after driving for a while the engine temp starts to rise. it dosent get hot enough to blow the head but it still raises. it does this when the car is stationary, but as i drive the temp goes back to normal (about half)
is this normal or is there a problem??
cheers

So temp increases when stoped or under 60kmh- get the rad cleaned, it's air flow related too through core. Do you use factory fan shrouded or elec thermo fan

nah it rises when im stopped. and i use the factory fan

According to Owner's Manual: Water Temperature Gauge, this is the normal range:

It's probably just airflow or partial blockage in rad. I've learnt how important shrouding is too.

How hot is it getting in traffic?

Getting hotter at idle is not so common, is it? The ones I've seen get hotter at speed.

Sounds like not enough air is flowing at idle.
* If you have the wrong A12 fan, it may be too far away from the radiator (normal is about 1" (30 mm).
* Shrouding can be important depending on the radiator and core support (some have a gap and need the shroud, others don't need the shroud).

yea the engine temp is at the picture u uploaded, i was just worried that it was too high. thanx alot guys

in a newly rebuilt A15 engine with a new 3 core radiator running an electric fan & a re-cored heater core & new control valve my temp gauge is always at the middle of the gauge or slightly under it. Laser temp says its 178 - 180ish F water temp.

you can see the gauge a little.....



Likely its not just airflow, if any of the cooling system components are original or have a lot of age to them it can be all factors. Blocks, radiators, heater cores & valves clog & reduce flow - most likely candidate is the radiator water flow .

Getting hotter at idle should be more common as theres no airflow over the rad as well as less coolant circulation thru the motor.

Yes, if you fit a larger/triple core the temp will be more steady.

But varying a little is normal and won't hurt the engine. I've had a 1200 since 1981 and never blown a head gasket. Temperature moves a bit in the normal range. Cools down at idle, raises a little on the highway. As long as it doesn't cross the H mark, it is OK.

I run A12, A14 and A15 with the stock 1200 radiator. No problems.

Getting hotter at idle is a fan problem. Electric fans often don't work as good as the stock engine-driven fan.

fanx guys :)