in-car temp light intermitantley flashing red :S

hi guys i'm having abit of trouble with my cooling on my 1.3, the temp light will flash intermittently, where can i start ? any tips for what to look at? its apparently had a new thermostat so maybe temp sensor? it has sufficient water any help is greatly appreciated

many thanks, Mike

Could be lots of things

Does the temp light flash when you're driving, or only when stationary?

Do the cooling fan kick in? - if so, at what temperature?

The first thing to check is the temp sensor - make sure the spade connector is secure (in fact, make sure it's connected - if its come loose, I reckon it would put the light on if it touched any part of the engine)

You could have a gunked-up radiator - sludge can build up over time which reduces the efficiency - simply take the rad off (easy) and blast a hosepipe into it - keep going until the water comes out clear (it'll be muddy brown to start with)

Check the thermostat - for some reason, they seem to fail shut - they are only a few quid to replace (my son's Driver has gone through three or four in the last three years)

Water pumps can fail, as the bearings go and the vanes on the pump can corrode away to nothing

If you're doing the water pump, do the cambelt at the same time - it would be daft not to