RE: engine "cold" light

["Buchholz, Steven" <Steven.Buchholz@kla-tencor.com>]

My '83 QTC (ur-q) has one of these as well, except that the filter in the
instrument cluster is blue.  It behaves exactly as you describe.  On my car
they simply used the temperature sending unit for a water temp gauge and
hooked it up to the light.  This is why it does not come on very brightly
and dims as the engine warms up.  If you have room on the dash you can
probably fit a factory temp gauge (as I can do on my car by fitting one in
place of the boost gauge) without having to change the sender or wiring.  On
the ur-q the instrument cluster is actually wired for the gauge.

HTH!
Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)

> -----Original Message-----
>  I believe my '83 Audi 80 Q has an engine "cold" light. Nost 
> sure how it is
> called, it looks like the engine hot light and it is just 
> left from that
> light, but it is not red, but green. The previous owner told 
> me that the
> light signals when the engine temperature is low. While it is 
> lit up the
> engine should not be stressed (ie high revs, etc...).
> 
>  Question: How should this light behave? When it is cold and 
> I start the
> engine, it is light up, but only with half brightness. As the 
> engine is
> getting hoter it is fading slowly. Is it normal? I thought 
> that this light
> supposed to light up with full brightness and should 
> dissapear when the
> temperature is ok for the engine. 
> 
>  I don't know why is there this light. Is it really so 
> dangerous to the
> engine when it is cold? I have never seen a light like this 
> in any other
> car.
> 
>  DM
>