Slow to warm up and dodgy idle

2001 V70T Auto

I've noticed recently that my car's temperature gauge doesn't climb quickly up to "straight up" and stay there. This winter (London, fairly mild: 2 to 10 deg C (not freezing)) it seems to be quite sluggish to get up there. Is that normal? Or should I replace the thermostat?

Also, and maybe this is related: Once up to temp, when sat at traffic lights the idle sometimes drops to the point where the headlights and dashboard lights dim a bit, then the idel kicks back up to 800-900 rpm and stays there. Its like a tired driver fighting to stay awake - it almost 'nodding off', but catches itself just in time, and then stays alert for a little while longer ('til the next stop light).

Does any of this sound familiar?

I had the throttle body module (or was it gearbox?) reprogrammed a while ago, and that cured all its previous idling woes for about a year.

TIA

Dz

Reply to
dransfield
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Hi,

dransfield schrieb:

I'd say yes!

Same problems here on my '99 V40 just before new year's holydays. Bad heating, temperature below normal level etc. Thermostat changed and everything was fine - even at -15°C (+5°F)... In retrospect the engine went hot very quickly last summer...

How old is the battery?

Roland (Austria)

Reply to
Roland Messerschmidt

Actually, funny you should say that, but I suspect the battery is knackered:

The car is a Feb 2001 car, and I don't know if the battery is original, but I've had the car for 4 years and never changed it, and I did flatten the battery recently (for the second time) - I think just by having the boot/trunk open for a couple of hours.

Would a knackered battery affect the idle?

Dz

Reply to
dransfield

It would be very unusual if it did. So long as the battery is strong enough to start the engine, it shouldn't have any effect on the running. My experience is only with older Volvos, but they run fine even with the battery completely flat. There were 2 days in a row where I parked my 240 facing down a hill because the battery had been run down to nothing and wouldn't take a charge but between work and everything else I didn't have time to pick up a new one. The car ran just the same as always.

Reply to
James Sweet

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