I replaced a few things on my e30 a couple of weeks ago (fan clutch, thermostat, water pump, timing belt/tensioner, water pump belt, coolant, oil, oil filter, assorted gaskets). Before all this, the car would run rock solid at the halfway mark on the temperature gauge, but when I was in slow traffic or left it to idle for a long period of time it would overheat. This seemed to point to the fan clutch, and the new one was much stiffer than the old.
Now that the car is back together, it refuses to warm up past slightly below the 1/4 mark unless I leave it idling for a good fifteen or twenty minutes, and even then if I start driving again it cools back down. I've taken it on two-hour drives, and the engine seems to run fine, but never warms up as much as it used to. The oil I put in was 0w-40 full synthetic based on the fact it gets really cold around here in the winter, but I'm thinking this was too thin, as now when my car gets to operating temps, my oil light begins dimly flickering at low rpm's. I don't think this is related to my car not warming up, but anything is possible.
What could be causing my car to not warm up as much? I don't think I hosed any sensors as I was wrenching on stuff, but it's possible I suppose. The gauge jumps a small amount every so often as I'm driving, but goes back to it's previous position.
The thermostat is brand new, but I didn't test it before I put it in. I'm fairly sure I put it in correctly, and in any case I'd think if it was stuck closed, my car would overheat, and if it was stuck open, the car would just warm up very slowly; in my case, it never gets to its old operating temp regardless of the time.
Anyone have any ideas what could be causing this?
Now that the car is back together, it refuses to warm up past slightly below the 1/4 mark unless I leave it idling for a good fifteen or twenty minutes, and even then if I start driving again it cools back down. I've taken it on two-hour drives, and the engine seems to run fine, but never warms up as much as it used to. The oil I put in was 0w-40 full synthetic based on the fact it gets really cold around here in the winter, but I'm thinking this was too thin, as now when my car gets to operating temps, my oil light begins dimly flickering at low rpm's. I don't think this is related to my car not warming up, but anything is possible.
What could be causing my car to not warm up as much? I don't think I hosed any sensors as I was wrenching on stuff, but it's possible I suppose. The gauge jumps a small amount every so often as I'm driving, but goes back to it's previous position.
The thermostat is brand new, but I didn't test it before I put it in. I'm fairly sure I put it in correctly, and in any case I'd think if it was stuck closed, my car would overheat, and if it was stuck open, the car would just warm up very slowly; in my case, it never gets to its old operating temp regardless of the time.
Anyone have any ideas what could be causing this?
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