is my engine overheating? (audi a4)

fjireland

okay this might be a dumb question but i have a 09 audi a4... havent it that long so not that familiar with the car but i have noticed that the guage for engine temp seems to go slightly above the middle . the bottom of the guage is 50, middle 90, top 130 degrees celsius... and im actually noticing the engine is going above the middle (90) figure on very short journies, trips down the shops and stuff... i get out after say a 5- 10 minute journey and turn the engine off and the fan can be heard really loud when you walk off from the car parked... it sounds so loud, and could go for over 5 full minutes cooling the engine... you'd swear the car was still running with the air con on or something... and this is specific to very short journies.... what could be up here ?

alanmc

What's it like on long journeys?

I think this is normal enough behaviour on short journeys. I've never owned an Audi, but my Nissan sits around 90 - 95 at normal operating temperature.

I'd be more worried if the car was going into the red and the fan wasn't coming on.

Edit: What are your oil level and coolant levels like? Both of these are involved in cooling the engine.

barura

If you got AC in your car, it will work a helluva lot harder on a short trip to get the power from the engine to keep you chilled inside your car, so it will run the engine harder to work the cooler, and the temp will be higher, I would assume.

For example, if I drive my car with the heater on, the engine temp drops due to it cooling the engine too much, if I have it on cold, the engine tips up higher than 09 degrees on the guage. Wacky stuff.

MugMugs

Pretty cold out today. Did it happen today ?

fjireland

i havent actually given it a good long drive yet... nothing longer than 45- 50 minutes to be honest.... have it only few weeks, but it def only does this cooling thing when it was a really short journey... i have never experienced this with car before... i get out and you'd swear the air con was on full blast inside or something how loud the fan is cooling the engine down... any other a4 owners enlighten me, is this normal? and this goes on for what seems ages (good 5+ minutes) when parked up... it is not too far above the mid way mark but is def above it... i actually notice this only happens say if you do couple short spins down the road and back a couple of times within a couple of hours... maybe its nothing but its bit bizarre for me?

Nissan doctor

fjireland wrote: »

i havent actually given it a good long drive yet... nothing longer than 45- 50 minutes to be honest.... have it only few weeks, but it def only does this cooling thing when it was a really short journey... i have never experienced this with car before... i get out and you'd swear the air con was on full blast inside or something how loud the fan is cooling the engine down... any other a4 owners enlighten me, is this normal? and this goes on for what seems ages (good 5+ minutes) when parked up... it is not too far above the mid way mark but is def above it... i actually notice this only happens say if you do couple short spins down the road and back a couple of times within a couple of hours... maybe its nothing but its bit bizarre for me?

Turn your climate control off and do a short drive to see what happens.

fjireland

MugMugs wrote: »

Pretty cold out today. Did it happen today ?

yep today... but it was 13 degrees out it said at the time, and the last time i noticed, it was pissy wet evening but i couldnt say it was freeezing cold at the time either... its just how loud the fan cooling the engine is that makes me wonder, i know im new to the car but you'd swear the car was still running with the blower on when its parked up at this craic... its not discrete or quiet, realy loud and goes on for good 5+ minutes... and thi is def only happening on short spins im noticing

fjireland

alanmc wrote: »

What's it like on long journeys?

I think this is normal enough behaviour on short journeys. I've never owned an Audi, but my Nissan sits around 90 - 95 at normal operating temperature.

I'd be more worried if the car was going into the red and the fan wasn't coming on.

Edit: What are your oil level and coolant levels like? Both of these are involved in cooling the engine.

both seem grand and no warning lights coming on... it was sold "fully serviced"

fjireland

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Turn your climate control off and do a short drive to see what happens.

sound will try that out, thanks

mickdw

My 08 Audi a5 always runs the fan for a long period after turning off the engine and has done so from new. The temperature gauge is rock solid at 90 though.

Nissan doctor

fjireland wrote: »

both seem grand and no warning lights coming on... it was sold "fully serviced"

Please don't rely on the dummy lights to tell you if you need coolant or oil. Open the bonnet and physically check them regularly.

fjireland

barura wrote: »

If you got AC in your car, it will work a helluva lot harder on a short trip to get the power from the engine to keep you chilled inside your car, so it will run the engine harder to work the cooler, and the temp will be higher, I would assume.

