MX5Ireland

Lads & lassies,

I have a '94 1.8. When at operating temp the needle on the coolant gauge
sits just under half way, just left of 12 o'clock. Is this the norm on a 1.8 ?
My previous 1.6 used to sit at exactly half way on the gauge.
I also think the car is a tad slow to warm up. I replaced the thermostat t oday
with a genuine Mazda one but it didn't seem to make much difference.
Is this a trait of the 1.8 engine I wonder ? My g/friend's 5 seems pretty
much the same.

Mark.

sounds perfectly normal

Yeah, it's normal.

The temp gauges are actually 'dumb' gauges - they are engineered to stay roundabout the middle between 84 and 98 degrees C. Only when temp goes over that does it move, and then it moves quickly ! Usually by the time you notice it, it's well on the way to overheating - extreme right is about 112 degrees. If the engine hits 120 degrees, it's usually bye-bye headgasket.

Thanks for the replies lads. Looks like all is normal then. I should have asked
the question before I replaced the thermostat !!!