385 302803   Fax: 01536 723021
 (The contents of this post will _NOT_ appear in the UK Newsletter.)