For example, if I drive my car with the heater on, the engine temp drops due to it cooling the engine too much, if I have it on cold, the engine tips up higher than 09 degrees on the guage. Wacky stuff.

im pretty sure i had the ac off, but course cant be certain... im thinking this cant be big problem, can it? i have noticed this only after three short spins, weeks apart, every other journey - day in day out, no bother and none of this engine cooling craic...

fjireland

mickdw wrote: »

My 08 Audi a5 always runs the fan for a long period after turning off the engine and has done so from new. The temperature gauge is rock solid at 90 though.

so yours does run the fan after you park up from time to time... is it **** loud, mine sounds really loud, im not used to the car but it just strilkes me as seriiously loud fan working really hard to cool it... yeah generally it would be round the middle, just three occassions now it has gone above and these were all really short spins...

fjireland

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Please don't rely on the dummy lights to tell you if you need coolant or oil. Open the bonnet and physically check them regularly.

checked the oil but not the coolant... oil was looking grand tho, have to check the coolant so

Glenvw

fjireland wrote: »

okay this might be a dumb question but i have a 09 audi a4... havent it that long so not that familiar with the car but i have noticed that the guage for engine temp seems to go slightly above the middle . the bottom of the guage is 50, middle 90, top 130 degrees celsius... and im actually noticing the engine is going above the middle (90) figure on very short journies, trips down the shops and stuff... i get out after say a 5- 10 minute journey and turn the engine off and the fan can be heard really loud when you walk off from the car parked... it sounds so loud, and could go for over 5 full minutes cooling the engine... you'd swear the car was still running with the air con on or something... and this is specific to very short journies.... what could be up here ?

Hi I have had that problem with my previous golf. It would slightly go past half way mark. I changed coolant temp sensor and then never went past 90c marker.

fjireland

Glenvw wrote: »

Hi I have had that problem with my previous golf. It would slightly go past half way mark. I changed coolant temp sensor and then never went past 90c marker.

i hope it's just a sensor or something... the guage going bit above mid way is one thing but jesus, i stood out after i parked up today and couldnt believe how loud the fan was going and for how long... but then im not used to the car and maybe its run of the mill craic for the fan to kick in like this from time to time

lau1247

my 09 2.0tdi a4 doesn't go above the half way mark.. seems to be at 90 deg (middle mark) and never surpass it..

On long journey, sometimes the fan does go on after i turn the engine off (so far i've only heard it running about 3 times times since i got it in March) but never really that loud by that i mean no louder than the engine at idle.. whenever i'm near to reaching my destination, i'd go easy on the engine and always leave the engine/turbo to cool at idle for 1.5 mins or so when i get there which partly help..

The only one time i noticed it was a bit weird by that i mean i took short journey to shop to get stuff and when i got home, i pop the hood while the engine was running to have a look around and when i had finish looking around i turned the engine off.. The fan continue to run for about 2 mins (I probably would have gone for longer but i didn't have the patient to stand around) so I turned on the engine again for 20 seconds or so and turned it off.. Only then the fan stopped..

OP I'm assuming you check the oil via on board computer through MMI, if it is anywhere near a quarter left, you should be topping up..

bally2009

Nope, this is very normal in all audis'. They have a higher rated thermostat which allows them to heat the engine faster. Its perfectly normal but if you're still worried go to your dealer just to make sure.

lau1247

bally2009 wrote: »

Nope, this is very normal in all audis'. They have a higher rated thermostat which allows them to heat the engine faster.

Bally2009, it didn't happen on mine so far.. it never really go above 90 Deg..


OP, I had a long drive this morning, on the motorway it got to 90 Deg (middle mark) at speed of 120-125 KPH in 6th gear, when I reached national road driving between 90 KPH to 100 KPH in 6th gear it had dropped to about 80 Deg. When I got to my destination and let the turbo cool down as I mentioned before, it had dropped to around 75 Deg when i switched it off.. None of which goes above 90 Deg (Middle mark)..