Volvo 2003 temperature

[[176172]]

I have a Volvo 2003, which is the first one I have had.
Starts ok a bit of smoke which clears quickly, par for the course I understand.
I ran it today and after about 30/40 minutes the temperature gauge (which has an hours run meter combined) in the engine starter box was up to 50, the max is 60 and was creeping up slightly to the 60.
I kept her running and checked the engine itself, none of the usual signs or smells of an overheat. Could comfortably put my hand on water pipes and the hot water box, all looked good.
I switched off, checked the input filter nice and clean.
Any ideas or is this normal.

 

[VicS]

I dont quite understand what you are asking.

Presumably salt water cooled.
See your owner's manual and you will find that the thermostat should start to open at 60C ( and be fully open at 75 C). therefore expect the temperature to be just a gnat's over 60C when idling and a bit higher , but well under 75C, under full load.
If it fails to reach 60C check the thermostat. It may be not closing properly when cold

 

[[176172]]

I do not have an owners manual, but will depend entirely on those who have and are owners of longer standing than myself.
The temperature gauge starts at 10 and ends at 60.
The engine was running a little higher than tickover but not much more and climbed when I picked up the revs, though only to about 50%.
My concern that as it showed nearly 60 the clocks maximum whether if it was therefore overheating, which as explained when inspecting the engine there was no obvious signs of, and all appeared normal. Having in the past witnessed very overheated engines in various vehicles and boats it was quite a relief to find nothing wrong, from what I thought the gauge was telling me.
It doesn’t read 75, 60 is the max on it.

 

[VicS]

I do not have an owners manual, but will depend entirely on those who have and are owners of longer standing than myself.
The temperature gauge starts at 10 and ends at 60.
The engine was running a little higher than tickover but not much more and climbed when I picked up the revs, though only to about 50%.
My concern that as it showed nearly 60 the clocks maximum whether if it was therefore overheating, which as explained when inspecting the engine there was no obvious signs of, and all appeared normal. Having in the past witnessed very overheated engines in various vehicles and boats it was quite a relief to find nothing wrong, from what I thought the gauge was telling me.
It doesn’t read 75, 60 is the max on it.

Then download a manual from VPs ' website Manuals & handbooks | Volvo Penta

This does not sound like the correct / original VP temperature gauge. It should be scaled to cover the temperature range over which the engine will normally operate.
AFAIK they do not normally have an hour meter incorporated. The hour meter is normally in the tacho

 

[[176172]]

It certainly has the hour running meter.
I will double check tomorrow the temp scale but fairly certain it is 10 - 60.
I am currently using my mobile will get WiFi tomorrow for laptop and download as you recommend. There is a VP dealer nearby but prefer the expertise here as always.

 

[vic008]

It certainly has the hour running meter.
I will double check tomorrow the temp scale but fairly certain it is 10 - 60.
I am currently using my mobile will get WiFi tomorrow for laptop and download as you recommend. There is a VP dealer nearby but prefer the expertise here as always.

Would it be an idea to replace the gauge with one that goes to 100°?

 

[Stemar]

IIRC, if seawater gets much over 60, you get deposits that can clog things up, so you certainly don't want it getting above 70 for more than a few minutes. Against that, the warmer a an IC engine runs - up to a point - the better. I haven't got a temperature gauge for my 2003, so I work on the basis that if there's no steam coming out the back, it's OK.

 

[VicS]

IIRC, if seawater gets much over 60, you get deposits that can clog things up, so you certainly don't want it getting above 70 for more than a few minutes. Against that, the warmer a an IC engine runs - up to a point - the better. I haven't got a temperature gauge for my 2003, so I work on the basis that if there's no steam coming out the back, it's OK.

That is why seawater cooled engines have a thermostat which open at a much lower temperature than those in freshwater cooled engines. IIRC the thermostat for a freshwater cooled 2003 starts to open at 74C.

The standard instrument panel does not have a temperature gauge, just a warning light and audible alarm. The Deluxe panel has temperature, oil pressure gauges and a voltmeter.

I wonder just what panel the OP has ... A non VP one or one to which an unsuitable temperature gauge has been fitted ?

