Operating Temperature?

[RickRa]

I have a new Caterham Seven 280 with a 1.6 liter Ford Sigma engine generating 140hp. After 10 minutes of driving the engine operating temperature is typically 180 degrees F. but that shows up as two thirds of the way up the scale toward overheating on the dashboard gauge. Everything I have read about the running temperature for this engine suggests that 180 is a normal operating temperature. Is my car running hot, do I have the wrong gauge in my car or is something else at play here?

[Croc]

Not entirely answering your question but another datapoint, every sigma-engined Caterham I have driven on track in the UK has always had the water temp needle sitting in the middle of the gauge and not well up the top half of the gauge like you are experiencing. However, what I did not note at the time was the scale of the gauge which is what would assist you right now - sorry.

 

I tried to decipher the gauge using my most recent video (310 = 150hp Sigma) but the quality of image and the current bumpiness of Silverstone thanks to its new poor resurfacing have stopped me from reading the scale.

[yellowss7]

My 2000 Caterham water temp gauge is in C. and the car runs right at 80 C which is dead middle in the gauge. 80C is about 176F so pretty close to your number. Is the gauge just rotated a bit?

[simon450]

I believe caterham have changed ECU to run engine temperatures around 100 C. Apparently a request of Ford. I heard this from Blake (don’t remember his forum name) his new Duratec is also running at these temps.

 

 

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