Temperature gauge fluctuating
 

The temp gauge in my recently acquired ‘99 V70 T5 has been fluctuating wildly – though not overheating.

During the day of purchase whilst test driving the car, the gauge was bang in the middle.

However, whilst driving the 200 miles home (where the outside temp ranged from roughly 2-7°C), the temp gauge was frequently about two lines from the very bottom.

This was when driving around 50-60mph on the motorway. When I arrived into my town and was driving 30mph, the gauge started to climb back up.

Incidentally, the heaters were blowing warm but not particularly hot.

Any ideas, anything to worry about?

Hi,

Your thermostat is stuck open and needs changing. It's a pretty straight forward DIY or simple garage job. The part is also cheap but get a genuine Volvo one with the right temperature rating.

Best regards,

Rich.

Thanks, do you happen to know what the temp rating should be, or best to check with Volvo?

Rich is right, sounds like thermostat - assuming there's even one in there!

If you buy from Volvo they will supply the right one for your car, don't worry.

Easy job, and you'll be getting much better fuel economy for having the engine run at the right temperature. Remember to check the coolant level after you've done the job and again after it's gone through a complete heat cycle, these tend to self-bleed but you will probably have to top it up again after it's "burped".

Assuming the thermostat fasteners are like other models ('97 V70 included)

The two bolts holding the stat/body can be difficult to remove:~
This is worth doing a search for making the task easier, once done get the copper grease out for the threads and all will be well next time - next owner.
Bob.