 

[boatmike]

Surely most if not all 2003 Volvos have a freshwater cooling system with a heat exchanger, Or am I wrong? In which case the gauge should certainly be 0-100 degrees and expect to run at 65-80 degrees

 

[VicS]

Surely most if not all 2003 Volvos have a freshwater cooling system with a heat exchanger, Or am I wrong? In which case the gauge should certainly be 0-100 degrees and expect to run at 65-80 degrees

It was available in both raw water and fresh water cooled versions. ITYWF that the majority were raw water cooled but I have no statistics to support that.

The thermostat for the fresh water cooled version opens over the range 74C to 87C so would run at a little over 74C

I imagine the OP will knows which version he has

 

[[176172]]

It was available in both raw water and fresh water cooled versions. ITYWF that the majority were raw water cooled but I have no statistics to support that.

The thermostat for the fresh water cooled version opens over the range 74C to 87C so would run at a little over 74C

I imagine the OP will knows which version he has

The rocker cover has a label which says ‘2000 series engine’.
The water input is via a thru-hull, up to an above water line circular black filter housing, which feeds down to the bottom of the water pump on the front of the engine, thence to an inverted V connector again above water level, the top of which has a leg with a thin open copper pipe bent at 180* to point down for about half an inch. From the other leg of the inverted V it then goes to goes to the top of the engine block, just below the water temperature connection which again I assume feeds the gauge.
I have photographed the cockpit starter panel, which I can now see is separate to the gauge.
It is too large to process will reduce and send separately.

 

[[176172]]

 

[[176172]]

Much reduced but there it is.

 

[[176172]]

Much reduced but there it is.

Please note the gauge has stayed at the 60* from yesterday’s running! Should tell something about the gauge.

 

[papaver]

I don't think that is a temperature gauge! Looks just like a simple hours meter, with 0-60 indicating the minutes of each hour's running. Explains why it "creeps up" and stays at 60

 

[Frankklose]

I own a 2003T which had lots of problems with overheating. I had the engine several times apart (Cylinderhead of etc.). Problem was caused by a gasket which somebody dropped into the internal cooling system......
Took the thermostat out and blew air (200bars out a dive bottle) into the engine. Collected the bits and pieced it together....most likely the gasket under the thermostat by the size of the remaining bits
I installed a digital meter for water temperature Ebay
(Temperaturregler Fühler Thermostat 10A 12V Digital Temperaturschalter -40~120°C)

Took out the over temperature switch switch, broke the interals off the switch and glued (epoxy 200deg) the NTC in its place., wired the over temp. contact from the controller to the buzzer.

Now I had a digital display of my water temp. What surprised me most was that temperature is absolutely stable 74 Degrees plus minus 0.5 Degrees....over 10 hours

One time I sucked a plastic bag... the temperature was set to 85 Degrees and the buzzer started immediately....

In the pipe from the turbo to the thermostat is a reduction (15mm to 3mm ) internally.
I dont know if this is also the case with the ordinary 2003.
I would look first for pieces of the impeller after that I would check the exhaust elbow.

I had the cylinder head reworked, valves grinded one nozzle replaced, no more black smoke, clean exhaust gases.
Its a rumor that a VP 2003 has to smoke.......

 

[[176172]]

I don't think that is a temperature gauge! Looks just like a simple hours meter, with 0-60 indicating the minutes of each hour's running. Explains why it "creeps up" and stays at 60

Why didn’t I think of that?? Of course that must be it. Having always previously been used to having one I automatically assumed (ass-u-me - making an ass of u and me) it was for temperature,
Thank you everyone for your generosity of time in your efforts to solve what I considered, quite incorrectly a temperature challenge, well spotted palaver. Many thanks.

 

[VicS]

[

I don't think that is a temperature gauge! Looks just like a simple hours meter, with 0-60 indicating the minutes of each hour's running. Explains why it "creeps up" and stays at 60

Absolutely.
A VDO hour meter .

 

[[176172]]

Now I wonder where the lead from thermostat goes to. Will check the instruments in the cockpit, to be honest been busy updating the saloon to properly look.

 

[VicS]

Now I wonder where the lead from thermostat goes to. Will check the instruments in the cockpit, to be honest been busy updating the saloon to properly look.

Lead from the thermostat ?
The thermostat is not an electrical device, nor is there any electrical connection to it.

Perhaps you are looking at the connection to the high temperature warning light/alarm sensor. Check the colour of the wire with the wiring diagram in the owners manual and you should be able to identify it.