Temperamental Temp Gauge

My temp gauge has recently got a life of it's own and I wondered if anyone else has had a similar problem (I'm posting it here because I'm guessing it's electrical)

The temp gauge on my current Golf has always registered a little too high on the hot side for my liking when driving (right of the warning LED), but the last couple of times I've started up, which just happen to be on the coldest days we've had in ages, the temp gauge climbs straight up to boiling with the warning light flashing. After a couple of minutes, it will then decide to behave itself and drop down to a more sensible level.

I'm guessing that the temp sender is faulty, but has anyone had this before?

Mine sits on the right of the led in traffic and on the left on motor way :wink:

cheers
Tucker

On this Golf, it has always sat just right of the LED when driving and climb to the edge of boiling in traffic. On my other Golf, it's sits quite happily in the centre

I took it for a 100 mile run yesterday and for most of it the temp gauge insisted I was boiling. I monitored the oil temp on the MFA and that was normal and the outside temp was hovering around freezing, so the temp gauge is definately wrong!

Tucker said

Mine sits on the right of the led in traffic and on the left on motor way :wink:

cheers
Tucker

Me to! Fan comes on about 3/4 and off at 1/2 (87-93C)

If you have a level sensor in the expansion tank then low water will be shown with flashing light and needle in the hot.  Otherwise replace the sensor and see how you get on.

yea sounds familiar,
i was on the a20 2day runnin fine then all of a sudden the gauge rockets straight up to the top with light flashing and then about a minute later it goes back to normal… but the funny thing was that it only happened when i put the cold air blower on!!! i think my electrics are fooked anyway, the temp light flashes when i put the head lights on and the oil temp jumps about 20 degrees… mmmm i love winter!!!!